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The endeavour of this present breath may buy

mon sense?

That honour, which shall bait his scythe's keen edge, King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense.

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And make us heirs of all eternity.

Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so,

WI

Therefore, brave conquerors! -for so you are,

That war against your own affections,

To know the thing I am forbid to know:
As thus, to study where I well may dine,
When I to feast expressly am forbid;
Or, study where to meet some mistress fine,
When mistresses from common sense are hid:
Or, having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If study's gain be thus, and this be so,
Study knows that, which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er say, no.
King. These be the stops that hinder study quite,
And train our intellects to vain delight.

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And the huge army of the world's desires,-
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force:
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world;
Our court shall be a little academe,

Still and contemplative in living art.

You three, Birón, Dumain, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow scholars, and to keep statutes,
That are recorded in this schedule here:

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names;
That his own hand may strike his honour down,
That violates the smallest branch herein:

If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep oath, and keep it too!
Long. I am resolv'd: 'tis but a three years' fast;
The mind shall banquet, though the body pine:
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bank'rout quite the wits.
Dum. Myloving lord, Dumain is mortified;
The grosser manner of these world's delights
He throws upon the gross world's baser slaves:
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philosophy.

Biron. I can but say the protestation over.
So much, dear liege, I have already sworn,
That is, to live and study here three years.
But there are other strict observances:
As, not to see a woman in that term;
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there:
And, one day in a week to touch no food;
And but one meal on every day beside;
The which, I hope, is not enrolled there:
And then, to sleep but three hours in the night,
And not be seen to wink of all the day;
(When I was wont to think no harm all night,
And make a dark night too of half the day;)
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there :
O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep;
Not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep.

King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me say no, myliege, an if you please;

Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain,
Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain:
As, painfully to pore upon a book,

To seek the light of truth; while truth the while
Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look:
Light seeking light, doth light of light beguile:
So, ere you find, where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark, by losing of your eyes.
Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it it upon up a fairer eye;
Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,
And give him light that was it blinded by.
Study is like the heaven's glorious sun,
That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks;
Small have continual plodders ever won,
Save base authority from others' books.
These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights,
That give a name to every fixed star,

Have no more profit of their shining nights,
Than those that walk, and wot not what they are.
Too much to know, is to know nought but fame;
And every godfather can give a name.

King. How well he's read, to reason against reading!
Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding!
Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the

weeding.

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Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a

breeding.

Dum. How follows that?
Biron. Fit in his place and time.
Dum. In reason nothing.

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For, well you know, here comes in embassy

Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting

The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak, - with her upon the form, and taken following her into

A maid of grace, and complete majesty!

About surrender-up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father:

Therefore this article is made in vain,

the park; which, put together, is in manner and form following. Now, sir, for the manner, it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form,-in some form.

Orvainly comes the admired princess hither.

Biron. For the following, sir?

King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and God

forgot.

defend the right!

Biron. So study evermore is overshot;

King. Will you hear this letter with attention?

While it doth study to have what it would,

Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

It doth forget to do the thing it should:

Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after

And, when it hath the thing it hunteth most,

the flesh.

'Tis won, as towns with fire; so won, so lost.

King. [Reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicege

King. Wemust, of force, dispense with this decree; rent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's

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ntleman.

King. Ay, that there is: our court you know is haunted beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down

With a refined traveller of Spain;

A man in all the world's new fashion planted,

That hath a mint of phrases in his brain : One, whom the music of his own vain tongue

to that nourishment which is called supper. So much for the time when. Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon: it is ycleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter

134

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.

that obscene and most preposterous event, that
draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured
ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest,
or seest. But to the place, where, - It standeth north-
north-east and by east from the west corner of thy
curious-knotted garden: there did I see that low-
spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,
Cost. Me.

King. -that unletter'd small-knowing soul,
Cost. Me.

King. -that shallow vassal,

Cost. Still me.

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King. -with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, awoman. Him 1 (asmy ever-esteemed duty pricks me on) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet grace's officer, Antony Dull; a man of goodrepute, carriage, bearing, and estimation.

Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad.
Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing,
dearimp.

Dull. Me, an't shall please you; Iam Antony Dull. King. For Jaquenetta, (so is the weaker vessel called, which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain,) I keep her as a vessel of thy law'sfury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty, Don Adriano de Armado.

Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay, the best for the worst.-But, sirrah, what

say you to this?

Cost. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

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Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no.
Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy,

my tender juvenal?

Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working,
my tough senior.

Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior?
Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal?
Arm. Ispoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epi-
theton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may
nominate tender.

Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment, to

be taken with a wench.

Cost. I was taken with none, sir; I was taken with a damosel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damosel.

Moth. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title
to your old time, which we may name tough.
Arm. Pretty, and apt.

Cost. This was no damosel neither, sir; she was a virgin.

Moth. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying
apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty?

King. It so varied too; for it was proclaimed virgin. Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid.

Arm. Thou pretty, becauselittle.

Moth. Little pretty, becauselittle: wherefore apt?
Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.
Moth. Speak you this in my praise, master?
Arm. In thy condign praise.

Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise.
Arm. What? that an cel is ingenious?

Moth. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do say, thou art quickin answers: thou heat

est my blood.

Moth. I am answered, sir.
Arm. Ilove not to be crossed.
Moth. He speaks the mere contrary, crosses love not
him.

[Aside.

Arm. I have promised to study three years with the

duke.

Moth. You may do it in an hour, sir.
Arm. Impossible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am illat reckoning, it fitteth the spirit of a
tapster.

Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamester, sir.
Arm. I confess both; they are both the varnish of a
complete man.

Moth. Then, I am sure, you know, how much the
gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.

Moth. Which the base vulgar do call, three.
Arm. True.

Moth

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Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and is base for a soldier to love, so am I in love with a base

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Moth. Sampson, master: he was a man of good car-
riage, great carriage; for he carried the town-gates
on his back, like a porter: and he was in love.
Arm.O well-knit Sampson! strong-jointedSampson!
I do excel thee in my rapier, as much as thou didst me
in carrying gates. I am in love too. - Who was Samp-

Arm. Boy, whatsignis it, when a man of great spirit son's love, my dear Moth?
grows melancholy?

Moth. A woman, master.

wench. If drawing my sword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new devised courtesy. I think scorn to sigh; methinks, I should outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy! What great men have been in love?

Moth. Hercules, master.
Arm. Most sweet Hercules! - More authority, dear
boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men
of good repute and carriage!

Arm. Of what complexion?

Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two or one of the four.

Arm. Tell me precisely, of what complexion?

Moth. Ofthe sea-water green, sir.

Arm. Is that one of the four complexions?

Moth. As I haveread, sir; and the best of them too. Arm. Green, indeed, is the colour of lovers: but to have a love of that colour, methinks, Sampson had small reason for it. He, surely, affected her for her wit. Moth. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit.

Arm. Myloveis most immaculate white and red. Moth. Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under such colours.

Arm. Define, define, well educated infant!

Moth. My father's wit, and my mother's tongue as

sist me!

Arm. Sweetinvocation of a child; most pretty, and pathetical!

Moth. If she be made of white and red,

Her faults will ne'er be known;
For blushing cheeks by faults are bred,
And fears by pale-white shown:
Then, if she fear, or be to blame,
By this you shall not know;

For still her cheeks possess the same,
Which native she doth owe.

A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason
white and red.

Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and Beggar?

Arm. Take away this villain; shut him up!
Moth. Come, you transgressing slave; away!
Cost. Let me not be pent up, sir; I will fast, being
loose.

Moth. No, sir; that were fast and loose; thou shalt to prison.

Cost. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I have seen, some shall see

I

Moth' What shall some see?

Cost. Nay nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too silent in their words; and, therefore, I will say nothing: I thank God, I have as little patience as another man; and therefore can be quiet. [Exeunt Moth and Costard. Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, (which is a great argument of falsehood,) if I love. And how can that be true love, which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil: there is no evil angel but love. Yet Sampson was so tempted; and he had an excellent strength: yet was Solomon so seduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause will not serve my turn: the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy; but of his glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust, rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme; for, I am sure, I shall turn sonnetteer. Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio! [Exit.

the

Moth. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since: but, I think, now 'tis not to be found; or, ifit were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune.

Arm. I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may example my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that country girl, that I took in the park with the rational hind Costard; she deserves well.

Moth. To be whipped; and yet a better love, than my [Aside.

master.

Arm. Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love.
Moth. And that's great marvel, loving a light wench.
Arm. I say, sing!

Moth. Forbear till this company be past.

Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA. Dull. Sir, the duke's pleasureis, that you keep Costard safe : and you must let him take no delight, nor no penance; but a' must fast three days a-week. For this damsel, I must keep her at the park; she is allowed for the day-woman. Fare you well.

Arm. I do betray myself with blushing.-Maid!

Jaq. Man!

Arm. I will visit thee at the lodge.

Jaq. That's hereby.

Arm. I know, whereit is situate.

Jaq. Lord, how wise you are!

Arm. I will tell thee wonders.

Jaq. With that face?

Arm. I love thee.

Jaq. So I heard you say.
Arm. And so farewell!

Jaq. Fair weather after you!

Dull. Come, Jaquenetta, away!

[Exeunt Dull and Jaquenetta. Arm. Villaiu, thou shalt fast for thy offences, ere thou be pardoned.

Cost. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a full stomach.

Arm. Thou shalt be heavily punished.

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Enter the Princess of France, ROSALINE, MARIA, CA-
THARINE, BOYET, Lords, and other Attendants.
Boyet. Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits :
Consider, who the king your father sends;
To whom he sends; and what's his embassy:
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem;
To parley with the sole inheritor

Of all perfections, that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitain; a dowry for a queen.
Benow as prodigal of all dear grace,
As nature was in making graces dear,
When she did starve the general world beside,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise;
Beauty is bought by jugdment of the eye,
No utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues.
I am less proud to hear you tell my worth,
Than you much willing to be counted wise
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker, -Good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame
Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,
Till painful study shall out-wear three years,
No woman may approach his silent court.
Therefore to us seemeth it a needful course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthiness, we single you
As our best-moving fair solicitor:
Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On serious business, craving quick despatch,
Impórtunes personal conference with his grace.

Cost. I am more bound to you, than your fellows; for Haste, signify so much; while we attend,
they are but lightly rewarded.

Like humbly-visag'd suitors, his high will,

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Prin. Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.
I hear, your grace hath sworn-out house-keeping:
'Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,

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1 Lord. Longaville is one.

And sin to break it:

Prin. Know you the man?

But pardon me, I am too sudden-bold;

Th

Mar. I know him, madam; at a marriage feast, Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir

To teach a teacher ill besecmeth me.

it

Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,

Of Jaques Falconbridge solemnized,
In Normandy saw I this Longaville.
A man of sovereign parts he is esteem'd,
Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms :
Nothing becomes him ill, that he would well.

And suddenly resolve me in my suit! [Gives a paper.

Pr

King. Madam, I will, if suddenly I may.

The only soil of his fair virtue's gloss,
(Ifvirtue's gloss will stain with any soil,)
Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a will,
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
It should none spare that come within his power.

Prin. You will the sooner, that I were away;
For you'll prove perjur'd, if you make me stay.
Biron. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
Ros. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
Biron. I know you did.

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Ros. How needless was it then,

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To ask the question!

Ros. 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with such ques

Prin. Some merry mocking lord, belike; is't so? Mar. They say so most, that most his humours know. Prin. Such short-liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the rest?

Kath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth,

Of all, that virtue love, for virtuelov'd:
Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace, though he had no wit.
I saw him at the duke Alençon's once;
And much too little of that good I saw,
Is my report, to his great worthiness.
Ros. Another of these students at that time
Was there with him: if I have heard a truth,
Biron they call him; but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal;
His eye begets occasion for his wit;
For every object, that the one doth catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jest,
Which his fair tongue (conceit's expositor,)
Delivers in such apt and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant at his tales,
And younger hearings are quite ravished;
So sweet and voluble is his discourse.

Prin. God bless my ladies! are they all in love,
That every one her own hath garnished
With such bedecking ornaments of praise?
Mar. Here comes Boyet.

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Biron. You must not be so quick.

tions.

Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire.

Rost. Not till it leave the rider in the mire.
Biron. What time o' day?

Ros. The hour that fools should ask.
Biron. Now fair befal your mask!
Ros. Fair fall the face it covers!
Biron. And send you many lovers!
Ros. Amen, so you be none.
Biron. Nay, then will I be gone.
King. Madam, your father here doth intimate
The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;
Being but the one half of an entire sum,
Disbursed by my father in his wars.
But say, that he, or we, (as neither have,)
Receiv'd that sum; yet there remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which,
One part of Aquitain is bound to us,
Although not valued to the money's worth.
If then the king your father will restore
But that one half, which is unsatisfied,
We will give up our right in Aquitain,
And hold fair friendship with his majesty.
But that, it seems, he little purposeth;
For here he doth demand to have repaid
An hundred thousand crowns; and not demands,
On payment of a hundred thousand crowns,
To have his title live in Aquitain;
Which we much rather had depart withal,
And have the money by our father lent,
Than Aquitain so gelded as it is.

Enter KING, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON, and Atten

dants.

King.Fair princess, welcome to the court of Navarre! Prin. Fair, I give you back again; and, welcome I have not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wild fields too base to be

mine.

King. You shall be welcome, madam, to my court.
Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither!
King. Hear me, dear lady! I have sworn an oath.
Prin.
Our Lady help mylord! he'll be forsworn.
King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will.
Prin. Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing else.
King. Yourladyship is ignorant what it is.

Dear princess, were not his requests so far
From reason's yielding, your fair self should make
A yielding, 'gainst some reason, in my breast,
And go well satisfied to France again.

Prin. You do the king my father too much wrong,
And wrong thereputation of your name,
In so unseeming to confess receipt
Of that, which hath so faithfully been paid.
King. I do protest, I never heard of it;
And, if you'll proveit, I'll repay it back,
Or yield up Aquitain.

Prin. Wearrest your word. Boyet, you can produce acquittances, For such a sum, from special officers Of Charles his father.

King. Satisfy me so!

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Boyet. So please your grace, the packet is not come,
Where that and other specialties are bound;
To-morrow you shall have a sight of them.
King. It shall suffice me: at which interview,
All liberal reason I will yield unto.

Mean time, receive such welcome at my hand,

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