Biron. Let me fay, No, my Liege, an' if you please; I only fwore to study with your Grace,

And stay here in your court for three years' space.
Long. You fwore to that, Biron, and to the reft.
Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I swore in jeft.
What is the end of study? let me know.

King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know.

Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common fenfe.

King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence.
Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to study fo,
To know the thing I am forbid to know;
As thus; to ftudy where I well may dine,
When I to feaft expressly am forbid;
Or ftudy where to meet fome mistress fine,
When miftreffes from commou fenfe are hid;
Or, having fworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If ftudy's gain be this, and this be fo,
Study knows that which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er fay, No.

King. Thefe be the ftops that hinder ftudy quite,
And train our intellects to vain delight.

}

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 feek the light of truth; while truth the while
Doth falfely blind the eye-fight of his look:

Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by lofing of your eyes.
Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it upon a fairer eye;

Who dazzling fo, that eye fhall be his heed,
And give him light, that it was blinded by.

Study is like the heaven's glorious fun,

That will not be deep-fearch'd with faucy looks;
Small have continual plodders ever won,
Save bafe authority from others' books.
Thefe earthly godfathers of heaven's lights
That give a name to every fixed ftar,

Have no more profit of their fhining nights,

Than thofe that walk, and wot not what they are. "Too much to know, is to know nought: but feign; "And every godfather can give a name.”

King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to ftop all good proceeding. Long. He weeds the corn, and' ftill let's grow the weeding.

Biron. The fpring is near when green geese are abreeding.

Dum. How follows that?

Biron. Fit in his place and time.
Dum. In reafon nothing.

Biron. Something then in rhyme.

Long. Biron is like an envious fneaping froft,

That bites the firft-born infants of the fpring.

Biron. Well; fay, I am; why fhould proud fummer boaft,

Before the birds have any cause to fing?
Why fhould I joy in an abortive birth?
At Christmas I no more defire a rofe,

Than wish a fnow in May's new-fangled fhows:
But like of each thing that in season grows.

So

you, to ftudy now it is too late,

Climb o'er the house t'unlock the little gate.

King. Well, fit you out-Go home, Biron: adieu! Biron. No, my good Lord, I've fworn to stay with

you.

And though I have for barbarism spoke more,
Than for that angel knowledge you can fay;
Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore,
And 'bide the penance of each three years' day.
Give me the paper, let me read the fame;

And to the ftricteft decrees I'll write

my name.

King. How well this yielding refcues thee from

shame!

Biron. Item, That no woman fhall come within a mile

of my court.

Hath this been proclaimed?

Long. Four days ago.

Biron. Let's fee the penalty.

On pain of lofing her tongue.

[reading.

"reading.

Who

Who devis'd this penalty?

Long. Marry, that did I.

Biron. Sweet Lord, and why?

Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility!

Item. [reading.] If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he fhall endure fuch public fhame as the reft of the court can poffibly devife.

This article, my Liege, yourself must break;

For, well you know, here comes in embaffy
The French King's daughter, with yourself to speak,
A maid of grace and complete majefty,
About furrender up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, fick, and bed-rid father:
Therefore this article is made in vain,

Or vainly comes th' admired Princefs hither.

King. What fay you, Lords? why, this was quite forgot.

Biron. So ftudy evermore is overshot;

While it doth Itudy to have what it would,
It doth forget to do the thing it should;
And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,
'Tis won, as towns with fire; fo won, fo loft.

King. We must, of force, difpenfe with this decree;
She muft lie here on mere neceffity.

Biron. Neceffity will make us all forfworn

Three thoufand times within this three years' fpace:

For every man with his affects is born:

Not by might mafter'd, but by fpecial grace.

If I break faith, this word fhall speak for me: 1 am forfworn on mere neceffity.

So to the laws at large I write my name,

And he that breaks them in the least degree,
Stands in attainder of eternal shame.

Suggestions are to others, as to me;
But I believe, although I feem fo loath,
I am the laft that will last keep his oath
But is there no quick recreation granted?

King. Ay, that there is; our court, you know, is haunted

VOL. II..

N

With

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 mufic of his own vain tongue
"Doth ravish, like inchanting harmony:
"A man of compliments, whom right and wrong
"Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny.
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

"For interim to our ftudies, fhall relate
In high-born words the worth of many a knight
"From tawny Spain, loft in the world's debate."
How you delight, my Lords, I know not, I;
But, I proteft, I love to hear him lie;
And I will ufe him for my minstrelfy.

Biron. Armado is a moft illuftrious wight,
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.

Long. Coftard the fwain, and he, fhall be our sport; And, fo to ftudy, three years are but short.

SCENE II, Enter Dull and Coftard with a letter.

Dull. Which is the King's own person?
Biron. This, fellow; what would's?

Dull. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: but I would fee his own person in flesh and blood.

Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme,

-Arme- -commends you.

There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more.
Coft. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me.
King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having; God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both..

Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the ftyle fhall give us cause to climb in the merriness.

Coft.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaque

netta.

The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner.

Biron. In what manner!

Cost. In manner and form, following, Sir; all thofe three. I was feen with her in the manor-house, fitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner: it is the manner of a man to fpeak to a woman; for the form, in fome form.

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

King. Will you hear the letter with attention!

Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

King. [reads] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftering patron

Cof. Not a word of Coftard yet.

King. So it is

Coft. It may be so; but if he say it is fo, he is, in telling true, but fo, so.

King. Peace

Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight!
King. No words-

Coff. Of other mens fecrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is, befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing humour to the most wholeSome phyfic of the health giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beafts moft graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper : fo much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which? which, I mean, I walk'd upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where? where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and most prepoflerous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft. But to the place, where?

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