Have fworn for three years' term to live with me, Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names: Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortify'd: Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over, King. Your Oath is pafs'd to pafs away from these. Long. Long. You fwore to that, Biron, and to the reft. Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I fwore in jeft. What is the end of ftudy? let me know? King. Why, that to know, which elfe we fhould not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common fenfe. King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence. King. These 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 falfly blind the eye-fight of his look: Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile; Who dazling fo, that eye fhall be his heed, That will not be deep fearch'd with fawcy looks; (a) Feaft Mr. Theobald - Vulg. faft ] These Thefe earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, Than those 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 reafon against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to ftop all good proceeding. Long. He weeds the corn, and ftill let's grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green geefe are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Fit in his place and time. Biron. Something then in rhime. Long: Biron is like an envious fneaping froft, 1 Too much to know, is to know nought but FAME; And every Godfather can give a name."] The first line in this reading is abfurd and impertinent. There are two ways of fetting it right. The firft is to read it thus, Too much to know, is to know nought but SHAME; This makes a fine fense, and alludes to Adam's Fall, which came from the inordinate paffion of knowing too much. The other way is to read, and point it thus, Too much to know, is to know nought: but FEIGN, i. e. to feign. As much as to fay, the affecting to know too much is the way to know nothing. The fenfe, in both thefe readings, is equally good: But with this difference; If we read the first way, the following line is impertinent; and to fave the correction we muft judge it fpurious. If we read it the fecond way, then the following line compleats the fenfe. Confequently the correction of feign is to be preferred. To know too much (lays the fpeaker) is to know nothing; it is only feigning to know what we do not: giving names for things without knowing their natures; which is falfe knowledge: And this was the peculiar defect of the Peripatetic Philofophy then in vogue. Thefe philofophers, the poet, with the higheft humour and good fenfe, calls the Godfathers of Nature, who could only give things a name, but had no manner of acquaintance with their effences, Biron. Well; fay, I am; why fhould proud fum mer boaft, Before the birds have any cause to fing? Than wish a fnow. in May's new-fangled fhows: 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. n And though I have for barbarifm spoke more, And 'bide the penance of each three years' day. 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: Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? [reading. [reading. Long. To fright them hence with that dread pe nalty. Biron. A dangerous law againft gentility! Item, [reading.] If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three Years, he shall endure fuch publick shame as the rest of the Court can poffibly devife. VOL. II, This T This article, my liege, your felf must break; For, well you know, here comes in embaffy The French King's daughter with your felf to speak, A maid of grace and compleat majesty, About Surrender up of Aquitain To her decrepit, fick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes th' admired Princess hither. King. What fay you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. Biron. So ftudy evermore is overshot; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it fhould: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, Biron. Neceffity will make us all forfworn Three thousand 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: I am forfworn on meer 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; King. Ay, that there is; our Court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain, A man in all the world's new fashion planted, £6 One, |