Our court shall be a little Academe, Still and contemplative in living art. You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville, Your oaths are pass'd, and now subscribe your names; That his own hand may strike his honour down, If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do, Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep it too. The mind shall banquet, though the body pine: Biron. I can but say their protestation over, 1 O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep; Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please; I only swore, to study with your grace, And stay here in your court for three years' space. Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest. Biron. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest. 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 sense? King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so, To know the thing I am forbid to know: As thus,-To study where I well may dine, When I to fast 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. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchased, 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: So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, By fixing it upon a fairer eye; Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Have no more profit of their shining nights, 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. 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. Biron. Before the birds have any cause to sing? Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. King. Well, sit you out; go home, Biron; adieu ! Biron. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you: And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, Than for that angel knowledge you can say ; 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 same; And to the strict'st decrees I'll write my name. King. How well this yielding rescues thee from shame! Biron. [reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court Hath this been proclaimed? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.]-On pain of losing her tongue. Who devised 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. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court shall possibly devise.This article, my liege, yourself must break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak, A maid of grace, and cómplete majesty,About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. Biron. So study evermore is over-shot; While it doth study 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; so won, so lost. King. We must, of force, dispense with this decree; She must lie here on mere necessity. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space : For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace. If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, I am forsworn on mere necessity. So to the laws at large I write my name: [Subscribes. 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 seem so loth, |