lords, attending on the princess of

France. 10 de Armado, a fantastical Spaniard. el, a curate.

a schoolmaster. nstable. clown. to Armado.

SCENE I. Navarre. A purk, with a palace

in it.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Domain

France.

ladies, attending on the princess.

King
Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live register'd upon our brazen tombs,
And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
When, spite of cormorant devouring time,
The endeavour of this present breath diay buy
That honour, which shall bate his scythe's

keen edge,
And make us heirs of all eternity.
Therefore, brave conquerors !-for so you are,
That war against your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's desires,--
Our late edíct shall strongly stand in force:
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world;
Our court shall be a little académe,
Süll and contemplative in living art.
You three, Birón, Dumain, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me,

, a country wench. nd others, attendants on the king and

princess.

Scene, Navarre.

.

W-scholars, and to keep those statutes,
: recorded in this schedule here:
ths are past, and now subscribe

your

Dames; 3 own hand may strike his honour down, lates the smallest branch herein: ire arm'd to do, as sworn to do, Je to your deep oath, and keep it too. · I am resolv'd: ’tis but a three years' fast; id shall banquet, though the body pine: nches have lean pates; and dainty bits ch the ribs, but bank’rout quite the wits.

My loving lord, Dumain is mortified; sser manner of these world's delights ws upon the gross world's baser slaves :

to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die; I these living in philosophy. n. I can but say their protestation over, h, dear liege, I have already sworn,

To live and study here three years. ere are other strict observances : [to see a woman in that term;

I hope well, is not enrolled there: ne day in a week to touch no food; it one meal on every day beside; rich, I hope, is not enrolled there: en, to sleep but three hours in the night, t be seen to wink of all the day; I was wont to think no harm all night, ake a dark night too of half the day);

I hope well, is not enrolled there: se are barren tasks, too hard to keep; see ladies, study, fast, not sleep. - Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. m. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please; swore, to study with your grace, ay here in

your court for three years' space. 3. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest. m. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in

jest. .s the end of study? let me kuow.

163
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 god-like recompense.

Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so,
To know the thing I am forbid to know:
As thus-Io 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,
Sludy knows that, which get 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 purchas'd, doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book,

To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Dotlı 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 upon 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 anthority 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.

Dishonestly, treacherously,

uch to know, is, to know nought but fame; Fery godfather can give a name. Sot 5. How well he's read, to reason against read2. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceed

ing! 5. He weeds the corn, and still lets

weeding. on. The spring is near, when green geese are

a breeding. n. How follows that?

Fit in his place and time. n. In reason nothing. on.

Something thien in rhyme. g. Biron is like an envious sneaping* frost, Chat bites the first-born infants of the spring, on. Well, say I am; why should proud sum.

mer boast, Before the birds have any cause to sing? hould I joy in an abortive birth? ristmas I no more desire a rose wish a snow in May's new-fangled showst; ke of each thing, that in season grows. 7, to study now it is too late, o'er the house to unlock the little gate. g. Well, sit you out: go home, Birón; adieu! on. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay though I have for barbarism spoke more, -11 for that angel knowledge you can say, onfident I'll keep what I have swore,

bide the penance of each three years' day. me the paper, let me read the same; co the strict'st decrees I'll write my name. eg. How well this yielding rescues thee from

shame! con. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall within a mile of my court. ath this been proclaim'd?

Biron. Let's see the penalty.
[Reads. l-On pain of losing her tongue.--

Who devis a this!
Long. Marry, that did I.
Biron. Sweet lord, and why?
Long. To fright them hence with that dread

pe
nalty.
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
can 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 complete 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 overshot; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it shonld: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; so won, so lost. King. We must, of force, Uispense with this do

стее; ; 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; 11v 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

POSLO