If you are arm'd to do, as fworn to do, Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too. Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortify'd: years: Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over, And then to fleep but three hours in the night, King. Your Oath is pass'd to pass away from these. Biron. Let me fay, no, my liege, an' if you please; I only fwore to ftudy with your Grace, And ftay 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 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 fense. 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. Study knows that, which yet it doth not know: } 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 falsely blind the eye-fight of his look: Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile; Who dazzling fo, that eye shall be his heed, Study is like the Heav'ns glorious Sun, That will not be deep fearch'd with faucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed ftar, Have no more profit of their fhining nights, 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. Too much to know, is to know nought but fame; And every Godfather can give a name.]The firft Line in this Read King. How well he's read, to reafon against reading! Dum. Proceeding 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 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 frost, Before the birds have any caufe to fing? Than wifh 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 ftay with you. And though I have for barbarism spoke more, ing 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 Sense, 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 Sense, in both these Readings, is equally good: But with this Difference; if we read the firft Way, the following Line is impertinent; and to fave the Correction we must judge it spurious. If we read it the fecond Way, then the following Line completes the Senfe. Consequently the Correction of feign is to be preferred. Yet Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore, fhame! Biron. Item, That no woman fhall come within a 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 majesty, About Surrender up of Aquitain To her decripit, 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 overfhot; While it doth study to have what it would, King. We muft, of force, dispense 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 master'd, but by special grace. So to the laws at large I write my name, And he, that breaks them in the leaft degree, Stands in Attainder of eternal fhame. Suggeftions are to others, as to me; But, I believe, although I feem fo loth, I am the last that will last keep his oath. But is there no quick recreation granted? 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, For interim to our Studies, fhall relate 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 fport; And, so to study, three years are but short. SCENE |