The endeavor of this present breath may buy That honor which shall bate his scythe's keen edge And make us heirs of all eternity. Therefore, brave conquerors,-for so you are, And the huge army of the world's desires,-10 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, 60 To know the thing I am forbid to know: Or, having sworn too hard a keeping oath, King. These be the stops that hinder study quite 70 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 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, Tet confident I'll keep what I have swore And bide the penance of each three years' day. Give me the papers, 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. 121 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, Le 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 Aquitaine 140 To her decrepit, sick and bedrid 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 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 know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, A man of complements, whom right and wrong In high-born words the worth of many a knight From tawny Spain lost in the world's debate. How you delight, my lords, I know not, I; Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight. Long. Costard the swain and he shall be 180 our sport; Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me. King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience! Biron. To hear? or forbear laughing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. 200 Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us canse to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting 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 speak to a woman: for the form,— in some form. Biron. For the following, sir ? not fight! King. No words! 6 230 Cost. Of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King [reads]. So it is, besieged with sablecolored melancholy, I did commend the blackoppressing humor to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time when. About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper: so much for the time when. Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon it is ycleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the eboncolored ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest; but to the place where; it standeth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curiousknotted garden there did I see that low-spir-. ited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,' Cost. Me? King [reads]. that unlettered small-knowing soul,' Cost. Me? King [reads]. sorted and consorted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, which with,-0, with-but with this I passion to say wherewith,Cost. With a wench. King [reads]. with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, a woman. Him I, as my everesteemed duty pricks me on, have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet grace's officer, Antliony Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, aud estima tion.' Dull. Me, an't shall please you; I am Anthony Dull. King [reads]. For Jaquenetta.-so is the weaker vessel called which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain,-I keep her as a vessel of the law's fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heartburning heat of duty. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO.' Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard. King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, what say you to this? Cost. Sir, I confess the wench. King. Did you hear the proclamation ? Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it. King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench. 290 Cost. I was taken with none, sir: I was taken with a damsel. King. Well, it was proclaimed 'damsel.' Cost. This was no damsel, neither, sir; she was a virgin. King. It is so varied, too; for it was proclaimed virgin.' Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid. [sir. King. This maid will not serve your turn. Cost. This maid will serve my turn, sir. King. Sir, I will pronounce your sentence: you shall fast a week with bran and water. Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge. King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper. My Lord Biron, see him deliver'd o'er: And go we, lords, to put in practice that Which each to other hath so strongly sworn. [Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumain. Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle SCENE II. The same. Enter ARMADO and MoTH. Arm. Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Arm. Why, sadness is one and the selfsame thing, dear imp. Moth. No, no; O Lord, sir, no. Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal? Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior. 10 Arm. Why tough senior? why tough sen ior? Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? I have promised to study three years with the duke Moth. You may do it in an hour, sir. 40 Moth. How many is one thrice told? Arm. I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster. Moth. You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir. Arm, I confess both: they are both the varnish of a complete man. Moth. Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to. Arm. It doth amount to one more than two. Moth. Which the base vulgar do call three. Arm. True. Muth. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here is three studied, ere ye'll thrice wink and how easy it is to put years' to the word 'three,' and study three years in two words, the dancing horse will tell you. Arm. A most fine figure! Moth. To prove you a cipher. 59 Arm. I will hereupon confess I am in love: and as it is base for a soldier to love, so am I in love with a base wench. If drawing my sword against the humor of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I Would take Desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new-devised courtesy. I think scorn to sigh: methinks I should outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: what great men have been in love? Moth. Hercules, master. Arm. Most sweet Hercules! More authorty, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage. Moth. Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great carriage, for he carried the town-gates on his back like a porter: and he was in love. Arm. O well-knit Samson! strong-jointed Samson! I do excel thee in my rapier as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in love too Who was Samson's love, my dear Moth ? Moth. A woman, master. 80 Arm. Of what complexion? Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four. Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion. Moth. Of the sea-water green, sir. Arm. Is that one of the four complexions? Moth. As I have read, sir; and the best of them too. Arm. Green indeed is the color of lovers; but to have a love of that color, methinks Samson had small reason for it. He surely affected her for her wit. Moth. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit. Arm. My love is most immaculate white and red. Moth. Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under such colors. Arm. Defiue, define, well-educated infant. Moth. My father's wit and my mother's tongue, assist me ! 101 Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and pathetical! Moth. If she be made of white and red, Her faults will ne'er be known, For blushing cheeks by faults are bred By this you shall not know, For still her cheeks possess the same 110 A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of white and red. Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar ? Moth. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since: but I think now 'tis not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing nor the tune. Arm. I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may example my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the park with the rational hind Costard: she deserves well. Moth. [Aside] To be whipped; and yet a better love than iny master. Arm. Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love. Moth. And that's great marvel, loving a light wench. 130 Arm. I say, sing. Moth. Forbear till this company be past. Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA. Dull. Sir, the duke's pleasure is, that you keep Costard safe and you must suffer him to take no delight nor no penance; but a' must. I will visit thee at the lodge. Jag. That's hereby, Arm. I know where it is situate. Jaq. Lord, how wise you are! Arm. I will tell thee wonders. Jaq. With that face? Arm. I love thee. Jaq. So I heard you say. Arm. And so, farewell. Jaq. Fair weather after yon! 140 150 [Exeunt Dull and Jaquenetta. Arm. Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou be pardoned. Cost. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a full stomach. Arm. Thou shalt be heavily punished. Cost. I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded. Arm. Take away this villain; shut him up. Moth. Come, you transgressing slave; away! 160 Cost. Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast, being loose. Moth. No, sir; that were fast and loose : thou shalt to prison. Cost. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I have seen, some shall see. Moth. What shall some see ? Cost. Nay, nothing, Master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too silent in their words; and therefore I will say nothing: I thank God I have as little patience as another man; and therefore I can be quiet. 171 [Exeunt Moth and Costard. Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, which is a great argument of falsehood, if I love. And how can that be true love which is falsely attempted ? Love is a familiar; Love is a devil: there is no evil angel but Love. Yet was Samson so tempted, and he had an excellent strength; yet was Solomon so seduced, and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules' club; and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause will not serve my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy; but his glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valor! rust, rapier! be still, drum for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme, for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit. Enter the Princess of France, ROSALINE, MARIA, KATHARINE, BOYET, Lords, and other Attendants. Boyet. Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits: Consider who the king your father sends, Of all perfections that a man may owe, 10 Prin. Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, 20 Needs not the painted flourish of your praise : 29 To know his pleasure; and in that behalf, Haste, signify so much; while we attend, is so. Who are the votaries, my loving lords, Mar. I know him, madam feast, 40 Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir |