The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense.
Ber. 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 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, 65
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.

Long. Four days ago.
Ber. Let's see the penalty. On pain of losing
her tongue. Who devised this penalty?
Long. Marry, that did I.
Ber.
Sweet lord, and why?
Long. To fright them hence with that dread
penalty.

Ber. A dangerous law against gentility!
Item. If any man be seen to talk with a wo-
man within the term of three years, he shall
88 endure such public shame as the rest of the
court can possibly devise.

Save base authority 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.

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.

Ber. The spring is near, when green geese are
a-breeding.

Dum. How follows that?
Ber.

Fit in his place and time. And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,
'Tis won as towns with fire; so won, so lost. 145
King. We must of force dispense with this
decree;

Dum. In reason nothing.
Ber.
Something then, in rime.
King. Berowne is like an envious sneaping
frost

100 That bites the first-born infants of the spring. Ber. Well, say I am: why should proud summer boast

She must lie here on mere necessity.
Ber. Necessity will make us all forsworn
Three thousand times within this three years'

space;

148

A man in all the world's new fashion planted,
That hath a mint of phrases in his brain; 164
One whom the music of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish like enchanting harmony;
A man of complements, whom right and wrong
Have chose as umpire of their mutiny:
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,
For interim to our studies shall relate

How

168

In high-born words the worth of many a knight From tawny Spain lost in the world's debate. you delight, my lords, I know not, I; 173 But, I protest, I love to hear him lie, And I will use him for my minstrelsy. Ber. Armado is a most illustrious wight, 176 A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight. Long. Costard the swain and he shall be our sport;

And, so to study, three years is but short.

Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manorhouse, 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. Ber. For the following, sir?

212

Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

216

King. Will you hear this letter with attention? Ber. As we would hear an oracle. Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

King. Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and body's fostering patron,

Cost. Not a word of Costard yet.
King. So it is,-

221

Cost. It may be so; but if he say it is so, he is, in telling true, but so.— King. Peace!

225

Cost. Be to me and every man that dares not

fight.

King. No words!

228

Cost. Of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour 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 most obscene and preposterous event, that draweth from my snowwhite pen the ebon-coloured 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-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,—

Cost. Me.

King. that unlettered small-knowing soul,-
Cost. Me.

King. that shallow vessel,-
Cost. Still me.

249

252

King, which, as I remember, hight Cost

ard,

Cost. O me.

256

King. sorted and consorted, contrary to prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again; thy established proclaimed edict and continent and till then, sit thee down, sorrow! [Exeunt. canon, with-with,-O! with but with this I passion to say wherewith,

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 self-same thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O Lord, sir, no.

Arm. How canst thou part sadness and me lancholy, my tender juvenal?

Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior.

Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juve

Arm. I confess both: they are both the va nish of a complete man.

Moth. Then, I am sure you know how mu the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to. Arm. It doth amount to one more than tw

Meth. Hercules, master. Arm. Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage. 74

Moth. Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great carriage, for he carried the towngates 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. 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? Meth. As I have read, sir; and the best of them too.

Arm. Green indeed is the colour of lovers; but to have a love of that colour, methinks Samson had small reason for it. He surely affected her for her wit.

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.

120

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.

125

Moth. [Aside.] To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master.

Arm. Sing, boy: my spirit grows heavy in

love.

129

Jaq. So I heard you say.

Arm. And so farewell.

Jaq. Fair weather after you! Dull. Come, Jaquenetta, away!

144

148

152

[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. 156

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!

Cost. Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast, being loose. 163 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 seeMoth. What shall some see?

Prin. Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye,
Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues.
I am less proud to hear you tell my worth
Than you much willing to be counted wise
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker: good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame

168 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 pa-Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow, tience as another man, and therefore I can be Till painful study shall out-wear three years, quiet. [Exeunt MOTH and COSTARD. No woman may approach his silent court: Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is Therefore to us seemth it a needful course, base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by Before we enter his forbidden gates, her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be To know his pleasure; and in that behalf, forsworn,--which is a great argument of false- Bold of your worthiness, we single you hood,--if I love. And how can that be true love As our best-moving fair solicitor. which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; Tell him, the daughter of the King of France, Love is a devil: there is no evil angel but Love. On serious business, craving quick dispatch, Yet was Samson so tempted, and he had an Importunes personal conference with his Grace. excellent strength; yet was Solomon so seduced, Haste, signify so much; while we attend, and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft Like humble-visag'd suitors, his high will. is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too Boyet. Proud of employment, willingly I go. much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours and second clause will not serve my turn; the is 30. [Exit BOYET. passado he respects not, the duello he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy, but his glory is, to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust, rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me some extemporal god of rime, for I am sure I shall turn sonneter. Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit.

ACT II.

Who are the votaries, my loving lords,
That are vow-fellows with this virtuous duke?
First Lord. Lord Longaville is one.
Prin.
Know you the man?
Mar. I know him, madam: at a marriage
feast,

Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jacques Falconbridge, solemnized
In Normandy, saw I this Longaville.
A man of sovereign parts he is esteem'd;
Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms:
Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.

SCENE I.-The KING OF NAVARRE's Park. A The only soil of his fair virtue's gloss,-
Pavilion and Tents at a distance.

Enter the PRINCESS of France, ROSALINE,
MARIA, KATHARINE, BOYET, Lords, and
other Attendants.

Boyet. Now, madam, summon up your
dearest spirits:

Consider whom the king your father sends,
To whom he sends, and what's his embassy:
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem, 4
To parley with the sole inheritor

Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitaine, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace
As Nature was in making graces dear

When she did starve the general world beside,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

If virtue's gloss will stain with any soil,- 48
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still
Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a will:

wills

It should none spare that come within his power. Prin. Some merry mocking lord, belike; is't so?

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