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."

King. How well he's read, to reafon again reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to ftop all good proceeding. Long. He weeds the corn, and still let's grow the weeding.

Biron. The fpring is near when green geefe are abreeding.

Dum. How follows that?

Biron. Fit in his place and time.
Dum. In reafon nothing.

Biron. Something then in rhime.

Long. Biron is like an envious fneaping froft,

That bites the first-born infants of the fpring. Biron. Well; fay, I am; why fhould proud fummer boaft,

Before the birds have any cause to fing?
Why fhould I joy in an abortive birth?
At Christmas I no more defire a rofe,

Than with a fnow in May's new-fangled fhows:
But like of each thing that in season grows.
you, to ftudy now it is too late,

So

Climb o'er the houfe t'unlock the little gate.

King. Well, fit you out-Go home, Biron: adieu! Biron. No, my good Lord, I've fworn to stay with

you.

And though I have for barbarism spoke more,
Than for that angel knowledge you can fay;
Yet confident I'll keep what I have fwore,

And 'bide the penance of each three years' day.
Give me the paper, let me read the fame;
And to the ftrict'ft decrees I'll write my name.
King. How well this yielding refcues thee from

fhame!

Biron. Item. That no woman fhall come within a

Who devis'd 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 againft gentility!

Item. [reading.] If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure fuch public fhame as the rest of the court can poffibly devife.

This article, my Liege, yourfelf must break;

For, well you know, here comes in embaffy The French King's daughter, with yourself to speak, A maid of grace and compleat majefty,

About furrender up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, fick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain,

Or vainly comes th' admired Frincefs hither. King. What fay you, Lords? why, this was quite forgot.

Biron. So ftudy evermore is overfhot;
While it doth ftudy to have what it would,
It doth forget to do the thing it fhould:

And when it hath the thing it hunteth moft,
"Tis won, as towns with fire; fo won, fo loft.

King. We muft, of force, difpenfe with this decree; She muft lie here on mere neceffity.

Biron. Neceffity will make us all forfworn

Three thousand times within this three years' fpace:

For every man with his affects is born:

Not by might mafter'd, but by special grace.
If I break faith, this word fhall fpeak for me:
I am forfworn on mere neceflity.--

So to the laws at large I write my name,

And he that breaks them in the leaft degree,
Stands in attainder of eternal flame.

Suggestions 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, That hath a mint of phrases in his brain : "One whom the mufic of his own vain tongue "Doth ravish, like inchanting harmony: "A man of compliments, whom right and wrong "Have chofe as umpire of their muntiny. "This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

"For interim to our ftudies, shall relate "In high-born words the worth of many a knight "From tawny Spain, loft in the world's debate. How you delight, my Lords, I know not, I; But, I protest, I love to hear him lye ; And I will ufe him for my minstrelfy.

Biron. Armado is a moft illuftrious wight,

}

A man of fire-new words, fafhion's own knight.
Long. Coftard the fwain, and he, fhall be our fport;
And, fo to study, three years are but short.

SCENE H. Enter Dull and Coftard with a letter.

Dull. Which is the King's own perfon?
Biron. This, fellow; what would's?

Dull. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: but I would fee his own perfon in flesh and blood.

Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arne,

Arme commends you.

There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Coft. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching

me..

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. high hope for a low having; God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

Biren. Well, Sir, be it as the ftyle fhall give us caufe to climb in the merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner.
Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all those three. I was feen 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 fome form.

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

King. Will you hear the letter with attention?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Caft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the Hefh.

King. [reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftering patron

Coft. Not a word of Coftard yet.

King. So it is

Coft. It may be fo; but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but fo, fo.

King. Peace

Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words

Coff. Of other mens fecrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is, befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing humour to the most wholefome phyfic of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beafts moft graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper: fo much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which? which, I mean, I walk'd upon; it is yclep ed, thy park. Then for the place, where? where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and most prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd in, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft. But to the place, where? it ftandeth north-north-east and

by

by eaft from the weft corner of thy curious knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth, (Coft. Me ?), that unletter'd fmallknowing foul, (Coft. Me?), that fhallow vaffal, (Cost. Still me?), which, as I remember, hight Coftard, (Coft. O me!), forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with, with,with, but with this I paffion to fay wherewith: Coft. With a wench.

King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or for thy more understanding, a woman; him, I (as my ever-esteem'd duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the need of punishment, by thy Sweet Grace's offi cer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and eftimation.

Dull. Me, an't fhall please you: I am Anthony Dull.

King. For Jaquenetta, (fo is the weaker vessel call'd), which I apprehended with the aforefaid fwain, I keep her as a vafal of thy law's fury, and hall at the leaft of thy fweet notice bring her to trial. Thine in all compli ments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado.

Biron. This is not fo well as I look'd for, but the beft that ever I heard.

King. Ay; the best for the worft. But, firral, what fay you to this?

Coft. Sir I confefs the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

Coft. I do confefs much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment to be taken with a wench.

Coft. I was taken with none, Sir, I was taken with a damofel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

Coft. This was no damofel neither, Sir, fhe was a virgin.

King. It is fo varied too, for it was proclaim'd virgin.

N 3

Coft