Sarchie's en change gift) SCENE I.-Navarre. ACT I. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. 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 may buy That honour, which shall bate his scythe's keen edge, Therefore, brave conquerors !-for so you are, That war against your own affections, And the huge army of the world's desires,- Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names; objects That his own hand may strike his honour down, Long. I am resolv'd: 't is but a three years' fast: Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified. Biron. I can but say their protestation over, King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. And stay here in your court for three years' space. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. sense? King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so, To know the thing I am forbid to know: Or, study where to meet some mistress fine, King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; and 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 Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile : Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; 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. In reason nothing. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rhyme. King. Biron is like an envious sneaping frost, That bites the first-born infants of the spring. Biron. Well say I am; why should proud summer boast, Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I join in an abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose, Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; But like of each thing that in season grows. So you, to study now it is too late, Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. King. Well, sit you out; go home, Biron; adieu ! 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, Yet, confident I'll keep what I have swore, Give me the paper, let me read the same; And to the strictest 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 proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. -On pain of losing her tongue.— Who devis'd this penalty? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? [Reads.] Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. 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 shall 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,— 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, 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 years' space: For every man with his affects is born; 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. So to the laws at large I write my name : And he that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame : Suggestions are to others, as to me; But, I believe, although I seem so loth; [Subscribes. King. Ay, that there is; our court, you know, is haunted A man in all the world's new fashion planted, |