Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from comTM mon fenfe.

King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence.
Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to ftudy fo,
To know the thing I am forbid to know;
As thus; to fludy where I well may dine,
When I to feast exprefly am forbid; (1)
Or study where to meet fome mistress fine,
When miftreffes from common fenfe are hid:
Or, having fworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If ftudy's gain be this, and this be so,
Study knows that, which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er fay, no

King. These be the ftops, that hinder study 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 falily blind the eye-fight of his look:

Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by lofing of your eyes;
Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it upon a fairer eye;

Who dazling fo, that eye fhall be his heed,
And give him light, that it was blinded by.

(1) When I to faft exprefly am forbid.] This is the Reading of all the Copies in general; but I would fain ask our accurate Editors, if Biron ftudied where to get a good Dinner, at a time when he was forbid to faft, how was this ftudying to know what he was forbid to know? Common Senfe, and the whole Tenour of the Context require us to read, either as I have restored; or to make a Change in the laft Word of the Verfe, which will bring us to the fame Meaning;

When I to faft exprefly am fore-bid;

i, e. when I am enjoined beforehand to fast.

H 3

Study

Study is like the Heaven's glorious Sun,

That will not be deep fearch'd with fawcy looks ;
Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save.bafe authority from others' books.
Thefe earthly godfathers of heaven's lights,
That give a name to every fixed star,
Have no more profit of their fhining nights,

Than thofe that walk and wot not what they are.
Too much to know, is to know nought but fame;
And every godfather can give a rame.

King. How well he's read, to reafon against 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 a breeding.
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 should I joy in an abortive birth? (2)

(2)

Why Should I joy in an abortive Birth?

At Christmas I no more defire a Rofe,

Thou wish a Snow in May's new-fangled Shows:

At

But like of each Thing, that in Seafon grows.] As the greatest part of this Scene (both what precedes and follows ;) is Arictly in Rhimes, either fucceffive, alternate, or triple; I am perfwaded, the Copyifts have made a flip here. For by making a Triplet of the three laft Lines quoted, Birth in the Clofe of the first Line is quite deftitute of any Rhime to it. Befides, what a difpleafing Identity of Sound recurs in the Middle and Clofe of this Verfe?

Than wifh a Snow in May's new-fangled Shows :

Again; new-fangled Shows feems to have very little Propriety. The Flowers are not new fangled; but the Earth is new-fangled by the Profufion and Variety of the Flowers, that spring on its Bofom in May, I have therefore ventured to fubftitute, Earth, in the

Clofe

At Christmas I no more defire a rofe,

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

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 barbarifm spoke more,
Than for that angel knowledge you can fay;
Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore,

And 'bide the penance of each three years' day.
Give me the paper, let me read the fame;;
And to the ftrick'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 mile of my Court,

Hath this been proclaimed ?

Long. Four days ago.

Biron. Let's fee the penalty.

On pain of lofing her tongue :

[reading.

[reading.

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 against gentility! (3)

Items

Close of the 3d Line, which referes the alternate Measure. It was very eafy for a negligent Tranfcriber to be deceived by the Rhime immediately preceding fo miftake the concluding Word in the fequent Line, and corrupt it into one that would chime with the other.

(3) A dangerous Law against Gentility.] I have ventured to prefix the Name of Biron to this Line, it being evident, for two Reasons, that it, by fome Accident or other, flipt out of the printed Books. In the firft Place, Longaville confeffes, he had devis'd the Penalty: and why he should immediately arraign it as a dangerous Law, feems to be very inconfiftent. In the next place, it is much more natural for Biron to make this Reflexion, who is cavilling at every thing; and then for him to purfue his reading over the remaining Articles. As to the

H 4

Word

Item, [reading] If any man be feen to talk with 'a woman within the term of three years, he fhall endure fuch publick fhame as the reft of the Court can poffiby devife.

This article, my liege, yourself muft break;

For, well you know, here comes in embaffy
The French King's daughter with yourself to speak,
A maid of grace and compleat majesty,
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 Princess hither. King. What fay you, lords? why, this was quite forgot Biron. So ftudy evermore is overshot; While it doth study to have what it would: It doth forget to do the thing it fhould: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, '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' space :

For every man with his affects is born:

Not by might mafter'd, but by fpecial grace.
If I break faith, this word shall speak for me:
I am forfworn on mere neceffity.-

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 feem fo loth,
I am the last that will last keep his oath.

Word Gentility, here, it does not fignify that Rank of People called, Gentry; but what the French exprefs by, gentil fe, i. e. ele gantia urbanitas. And then the Meaning is this. Such a law, for banishing Women from the Court, is dangerous, or injurious, to Politenefs, Urbanity, and the more refined Pleafures of Life. For Men without Women would turn brutal, and favage, in their Natures and Behaviour.

But

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 phrafes in his brain :
One, whom the mufick of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish, like inchanting harmony:
A man of compliments, whom right and wrong
Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny.
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

For interim to our studies, 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 proteft, 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, fashion's own knight.
Long. Coftard the swain, and he, fhall be our fport ;
And, fo to study, three years are but short.

Enter Dull and Costard with a letter.

Dull. Which is the King's own person? (4)
Biron. This, fellow; what would'st?

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 Arme,

Armecommends 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.

(4) Dull. Which is the Duke's own Perfon ?] The King of Navarre is in feveral Paffages, thro' all the Copies, called the Duke? but as this muft have fprung rather from the Inadvertence of the Editors, than a Forgetfulness in the Poet, I have every where, to avoid Confufion, restored King to the Text.