1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought her figs; This was his basket. Cas. Poison'd then. 1 Guard. O Cæsar, 1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these fig leaves Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and That so she died; for her physician tells me, She hath pursu'd conclusions infinite Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed; No grave upon the earth shall clip in it [excunt. SCENE I. NAVARRE. A PARK, WITH A PALACE IN IT. [edge Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain. Bir. I can but say their protestation over. The which, I hope, is not enrolled there: King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. Bir. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please; I only swore, to study with your grace, And stay here in your court for three years' space. Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest. Bir. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest.What is the end of study? let me know. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Bir. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense; King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. Bir. 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, 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. [vain, King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Bir. Why, all delights are vain; but that most 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 Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look: Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile: So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes. Study me how to please the eye indeed, By fixing it upon a fairer eye; That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Save base authority from others' books. are. Too much to know, is, to know nought but fame, King. How well he's read, to reason against [ing! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceed. Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding! Bir. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Fit in his place and time. Long. Biron is like an envious sneaping frost, Bir. Well, say I am; why should proud sumBefore the birds have any cause to sing? [mer boast, Why should I joy in an abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose A maid of grace, and complete majesty,— To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. Bir. So study evermore is overshot; Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, But like of each thing, that in season grows. And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Bir. [reads.] Item, "That no woman shall come within a mile of my court." And hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Bir. Let's see the penalty. [reads.]" On pain of losing her tongue." Who devis'd this? Long. Marry, that did I. Bir. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread pen Bir. A dangerous law against gentility. [alty. [reads.] 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. 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,— That hath a mint of phrases in his brain: A man of complements, whom right and wrong For interim to our studies, shall relate, Bir. Armado is a most illustrious wight, And so to study, three years is but short. Enter Dull, with a letter and Costard. Dull. I myself reprehend his own person, for I am his grace's tharborough. but I would see his own person in flesh and blood. Biron. This is he. Bir. To hear? or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both, a female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, a woman. Him I (as my ever-esteemed duty pricks me on,) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of Bir. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us punishment, by thy sweet grace's officer, Antony cause to climb in the merriness. Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation." [Dull. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. Bir. In what manner? 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. Bir. For the following, sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and God defend the right! King. Will you hear this letter with attention? Bir. As I would hear an oracle. Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King. [reads.]" 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,—” Dull. Me, an't shall please you; I am Antony King. "For Jaquenetta; (so is the weaker vessel called, which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain,) I keep her as a vessel of thy law's fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial.—Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty, "DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO." Bir. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard. King. Ay, the best for the worst. what say you to this? But, sirrah, 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. Cost. I was taken with none, sir, I was taken with a damosel. King. Well, it was proclaimed damosel. Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, a virgin. in telling true, but so, so. King. Peace. Cost.-be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words. 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 healthgiving 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, mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white 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 unletter'd small-knowing soul," King. that shallow vassal," Cost. Still me. King."-which, as I remember, hight Costard," Cost. O me! King. "-sorted and consorted, contrary to thy established, proclaimed edict and continent canon, with-with,-0 with-but with this I passion to say wherewith." Cost. With a wench. King with a child of our grandmother Eve, | King. It so varied too; for it was proclaimed, virgin. Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid. King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. 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. Bir. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.— Sirrah, come on. Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore, Welcome the sour cup of prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again, and till theu, Sit thee down, sorrow. [exeunt. SCENE 11. ANOTHER PART OF THE SAME. Enter Armado and Moth. Ar. Boy, what sign is it, when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Ar. Why, sadness is one and the self saine thing, dear imp. Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no. Ar. How caust thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal? Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior. Ar. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? Ar. I spoke it tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender. Moth. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. Ar. Pretty and apt. Moth. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty. Ar. Thou pretty, because little. [apt? Moth. A woman, master. Ar. Of what complexion? Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two; or one of the four. Ar. Tell me precisely of what complexion. Ar. Is that one of the four complexions? [too. Moth. As I have read, sir; and the best of them Ar. 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. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit. Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise. masked under such colours. Moth. That an eel is quick. Ar. Define, define, well educated infant. Ar. I do say, thou art quick in answers: Thou assist me! heatest my blood. Ar. I have promised to study three years with the duke. Moth. You may do it in an hour, sir. Moth. How many is one thrice told? Ar. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and pathetical! Moth. If she be made of white and red, Ar. I am ill at reckoning, it fitteth the spirit of A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of a tapster. Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamester, sir. of a complete man. white and red. Ar. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar? Moth. The world was very guilty of such a Moth. Then, I am sure you know how much ballad some three ages since: but, I think, now 'tis the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to. Ar. 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 humour 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 out-swear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: What great men have been in love? Moth. Hercules, master. Ar. Most sweet Hercules!-More authority, 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. Ar. 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? not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune. Ar. I will have the 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. To be whipped; and yet a better love Ar. I do betray myself with blushing.-Maid. Ar. I will visit thee at the lodge. Ar. I know where it is situate. Jaq. So I heard you say. |