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cules Clubbe, and therefore too much ods for a Spaniards Rapier: The first and second cause will not serve my turne: the Passado hee respects not, the Duello he regards not; his disgrace is to be called Boy, but his glorie is to subdue men. Adue Valour, rust Rapier, bee still Drum, for your manager is in love; yea hee loveth. Assist me some extemporall god of Rime, for I am sure I shall turne Sonnet. Devise Wit, write Pen, for I am for whole volumes in folio. Exit.

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Enter the Princesse of France,with three attending Ladies [Rosaline, Maria, Katharine], and three Lords [Boyet, etc.].

Boyet. Now Madam summon up your dearest spirits, Consider who the King your father sends:

To whom he sends, and what's his Embassie.
Your selfe, held precious in the worlds esteeme,
To parlee with the sole inheritour

Of all perfections that a man may owe,

Matchlesse Navarre, the plea of no lesse weight IO Then Aquitaine, a Dowrie for a Queene.

Be now as prodigall of all deare grace,

As Nature was in making Graces deare,

When she did starve the generall world beside,

And prodigally gave them all to you.

Queen. [Prin.] Good L. Boyet, my beauty though

but mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,

Not uttred by base sale of chapmens1 tongues:

I am lesse proud to heare you tell my worth,
Then you much wiling to be counted wise,

20

In spending your wit in the praise of mine. 1shopmen's
But now to taske the tasker, good Boyet,

Prin. You are not ignorant all-telling fame
Doth noyse abroad Navar hath made a vow,
Till painefull studie shall out-weare three yeares,
No woman may approach his silent Court:
Therefore to's seemeth it a needfull course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure, and in that behalfe
Bold of your worthinesse, we single you,
As our best moving faire soliciter:

Tell him, the daughter of the King of France,
On serious businesse craving quicke dispatch,
Importunes personall conference with his grace.
Haste, signifie so much while we attend,
Like humble visag'd suters his high will.

is so:

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Boy. Proud of imployment, willingly I goe. Exit. Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours Who are the Votaries my loving Lords, that are vowfellowes with this vertuous Duke?

Lor. Longavill is one.

Princ. Know you the man?

41

1 Lady. [Mar.] I know him Madame at a marriage feast,

Betweene L. Perigort and the beautious heire

Of Jaques Fauconbridge solemnized.

In Normandie saw I this Longavill,
A man of soveraigne parts he is esteem'd:
Well fitted in Arts, glorious in Armes:

24. Prin. out-1Q.2-4F.

40-1. 2 five-accent 11.-2RowE.

42. Longavill: Lord Longaville-Capell.

Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.
The onely soyle of his faire vertues glosse,
If vertues glosse will staine with any soile,
Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a Will:
Whose edge hath power to cut whose will still wills,
It should none spare that come within his power.

50

Prin. Some merry mocking Lord belike, ist so? Lad. 1. They say so most, that most his humors know. Prin. Such short liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the rest?

2. Lad. [Kath.] The yong Dumaine, a well accomplisht youth,

Of all that Vertue love, for Vertue loved.
Most power to doe most harme, least knowing ill:
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,

And shape to win grace though she had no wit.
I saw him at the Duke Alansoes once,
And much too little of that good I saw,
Is my report to his great worthinesse.

Rossa. Another of these Students at that time,
Was there with him, as I have heard a truth.
Berowne they call him, but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becomming mirth,
I never spent an houres talke withall.
His eye begets occasion for his wit,
For every object that the one doth catch,
The other turnes to a mirth-moving jest.
Which his faire tongue (conceits expositor)
Delivers in such apt and gracious words,
That aged eares play treuant at his tales,
And yonger hearings are quite ravished.
So sweet and voluble is his discourse.

64. sbe: he-1Q.2-4F.

60

70

80

65. Alansoes: Alençon's (Alanson's)-RowE. 69. as I: if I−1Q.

Prin. God blesse my Ladies, are they all in love? That every one her owne hath garnished, With such bedecking ornaments of praise.

Ma. Heere comes Boyet.

Enter Boyet.

Prin. Now, what admittance Lord?

Boyet. Navar had notice of your faire approach; And he and his competitors in oath,

Were all addrest1 to meete you gentle Lady 1 prepared Before I came: Marrie thus much I have learnt,

He rather meanes to lodge you in the field,

Like one that comes heere to besiege his Court,
Then seeke a dispensation for his oath:

To let you enter his unpeopled house.

Enter Navar, Longavill, Dumaine, and Berowne. Heere comes Navar.

90

Nav. Faire Princesse, welcom to the Court of Navar. Prin. Faire I give you backe againe, and welcome I have not yet: the roofe of this Court is too high to bee yours, and welcome to the wide fields, too base to be mine.

IOI

Nav. You shall be welcome Madam to my Court. Prin. I wil be welcome then, Conduct me thither. Nav. Heare me deare Lady, I have sworne an oath. Prin. Our Lady helpe my Lord, he'll be forsworne. Nav. Not for the world faire Madam, by my will. Prin. Why, will shall breake it will, and nothing els. Nav. Your Ladiship is ignorant what it is.

Prin. Were my Lord so, his ignorance were wise, Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance. 110 107. it will: it; will-Capell.

I heare your grace hath sworne out Housekeeping:
'Tis deadly sinne to keepe that oath my Lord,
And sinne to breake it:

But pardon me, I am too sodaine bold,

To teach a Teacher ill beseemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my comming,
And sodainly resolve me in my suite.

120

Nav. Madam, I will, if sodainly I may. Prin. You will the sooner that I were away, For you'll prove perjur'd if you make me stay. Berow. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? Rosa. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? Ber. I know you did.

Rosa. How needlesse was it then to ask the question? Ber. You must not be so quicke.

Rosa. 'Tis long of you that spur me with such questions. Ber. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire. Rosa. Not till it leave the Rider in the mire.

Ber. What time a day?

Rosa. The howre that fooles should aske.

130

Ber. Now faire befall your maske.

Rosa. Faire fall the face it covers.
Ber. And send you many lovers.
Rosa. Amen, so you be none.
Ber. Nay then will I be gone.

Kin. Madame, your father heere doth intimate,
The paiment of a hundred thousand Crownes,
Being but th❜one halfe, of an intire summe,
Disbursed by my father in his warres.
But say that he, or we, as neither have

Receiv'd that summe; yet there remaines unpaid
A hundred thousand more: in surety of the which,
One

part of Aquitaine is bound to us,

129. a day: o' day-THEOBALD.

140

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