LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST. ACT I. SCENE I. Navarre. 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 registered upon our brazen tombs, And then grace us in the disgrace of death; When, spite of cormorant, devouring time, The endeavor of this present breath may buy That honor, which shall bate his scythe's keen edge, Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, And the huge army of the world's desires,- You three, Birón, Dumain, and Longaville, That are recorded in this schedule here. Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names; If you are armed to do, as sworn to do, Long. I am resolved. 'Tis but a three years' fast; (447) To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die; Biron. I can but say their protestation over, So much, dear liege, I have already sworn, That is, to live and study here three years. But there are other strict observances; As, not to see a woman in that term; Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there;And one day in a week to touch no food, And but one meal on every day beside; The which, I hope, is not enrolled there;And then, to sleep but three hours in the night, And not be seen to wink of all the day; (When I was wont to think no harm all night, And make a dark night too of half the day;) Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there. O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep; Not to see ladies study-fast not sleep. King. Your oath is passed to pass away from these. Biron. 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, Birón, and to the rest. Biron. 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. Biron. Things hid and barred, you mean, from common sense? King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. Study knows that, which yet it doth not know. King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchased, 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-searched with saucy looks. King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. How follows that? Biron. Dum. In reason nothing. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rhyme. Long. Birón 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 joy in an abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose, Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; 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, Birón, 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; 2N* 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 proclaimed? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.] On pain of losing her tongue. - Who devised this penalty? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty.. [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,A maid of grace, and cómplete majesty, About surrender-up of Aquitain quite forgot. To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father. 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 mastered, 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. [Subscribes. 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 loath, 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 music of his own vain tongue Doth ravish, like enchanting harmony; A man of complements, whom right and wrong For interim to our studies, shall relate, Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight. Enter DULL, with a Letter, and COSTARD. Dull. Which is the duke's own person? Biron. This, fellow. What would'st? 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. Dull. Seignior Arme-Arme-commends you. There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low having! God grant us patience! Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three. I was seen 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 some form. Biron. For the following, sir? |