Therefore this article is made in vain,

Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it upon a fairer eye;
Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,
And give him light that was it blinded by.
Study is like the heaven's glorious sun,

That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks;
Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That gave a name to every fixed star, 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. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding!

Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the
weeding.

Biron. The spring is near, when green geese
are a breeding.
Dum. How follows that?
Biron.

Fit in his place and time.

Dum. In reason nothing.
Biron.
Something then in rhyme.
Long. Biron is like an envious sneaping' frost,
That bites the first-born infants of the spring.
Biron. Well, say I am; why should proud sum-
mer 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;2
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, 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,

And 'bide the penance of each three years' day.
Give me the paper, let me read the same;
And to the strict'st 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.—
And hath this been proclaim'd?"
Long.

Four days ago.

Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot.

Biron. So study evermore is overshot; 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 lie3 here on mere necessity.

Biron. Necessity will make us all forswon 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
am forsworn on mere necessity.-
So to the laws at large I write my name:

I

[Subscribes. And he that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame :

I

Suggestions are to others, as to me;
But, I believe, although I seem so loth,
am the last that will last keep his oath.
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 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
Have chose 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, lost in the world's debate.
How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;
But I protest, I love to hear him lie,
And I will use him for my minstrelsy.

Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight,
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.
Long. Costard the swain, and he, shall be our
sport;

And, so to study, three years is but short.

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
Who devis'd this ? own person in flesh and blood.
Biron. This is he.

Biron. Let's see the penalty.
[Reads.]-On pain of losing her tongue.—

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.
[Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with
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 complete majesty,About surrender-up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father:

Dull. Signior Arme-Arme-commends you.There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you

more.

Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching

me.

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. 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.

(5) Lively, sprightly.
(6) Called.
(7) i. e. third-borough, a peace-officer.

Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning swain,) I keep her as a vessel of thy law's fury, Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken and shall, at the least of thy sweel notice, bring her with the manner.' to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty,

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?

Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and
God defend the right!

King. Will you hear this letter with attention?
Biron. As we 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,—

DON ADRIÁNO DE ARMADO. the best that ever I heard. Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but

King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah what say you to this?

Cost. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation? little of the marking of it. Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but

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. This was no damosel neither, sir; she was a virgin.

King. It is so varied too; for it was proclaimed, virgin.

Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was

Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, taken with a maid. in telling true, but so, so.

King. Peace. Cost. 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, belook 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, I 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 curious-knotted garden: there did I see that low-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,

Cost. Me.

King. that unletter'd small-knowing soul,
Cost. Me.

King. that shallow vassal,

Cost. Still me.

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.
Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat,
-Sirrah, come on.
These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.

Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again, true girl; and therefore, Welcome the sour cup of and till then, Sit thee down, sorrow! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Another part of the same. Arma-
do's house. Enter Armado and Moth.
Arm. Boy, what sign is it, when a man of great
spirit grows melancholy?

Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no.

Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal ?2

Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the work ing, my tough senior.

Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvena!? Arm. 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. Arm. Pretty, and apt.

Moth. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my
saying apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty?
Arm. Thou pretty, because little.

Moth. Little pretty, because little: Wherefore apt:
Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.
Moth. Speak you this in my praise, master?
Arm. In thy condign praise.

Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise
Arm. What? that an eel is ingenious?