ACT II.

SCENE I.

Before the King of Navarre's Palace.

Enter the Princess of France, Rofaline, Maria, Catherine, Boyer, Lords, and other Attendauts.

NOW

BOYET.

OW, madam, fummon up your dearest spirits:
Confider, whom the king your father sends;
To whom he fends, and what's his embaffy.
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem;
To parley with the fole inheritor

Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitain, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace,
As nature was of making graces dear,
When she did starve the general world befide,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but

mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise;
Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye,
Not utter'd by bafe fale of chapmen's tongues.'
I am lefs proud to hear you tell my worth,
Than you much willing to be counted wife,
In fpending thus your wit in praise of mine.
But now, to task the tasker ;-Good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame

-chapmen's tongues.] Chapman here seems to fignify the feller, not, as now commonly, the buyer. Cheap or cheping was anciently the market, chapman therefore is marketman. The meaning is, that that the ftimation of beauty depends not on the uttering or proclamation of the feller, but on the eye of the buyer. JOHNSON.

Doth

Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,
Till painful study shall out-wear three years,
No woman may approach his filent court:
Therefore to us it seems a needful course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure; and, in that behalf,
Bold of your worthinefs, we fingle you
As our beft-moving fair folicitor.

Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On ferious business, craving quick dispatch,
Importunes perfonal conference with his grace.
Hafte, fignify fo much; while we attend,
Like humble-vifag'd fuitors, his high will.
Boyet. Proud of employment, willingly I go. [Exit.
Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours is fo.-
Who are the votaries, my loving lords,

That are vow-fellows with this virtuous duke?
Lord. Longaville is one.

Prin. Know you the man?

Mar. I knew him, madam; at a marriage-feaft, Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir Of Jaques Faulconbridge folemnized, In Normandy faw I this Longaville: A man of fovereign parts he is esteem'd; * Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms: Nothing becomes him ill, that he would well. The only foil of his fair virtue's gloss, (If virtue's glofs will ftain with any foil,) Is a fharp wit, match'd with too blunt a will; Whofe edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills It should spare none, that come within his power.

Prin. Some merry-mocking lord, belike. Is't fo? Mar. They fay fo moft, that moft his humours know.

2 Well fitted] is well qualified. JOHNSON.

amatch'd with is combined or joined with. JOHNSON.

Prin. Such fhort-liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the reft?

Cath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth.

Of all that virtue love, for virtue lov'd:

Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill fhape good,
And shape to win grace, though he had no wit.
I faw him at the duke Alenfon's once;
And much too little, of that good I saw,
Is my report to his great worthiness.

Rofa. Another of these students at that time
Was there with him, as I have heard a truth;
Biron they call him; but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal.
His eye begets occafion for his wit;
For every object that the one doth catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jeft;
Which his fair tongue (conceit's expofitor)
Delivers in fuch apt and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant at his tales,
And younger hearings are quite ravished ;
So fweet and voluble is his difcourfe.

Prin. God bless my ladies! are they all in love,
That every one her own hath garnished

With fuch bedecking ornaments of praife?
Mar. Here comes Boyet.

Re-enter Boyet.

Prin. Now, what admittance, lord?

Boyet. Navarre had notice of your fair approach; And he and his competitors in oath

Were all addreft to meet you, gentle lady,

Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learnt,
He rather means to lodge you in the field,

(Like one that comes here to befiege his court)

6

Than

Than feek a difpenfation for his oath,

To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Here comes Navarre.

Enter the King, Longaville, Dumain, Biron, and Attendants.

King. Fair Princefs, welcome to the court of Na

varre.

Prin. Fair, I give you back again; and welcome I have not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wide fields, too base to be mine.

King. You fhall be welcome, madam, to my court. Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither. King. Hear me, dear lady, I have fworn an oath. Prin. Our Lady help my lord! he'll be forfworn. King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will. Prin. Why,, Will shall break it; will, and nothing elfe.

King. Your ladyfhip is ignorant what it is.

Prin. Were my lord fo, his ignorance were wife,
Where now his knowledge muft prove ignorance.
I hear, your Grace hath fworn out houfe-keeping;
'Tis deadly fin to keep that oath, my lord;
And fin to break it.--

But pardon me, I am too fudden bold:
To teach a teacher ill befeemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,
And fuddenly refolve me in my fuit.

King. Madam, I will, if fuddenly I may.
Prin. You will the fooner, that I were away;

And fin to break it.] Sir T. Hanmer reads,

Not fin to break it.

I believe erroneously. The Princefs fhews an inconvenience very frequently attending rafh oaths, which, whether kept or broken, produce guilt. JOHNSON.

For

For you'll prove perjur'd, if you make me stay.
Biron. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
Rof. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
Biron. I know, you did.

Rof. How needlefs was it then to ask the question?
Biron. You must not be fo quick.

Rof. 'Tis long of you, that fpur me with fuch
questions.

Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire.

Rof. Not till it leave the rider in the mire.

Biron. What time o' day?

Rof. The hour, that fools should ask,
Biron. Now fair befall your mask !
Rof. Fair fall the face it covers!
Biron. And fend you many lovers!
Rof. Amen; so you be none,
Biron, Nay, then will I be gone.

King. Madam, your father here doth intimate
The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;
Being but the one half of an entire fum,
Disbursed by my father in his wars.

But fay, that he, or we, (as neither have)
Receiv'd that fum; yet there remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more; in furety of the which,
One part of Aquitain is bound to us,
Although not valu'd to the money's worth,
If then the king your father will restore
But that one half which is unfatisfy'd,
We will give up our right in Aquitain,
And hold fair friendship with his majesty,
But that, it seems, he little purpofeth,
For here he doth demand to have repaid
An hundred thousand crowns; and not demands,

On

wand