No woman may approach his filent court:
Therefore to us feemeth it a needful course,
│Before we enter his forbidden gates,

To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthiness, we fingle you
As our best-moving fair folicitor :

Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On ferious bufinefs, craving quick despatch,
Impórtunes perfonal conference with his grace.
Haste, fignify so much; while we attend,
Like humble-vifag'd fuitors, his high will.
Boy. Proud of employment, willingly I go.
Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours is so.-

Who are the votaries, my loving lords,

That are vow-fellows with this virtuous duke?

1 Lord. Longaville is one..

Prin.

Know you the man?

[Exit.

Mar. I know him, madam; at a marriage feast, Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir Of Jaques Faulconbridge folémnized, 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 glofs, (If virtue's glofs will stain with any foil,) Is a fharp wit match'd with too blunt a will; Whose edge hath power to cut, whofe will still wills It should none fpare that come within his power. Prin. Some merry mocking lord, belike; is't fo? Mar. They fay so most, that most his humours know. Prin. Such short-liy'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the reft

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

Of all that virtue love for virtue lov'd:

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

Rofa. Another of these students at that time
Was there with him: if 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 jest;
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 praise ?

Mar. Here comes Boyet.

Re-enter BoYET.

Prin.

Now, what admittance, lord?

Boy. Navarre had notice of your fair approach;

And he, and his competitors in oath,

Were all addrefs'd 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 besiege his court,)
Than feek a difpenfation for his oath,

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

[The Ladies mask.

Enter King, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON; and At

tendants.

King. Fair princefs, welcome to the court of Navarre. 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 else.
King. Your ladyfhip is ignorant what it is.

Prin. Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge muft prove ignorance.
I hear, your grace hath fworn-out house-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 resolve me in my fuit.

[Gives a paper.
King. Madam, I will, if fuddenly I may.
Prin. You will the fooner, that I were away;
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?

C 2

Biron.

How needlefs was it then

Biron. I know, you did.

Rof.

To ask the question!

Biron.

You must not be so quick.

Rof. 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with fuch questions. Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too faft, '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 befal your mafk!
Rof. Fair fall the face it covers!
Biron. And fend you many lovers!
Rof. Amen, fo 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 sum,
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 valued to the money's worth.
If then the king your father will restore
But that one half which is unfatisfied,
We will give up our right in Aquitain,
And hold fair friendship with his majesty.
But that, it seems, he little purposeth,
For here he doth demand to have repaid
An hundred thousand crowns; and not demands,
On payment of a hundred thousand crowns,
To have his title live in Aquitain;
Which we much rather had depart withal,
And have the money by our father lent,

Than Aquitain fo gelded as it is.

Dear princess, were not his requests so far

From reason's yielding, your fair self should make
A yielding, 'gainst some reason, in my breast,
And go well fatisfied to France again.

Prin. You do the king my father too much wrong,
And wrong the reputation of your name,

In fo unseeming to confefs receipt

Of that which hath so faithfully been paid.
King. I do protest, I never heard of it ;
And, if you prove it, I'll repay it back,
Or yield up Aquitain.

Prin.

We arreft your word:

Boyet, you can produce acquittances,
For such a fum, from special officers
Of Charles his father.

Boyet. So please your grace, the packet is not come,
Where that and other specialties are bound;
To-morrow you shall have a fight of them.

King. It fhall fuffice me: at which interview,
All liberal reafon I will yield unto.
Mean time, receive fuch welcome at my hand,
As honour, without breach of honour, may
Make tender of to thy true worthiness :
You may not come, fair princefs, in my gates;
But here without you shall be so receiv'd,

As

you fhall deem yourself lodg'd in my heart,
Though so denied fair harbour in my house.
Your own good thoughts excufe me, and farewel:
To-morrow shall we vifit you again.

Prin. Sweet health and fair defires confort your grace! King. Thy own wish wish I thee in every place!

[Exeunt King and his train.

Biron.