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The mind shall banquet, though the body pine:
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bank'rout quite the wits.

Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified;
The groffer manner of these world's delights
He throws upon the grofs world's baser slaves:
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philofophy.

Biron. I can but say their proteftation over,
So much, dear liege, I have already sworn,
That is, To live and study here three years.
But there are other strict obfervances:
As not to fee 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 befide;
The which, I hope, is not enrolled there :
And then, to fleep 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 fee ladies, study, fast, not sleep.

King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. Biron. Let me fay, no, my liege, an if you please ; I only fwore, to ftudy with your grace,

And stay here in your court for three years' space.

Long. You fwore to that, Biron, and to the rest. Biron. By yea and nay, fir, then I fwore in jeft.What is the end of study? let me know.

King. Why, that to know, which elfe we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common

fenfe?

King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompenfe.

Biron.

Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to study fo,
To know the thing I am forbid to know:
As thus,-To study where I well may dine,
When I to feast expressly am forbid;
Or, study where to meet some mistress fine,
When miftreffes from common fense are hid:
Or, having fworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If study's gain be thus, and this be so,

Study knows that, which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er fay, no.

King. These be the stops that hinder ftudy quite,

And train our intellects to vain delight.

Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain : As, painfully to pore upon a book,

To feek the light of truth; while truth the while
Doth falfely blind the eyesight of his look:

Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile :
So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by lofing of your eyes.
Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it upon a fairer eye;

Who dazzling fo, that eye fhall be his heed,
And give him light that was it blinded by.

Study is like the heaven's glorious fun,

That will not be deep fearch'd with faucy looks`;

Shall have continual plodders ever won,
Save base authority from others' books.
Thefe earthly godfathers of heaven's lights,
That give a name to every fixed star,
Have no more profit of their shining nights,

Than thofe that walk, and wot not what they are.

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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 ftop all good proceeding! Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Biron. The fpring is near, when green geefe are a breeding.

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Long. Biron is like an envious fineaping frost,

That bites the first-born infants of the fpring.

Biron. Well, fay I am; why fhould proud fummer boast,

Before the birds have any caufe to fing?

Why should I joy in an abortive birth ?
At Christmas I no more defire a rofe,

Than with a fnow in May's new-fangled fhows;
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, fit you out: go home, Biron; adieu !

Biron. No, my good lord; I have fworn 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 fame ;

And to the ftri&t'ft decrees I'll write my name.

King. How well this yielding refcues thee from fhame! Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman fhall come within a mile of my court.

And hath this been proclaim'd?

Long.

Long.

Four days ago.

Biron. Let's fee the penalty.

[Reads.]-On pain of lofing her tongue.

Long. Marry, that did I.

Biron. Sweet lord, and why?

Who devis'd this?

Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law againft gentility!

[Reads.] Item, If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure fuch publick fhame 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 majefty,About furrender-up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, fick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain,

Or vainly comes the admired princess hither.

King. What fay you, lords? why, this was quite forgot.
Biron. So ftudy 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; fo won, fo loft.

King. We muft, of force, difpenfe with this decree ;
She muft lie here on mere neceffity.

Biron. Neceffity will make us all forfworn

Three thousand times within this three years' space:

For every man with his affects is born;

Not by might mafter'd, but by special grace :
If I break faith, this word fhall speak for me,
I am forfworn on mere neceffity.-

[Subfcribes.

So to the laws at large I write my name :

And he, that breaks them in the least degree

Stands in attainder of eternal fhame :

Suggestions are to others, as to me;
But, I believe, although I seem so loth,
I 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 mufick of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish, like enchanting harmony;
A man of complements, whom right and wrong
Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny :
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

For interim to our studies, fhall relate,
In high-born words, the worth of many a knight
From tawny Spain, loft in the world's debate.
How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;
But, I proteft, I love to hear him lie,
And I will ufe him for my minstrelfy.

Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight,
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.
Long. Coftard the swain, and he, shall be our sport;
And, fo 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 perfon, for I am his grace's tharborough: but I would fee his own person in feth and blood.

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