That his own Hand may ftrike his Honour down,
That violates the smallest Branch herein:

If you are arm'd to do as fworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep Oaths, and keep them too.
Long. I am refolv'd; 'tis but a three Years Faft:
The Mind fhall banquet, tho' the Body pine;
Fat Paunches have lean Pates; and dainty Bits
Make rich the Ribs, but bankerout the Wits.

Dum. My loving Lord, Dumain is mortify'd;
The groffer manner of these World's Delights,
He throws upon the grofs World's bafer Slaves:
To Love, to Wealth, to Pomp, I pine and die,
With all these living in Philofophy.

Biron. I can but fay their Proteftation over,
So much (dear Liege) I have already fworn,
That is, to live and ftudy here three Years:
But there are other ftrict Observances;
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 to be feen 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, ftudy, faft, not sleep.

King. Your Oath is past to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me fay no, my Liege, and 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 reft.
Biron. By yea and nay Sir, then I swore in jeft.
What is the End of Study let me know?

King. Why that to know which elfe we fhould not

know. (Senfe. Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common King. Ay, that is Study's God-like Recompence. Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to ftudy fo,

L

To

To know the Thing I am forbid to know;
And thus to ftudy where I well may dine;
When I to fast exprefly am forbid :

Or ftudy where to meet fome Mistress fine,
When Mistresses from common Senfe 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 fo,
Study knows that which yet it doth not know;
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er fay no,

King. Thefe be the Stops that hinder Study quite,
And train our Intellects to vain Delight.

Biron. Why? all Delights are vain, and that moft 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 falfly blind the Eye-fight of his Look:
Light feeking Light, doth Light beguile;
So e'er you find where Light in Darkness lyes,
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 dazling fo, that Eye fhall be his heed,
And give him Light that it was blinded by.
Study is like the Heav'ns glorious Sun,

That will not be deep fearch'd with fawcy Looks;
Small have continual Plodders ever won,
Save bafe Authority from other Books.
Thefe earthly Godfathers of Heav'ns Lights,
That give 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 reafon against reading.
Dum. Proceeded well, to ftop all good Proceeding.
Long. He weeds the Corn, and ftill lets grow the Weeding.
Biron. The Spring is near when Green Geefe are a breed-
ing.

Dum. How follows that?

Biron. Fit in his Place and Time,

J

Dum

Dum. In Reafon nothing.

Biron. Something then in Rime.

Long. Biron is like an envious fneaping Froft, That bites the first-born Infants of the Spring.

Biron. Well, fay I am; why fhould proud Summer boast, Before the Birds have any caufe to fing?

Why should I joy in any abortive Birth?

At Christmas I no more defire a Rose,

Than wifh a Snow in May's new fangled fhows:
But like of each thing that in Seafon grows.

So you to ftudy now it is too late,

That were to climb o'er the House t'unlock the 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 Barbarifm spoke more,
Than for that Angel Knowledge you can fay,
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 ftri&'ft Decrees I'll write my Name.

King. How well this yielding refcues thee from Shame. Biron. Item, That no Woman shall come within a Mile of my Court.

Hath this been proclaimed ?
Long. Four Days ago.

Biron. Let's fee the Penalty.
On pain of lofing her Tongue!
Who devis'd this Penalty?
Long. Marry that did I.

Biron. Sweet Lord, and why?

Long. To fright them hence with that dread Penalty: A dangerous Law against Gentility.

Item, If any Man be feen to talk with a Woman within the term of three Years, he fhall endure fuch publick Shame as the reft of the Court fhall poffibly devise.

Biron. This Article my Liege your felf must break,
For well you know here comes in Embaffy

The French King's Daughter, with your felf to speak,
A Maid of Grace and compleat Majefty,
About furrender up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, fick, and bed-rid Father:

Therefore

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 Study evermore is overfhot,
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 difpence with this Decree,
She muft lye here on meer 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 master'd, but by fpecial Grace.
If I break Faith, this Word fhall break for me,
I am forfworn on meer Neceffity.

So to the Laws at large I write my Name,
And he that breaks them in the leaft Degree,
Stands in Attainder of eternal Shame.
Suggestions are to others as to me;
But I believe although I seem so loth,
I am the laft that will laft keep his Oath.

But is there no quick Recreation granted?

King. Ay that there is; our Court you know is haunted With a conceited Traveller of Spain,

A Man in all the World's new Fafhions planted,

That hath a Mint of Phrafes in his Brain:

One whom the Mufick of his own vain Tongue,

Doth ravish like inchanting 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 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 use him for my Minftrelfie.
Biron, Armado is a moft illuftrious Wight,

A Man of Fire, new Words, Fashion's own Knight.

Long

Long. Coftard the Swain, and he fhall be our Sport, And fo to ftudy, three Years is but short.

Enter Dull and Coftard with a Letter.

Dull. Which is the Duke's own Perfon ?
Biron. This, Fellow, what would'ft?

Dull. I my felf reprehend his own Perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: But I would fee his own Perfon in Flesh and Blood.

Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme, Arme commends you.

There's Villany abroad; this Letter will tell you more. Coft. Sir, the Contemps thereof are as touching me. King. A Letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the Matter, I hope in God for high Words,

Long. A high Hope for a low Heav'n; God grant us Pa tience.

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 Stile fhall give us cause to climb in the Merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.

Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir, all thofe three. I was feen with her in the Manor-house, fitting 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 : Is the manner of a Man to speak to a Woman; for the form in fome form.'

Biron. For the following, Sir.

Coft. As it fhall follow in my Correction, and God des fend the right.

King, Will you hear this Letter with Attention?
Biron. As we would hear an Oracle.

Coft. Such is the Simplicity of Man to hearken after the

Flesh.