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so, they say, the fool said, and so say I, and I the fool. Well proved wit; By the lord, this love is as mad as Ajax: it kills sheep; it kills me. I a sheep: Well proved again on my side! I will not love: if I do, hang me; i'faith, I will not. O, but her eye, by this light, but for her eye, I would not love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do nothing in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By heaven, I do love: and it hath taught me to rhyme, and to be melancholy; and here is part of my rhyme, and here my melancholy. Well, she hath one o' my sonnets already; the clown bore it, the fool sent it, and the lady hath it: sweet clown, sweeter fool, sweetest lady! By the world, I would not care a pin if the other three were in: Here comes one with a paper; God give him grace to groan!

[Gets up into a tree.

Enter the King, with a paper.

King. Ah me!

Biron. [aside.] Shot, by heaven! Proceed, sweet. Cupid; thou hast thump'd him with thy bird-bolt under the left pap: I'faith secrets.

King. [reads.] So sweet a kiss the golden sun

gives not

To those fresh morning drops upon the rose, As thy eye-beams, when their fresh rays have

smote

The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows:

Nor shines she silver moon one half so bright Through the transparent bosom of the deep, As doth thy face through tears of mine give light;

Thou shin'st in every tear that I do weep:

No

No drop but as a coach doth carry thee,
So ridest thou triumphing in my woe;
Do but behold the tears that swell in me,

And they thy glory through my grief will show:

But do not love thyself; then thou wilt keep My tears for glasses, and still make me weep. O Queen of Queens, how far dost thou excel! No thought can think, nor tongue of mortal

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How shall she know my griefs? I'll drop the

paper;

Sweet leaves, shade folly. Who is he comes here?

[Steps aside,

Enter LONGAVILLE, with a paper.

What, Longaville! and reading! listen, ear.
Biron. Now, in thy likeness, one more fool,

appear!

Long. Ah me! I am forsworn.

[Aside.

[Aside.

Biron. Why, he comes in like a perjure, wear

ing papers.

shame!

[Aside.

King. In love, I hope; Sweet fellowship in

[Aside.

Biron. One drunkard loves another of the name.

[Aside.

Long. Am I the first that have been perjur'à so?

[Aside. Biron. I could put thee in comfort; not by two, that I know: [Aside. Thou mak'st the triumviry, the corner cap of

society,

The shape of love's Tyburn that hangs up sim

plicity.

Long. I fear, these stubborn lines lack power

to move:

VOL. IV.

sweet Maria, Empress of my love!

These numbers will I tear, and write in prose. Biron. O, rhymes are guards on wanton Cupid's hose:

Disfigure not his slop.

Long. This same shall go.

[Aside.

[He reads the sonnet, "Did not the heavenly rhetorick of thine eye (Gainst whom the world cannot hold argu ment,)

Persuade my heart to this false perjury? Vows, for thee broke, deserve not punishment. woman I forswore; but, I will prove,

Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee: My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love; Thy grace being gain'd, cures all disgrace

in me.

Vows are but breath, and breath a vapour is: Then thou, fair sun, which on my earth dost shine,

Exhal'st this vapour vow; in thee it is:
If broken then, it is no fault of mine;
If by me broke, What fool is not so wise,
To lose an oath to win a paradise?
Biron. [Aside. ] This is the liver vein, which
makes flesh a deity;

A green goose, a goddess: pure, pure idolatry.
"God amend us, God amend! we are much out
o'the way..

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Enter DUMAIN, with a paper.

Long. By whom shall I send this; Company!

stay. [Stepping aside. Biron. [Aside.] All hid, all hid, an old infant

play:

Like a demi-god here sit I in the sky,

.

And wretched fools' secrets heedfully o'er eye. More sacks to the mill! O heavens, I have my wish;

Dumain transform'd: four woodcocks in a dish! Dum. O most divine Kate!

Biron. O most prophane coxcomb! [Aside. Dum. By heaven, the wonder of a mortal eye! Biron. By earth, she is but corporal; there your [dside. Dum. Her amber hairs for foul have amber Mi

lie.

coted.

*

Biron. An amber-colour'd raven was well noted.

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Biron. Ay, as some days; but then no sun must

shine.

Dum. O that I had my wish!

Long. And I had mine!

[Aside.

[Aride.

King. And 1 mine too, good Lord! Asider Biron. Amen, so I had mine:

good word?

Is not that a [Aside

Dum. I would forget her; but a fever she Reigns in my blood, and will remember'd be. Biron. A fever in your blood! why, then

incision

Would let her out in saucers; weet misprision! [Aside. Dum. Once more I'll read the ode that I have

writ.

Biron. Once more I'll mark how love can vary

wit.

Dum. On a day, (alack the day!)

Love, whose month is ever May,

[Aside.

Spied a blossom, passing fair,
Playing in the wanton air:
Through the velvet leaves the wind,
All unseen, 'gan passage find;
That the lover, sick to death,
Wish'd himself the heaven's breath.
Air, quoth he, thy cheeks may blow;
Air, would I might triumph so!
But alack, my hand is sworn,

Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn:
Vow, alack, for youth unmeet;
Youth so apt to pluck a sweet.
Do not call it sin in me,

That I am forsworn for thee:

Thou for whom even Jove would swear,
Juno but an Ethiop were;

And deny himself for Jove,

Turning mortal for thy love.

This will I send; and something else more plain,
That shall express my true love's fasting pain.
O, would the King, Biron, and Longaville,
Were lovers too! Ill, to example ill,

Would from my forehead wipe a perjur'd note;
For none offend, where all alike do dote.

Long. Dumain, [advancing.] thy love is far
from charity,

That in love's grief desir'st society:

You may look pale, but I should blush, I know, To be o'erheard, and taken napping so.

King. Come, Sir, [advancing.] you blush; as
his your case is such;

You chide at him, offending twice as much:
You do not love Maria; Longaville-
Did never sonnet for her sake compile;
Nor never lay his wreathed arms athwart
His loving bosom, to keep down his heart.

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