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LONG. Marry, that did I.

BIRON. Sweet lord and why?

LONG. To fright them hence with that dread penalty.
BIRON. A dangerous law against gentility!

Item, [reading.] "If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he fhall endure “fuch publick shame as the rest of the court can poffibly "devife."

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 compleat majesty,
About furrender up of Aquitain.

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

Or vainly comes th' 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, dispense with this decree,

She must lye here on mere neceffity.

BIRON. Neceffity will make us all forfworn,
Three thousand times within this three years fpace:

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 meer neceffity.-

So to the laws at large I write my name,

And he, that breaks them in the least degree,

1 Stands in attainder of eternal shame.
Suggestions are to others, as to me;
But, I believe, although I seem fo 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 phrafes in his brain :
One, whom the mufick of his own vain tongue,
Doth ravish, like inchanting harmony:

A man of compliments, whom right and wrong
Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny.

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This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

For interim to our ftudies, 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 minstrelfie.

BIRON. Armado is a moft illuftrious wight,
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.
LONG. Coftard the fwain, and he, fhall be our sport;
And so to study, three years are but short.

SCENE

II. Enter Dull and Coftard with a letter.

DULL. Which is the king'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 perfon in flesh and blood.

BIRON. This is he.

DULL. Signior Arme,

Arme-commends you.

There's villainy abroad; this letter will tell you more.
COST. Sir, the contempts 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 having; God grant us patience!

BIRON. To hear, or forbear hearing?

LONG. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

BIRON. Well, Sir, be it as the ftile fhall give us caufe to climb in the merriness.

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

BIRON. In what manner?

COST. In manner and form, following, Sir; all those three. I was feen with her in the manor-house, fitting with her upon the form, and then following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner: it is the manner of a man to fpeak to a woman; for the form, in fome form.

BIRON. For the following, Sir,

COST. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

KING. Will you hear the letter with attention?

BIRON. As we would hear an oracle.

COST. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

KING reads, "Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent,

"and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, "and body's foftring patron

COST. Not a word of Coftard yet.

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COST. It may be fo; but if he say it is fo, he is, in telling true, but so, so.

KING. Peace

COST. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight!
KING. No words-

COST. Of other men's fecrets, I beseech you.

KING. "So it is. Befieged with fable-colo ured melan66 choly, I did commend the black opprefling humour to the "most wholesome phyfick of thy health-giving air; and as "I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk: The time, "when? about the fixth hour, when beafts moft graze, "birds best peck, and men fit down to that nourishment "which is call'd fupper: so much for the time, when. Now "for the ground, which: which, I mean, I walkt upon; "it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where; "where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and most 66 prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, be"holdeft, furveyest, or feeft. But to the place; it stand"eth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of 66 thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low"fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth," (COST. Me?)" that unletter'd small-knowing foul," (Cost. Me?) "that shallow vaffal," (COST. Still me?) "which, as I "remember, hight Coftard;" (COST. O me!) "forted "and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict "and continent canon, with, with- O with,-but with "this, I paffion to fay wherewith :"

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COST. With a wench.

KING. "With a child of our grandmother Eve, a fe"male; or for thy more understanding, a woman; him, I "(as my ever-esteemed duty pricks me on) have fent to "thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet 66 grace's officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, 66 carriage, bearing, and estimation."

DULL. Me, an't fhall please you: I am Anthony Dull. KING. "For Jaquenetta, (fo is the weaker veffel call'd) "which I apprehended with the aforefaid swain, I keep her << as a vaffal of thy law's fury, and fhall at the least of thy "fweet notice bring her to trial: Thine in all compliments ❝of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty.”

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BIRON. This is not fo well as I look'd for, but the best that ever I heard.

KING. Ay; the best for the worst. But, firrah, what fay you to this?

COST. Sir, I confefs the wench.

KING. Did you hear the proclamation ?

COST. I do confefs much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

KING. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment to be taken with a wench.

COST. I was taken with none, Sir, I was taken with a damofel.

KING. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

COST. This was no damofel neither, Sir, fhe was a virgin. KING. It is fo varied too, for it was proclaim'd virgin. COST. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid.

KING. This maid will not ferve your turn, Sir.

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