COST. I am more bound to you, than your they are but lightly rewarded.

ARM. Take away this villain, shut him up.
MOTH. Come you tranfgreffing slave, away.

followers; for

COST. Let me not be pent up, Sir; I will faft, being loofe. MOTH. No, Sir, that were fast and loose; thou shalt to prifon.

COST. Well, if ever I do fee the merry days of defolation that I have feen, fome fhall fee

MOTH. What fhall fome fee?

COST. Nay, nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prifoners to be filent in their words, and therefore I will fay nothing; I thank God, I have as little patience as another man, and therefore I can be quiet.

[Exeunt Moth and Costard. ARM. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her fhoe, which is bafer, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I fhall be forfworn, which is a great argument of falfhood, if I love. And how can that be truelove, which is falfly attempted? Love is a familiar, love is a devil; there is no evil angel but love, yet Sampfon was fo tempted, and he had an excellent ftrength; yet was Solomon fo reduced, and he had a very good wit. Cupid's but-fhaft is too hard for Hercules's club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier; the first and second caufe will not ferve my turn; the Passado he respects not, the Duello he regards not; his disgrace is to be call'd boy; but his glory is to fubdue men. Adieu, valour! rust, rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Affift me some extemporal God of rhime, for, I am fure, I shall turn fonneteer. Devife, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE İ.

Before the king of Navarre's palace.

Enter the princess of France, Rofaline, Maria, Catharine, Boyet, lords and other attendants.

BOYET.

OW, madam, fummon up your dearest spirits;

N°

Confider, whom the king your father fends;

To whom he fends, and what's his embassy.
Yourfelf, held precious in the world's esteem,
To parley with the fole inheritor

Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchlefs Navarre; the plea, of no less weight
Than Aquitain, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace,
Ás nature was in making graces dear,

When she did starve the general world befide,

And prodigally gave them all to you.

PRIN. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise;

Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye,
Not utter'd by base fale of chapmen's tongues,
I am lefs proud to hear you tell my worth,
Than you much willing to be counted wife,
In fpending thus your wit in praise of mine.
But now, to talk the tafker; good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame
Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,
'Till painful study shall out-wear three years,
No woman may approach his filent court;
Therefore to us feems it a needful course,

Са

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 follicitor.

Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On serious business, craving quick dispatch,
Importunes perfonal conference with his grace.
Hafte, fignify fo much, while we attend,
Like humble-visag'd fuitors, his high will.

BOYET. Proud of employment, willingly I go. [Exit.]
PRIN. All pride is willing pride, and yours is fo;

Who are the votaries, my loving lords,

That are vow-fellows with this virtuous king?

LORD. Longueville is one.

PRIN. Know you the man?

MAR. I knew him, madam, at a marriage-feast,
Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jaques Faulconbridge folemnized.
In Normandy faw I this Longueville,

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 gloss,
(If virtue's glofs will stain with any soil,)
Is a fharp wit, match'd with too blunt a will;
Whose edge hath power to cut, whofe will ftill will's
It should spare none, that come within his power.

PRIN. Some merry-mocking lord, belike. Is't fo? MAR. They say so most, that most his humours know. PRIN. Such fhort-liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the reft ?

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

Of all that virtue love, for virtue lov'd.
Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And fhape to win grace, tho' he had no wit.
I faw him at the duke Alenson's once,
And much too little of that good I faw
Is my report to his great worthiness.

ROSA. Another of thefe ftudents at that time
Was there with him, as I have heard o'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 (conceits expositor)
Delivers in such apt and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant to his tales;
And younger hearings are quite ravish'd;
So fweet and voluble is his discourse.

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.

Enter Boyet.

PRIN. Now, what admittance, Lord?

BOYET. Navarre had notice of your fair approach;

And he and his competitors in oath

Were all addreft to meet you, gentle lady,

Before I came. Marry, thus much I've learnt,

He rather means to lodge you in the field,

Like one that comes here to besiege his court,
Than seek a difpenfation for his oath,
To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Here comes Navarre.

SCENE II.

Enter the King, Longueville, Dumain, Biron, and attendants.

KING. Fair princefs, welcome to the court of Navarre. PRIN. Fair, I give you back again; and welcome I am not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wide fields, too bafe 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 sworn 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 its will, and nothing else,
KING. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is.

PRIN. Were my lord fo, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge must 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 purpofe of my coming,
And suddenly resolve me in my fuit.

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?