LOVE'S LABOUR's LOST. L ACT I SCENE I. The PALACE. Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain. KING. ET Fame, that all hunt after in their lives, That honour which fhall bate his fcythe's keen edge; Therefore, brave conquerors! for fo you are, And the huge army of the world's defires; You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville, Your oaths are paft, and now fubfcribe your names : If you are arm'd to do, as fworn to do, Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too. DUM. My loving lord, Dumain is mortify'd: BIRON. I can but fay their protestation over. Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there. KING. Your oath is pafs'd, to pafs away from these. And stay here in your court for three years' space. BIRON. By yea and nay, fir, then I swore in jest. What is the end of study? let me know? KING. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. BIRON. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common fense. KING. Ay, that is study's god-like recompence. BIRON. Come on then, I will swear to study fo, To know the thing I am forbid to know; When mistreffes from common fense are hid. If ftudy's gain be this, 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. These be the stops, that hinder study quite; And train our intellects to vain delight. BIRON. Why, all delights are vain; but that moft vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain; As, painfully to pore upon a book, To fee the light of truth; while truth the while Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile; By fixing it upon a fairer eye; Who dazzling fo, that eye fhall be his heed, Study is like the heaven's glorious fun, That will not be deep fearch'd with faucy looks; Have no more profit of their fhining 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! ing. BIRON. The fpring is near, when green geefe are a breeding. DUM. How follows that? BIRON. Fit in his place and time. DUM. In reason nothing. BIRON. Something then in rhime. LONG. Biron is like an envious fneaping froft, That bites the firft-born infants of the fpring. BIRON. Well; fay, I am : why should proud fummer boast, Than with a fnow in May's new-fangled earth: So you, to study now it is too late, That were to climb o'er th' houfe t'unlock the gate. KING. Well, fit you out-Go home, Biron: Adieu! BIRON. No, my good lord, I've fworn to stay with you And though I have for barbarism 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; KING. How well this yielding refcues thee from shame! BIRON. Item. "That no woman fhall come within a |