LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. ACT I. SCENE I. Navarre. A Park with a Palace in it. Enter the King, BEROWNE, LONGAVILLE, King. JET fame, that all hunt after in their lives, When, spite of cormorant devouring Time, The endeavour of this present breath may buy Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, That war against your own affections, And the huge army of the world's desires- You three, Berowne, Dumain, and Longaville, Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names; If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do, Ber. I can but say their protestation over, King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Ber. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense? King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense. King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Ber. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain. As, painfully to pore upon a book, To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look: Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's 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 reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Ber. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Ber. Dum. In reason nothing. Ber. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rime. King. Berowne is like an envious sneaping frost, That bites the first born infants of the spring. Ber. Well, say I am; why should proud summer boast, Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I joy in any abortive birth? * * * At Christmas I no more desire a rose * Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; That were to climb o'er the house to unlock the gate. you. And, though I have for Barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Ber. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court.-Hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Ber. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.] On pain of losing her tongue.-Who devis'd this penalty? Long. Marry, that did I. Ber. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Ber. A dangerous law against gentility. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise. 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 complete majestyAbout surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father. Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes th' admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. Ber. So study 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; so won, so lost. King. We must, of force, dispense with this decree; She must lie here on mere necessity. Ber. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space; For every man with his affects is born, Not by might master'd, but by special grace. If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, I am forsworn on mere necessity.' So to the laws at large I write my name : [Subscribes. Suggestions are to others, as to me; |