[Scene 3]
I might perceive his eye in her eye lost,
3.3353His ear to drink her sweet tongue's utterance,
3.4354And changing passions, like inconstant clouds
3.5355That rack upon the carriage of the winds,
3.6356Increase and die in his disturbèd cheeks.
3.7357Lo, when she blushed, even then did he look pale,
3.8358As if her cheeks by some enchanted power
3.9359Attracted had the cherry blood from his;
3.10360Anon, with reverent fear when she grew pale,
3.11361His cheeks put on their scarlet ornaments,
3.12362But no more like her oriental red
3.13363Than brick to coral, or live things to dead.
3.14364Why did he then thus counterfeit her looks?
3.15365If she did blush, 'twas tender modest shame,
3.16366Being in the sacred presence of a king;
3.17367If he did blush, 'twas red immodest shame
3.18368To vail his eyes amiss being a king;
3.19369If she looked pale, 'twas silly woman's fear
3.20370To bear herself in presence of a king;
3.21371If he looked pale, it was with guilty fear
3.22372To dote amiss being a mighty king.
3.23373Then Scottish wars, farewell; I fear 'twill prove
3.24374A ling'ring English siege of peevish love.
3.25375Here comes his highness walking all alone.
She is grown more fairer far since I came hither,
3.28378Her voice more silver every word than other,
3.29379Her wit more fluent; what a strange discourse
3.30380Unfolded she of David and his Scots!
3.31381'Even thus,' quoth she, 'he spake' -- and then spoke broad,
3.32382With epithets and accents of the Scot,
3.33383But somewhat better than the Scot could speak;
3.34384'And thus quoth she' -- and answered then herself,
3.35385For who could speak like her? But she herself
3.36386Breathes from the wall an angel's note from heaven
3.37387Of sweet defiance to her barbarous foes.
3.38388When she would talk of peace methinks her tongue
3.39389Commanded war to prison; when of war,
3.40390It wakened Caesar from his Roman grave
3.41391To hear war beautified by her discourse.
3.42392Wisdom is foolishness but in her tongue,
3.43393Beauty a slander but in her fair face,
3.44394There is no summer but in her cheerful looks,
3.45395Nor frosty winter but in her disdain.
3.46396I cannot blame the Scots that did besiege her
3.47397For she is all the treasure of our land;
3.48398But call them cowards that they ran away,
3.49399Having so rich and fair a cause to stay. --
3.50400Art thou there, Lod'wick? Give me ink and paper.
I will, my liege.
And bid the lords hold on their play at chess
3.53403For we will walk and meditate alone.
I will, my sovereign.
Exit [Lodowick].
This fellow is well read in poetry,
3.56406And hath a lusty and persuasive spirit;
3.57407I will acquaint him with my passion,
3.58408Which he shall shadow with a veil of lawn
3.59409Through which the queen of beauty's queen shall see
3.60410Herself the ground of my infirmity.
3.62412Hast thou pen, ink and paper ready, Lodowick?
Ready, my liege.
Then in the summer arbor sit by me,
3.65415Make it our council house or cabinet;
3.66416Since green our thoughts, green be the conventicle
3.67417Where we will ease us by disburd'ning them.
3.68418Now, Lod'wick, invocate some golden muse
3.69419To bring thee hither an enchanted pen
3.70420That may for sighs set down true sighs indeed;
3.71421Talking of grief, to make thee ready groan,
3.72422And when thou writ'st of tears, encouch the word
3.73423Before and after with such sweet laments
3.74424That it may raise drops in a Tartar's eye,
3.75425And make a flint-heart Scythian pitiful --
3.76426For so much moving hath a poet's pen.
3.77427Then if thou be a poet, move thou so,
3.78428And be enrichèd by thy sovereign's love;
3.79429For if the touch of sweet concordant strings
3.80430Could force attendance in the ears of hell,
3.81431How much more shall the strains of poets' wit
3.82432Beguile and ravish soft and humane minds?
To whom, my lord, shall I direct my style?
To one that shames the fair and sots the wise;
3.85435Whose body is an abstract or a brief,
3.86436Contains each general virtue in the world.
3.87437Better than beautiful thou must begin,
3.88438Devise for fair a fairer word than fair,
3.89439And every ornament that thou wouldst praise
3.90440Fly it a pitch above the soar of praise.
3.91441For flattery fear thou not to be convicted,
3.92442For were thy admiration ten times more,
3.93443Ten times ten thousand more the worth exceeds
3.94444Of that thou art to praise thy praise's worth.
3.95445Begin -- I will to contemplate the while.
3.96446Forget not to set down how passionate,
3.97447How heart-sick and how full of languishment
Her beauty makes me. Write I to a woman?
What beauty else could triumph on me,
3.100451Or who but women do our love-lays greet?
3.101452What, thinkst thou I did bid thee praise a horse?
Of what condition or estate she is
3.103454'Twere requisite that I should know, my lord.
Of such estate, that hers is as a throne,
3.105456And my estate the footstool where she treads;
3.106457Then mayst thou judge what her condition is
3.107458By the proportion of her mightiness.
3.108459Write on, while I peruse her in my thoughts. --
3.109460Her voice to music or the nightingale?
3.110461To music every summer-leaping swain
3.111462Compares his sunburnt lover when she speaks;
3.112463And why should I speak of the nightingale?
3.113464The nightingale sings of adulterate wrong,
3.114465And that, compared, is too satirical,
3.115466For sin, though sin, would not be so esteemed,
3.116467But rather virtue sin, sin virtue deemed.
3.117468Her hair far softer than the silkworm's twist,
3.118469Like to a flattering glass doth make more fair
3.119470The yellow amber -- 'like a flattering glass'
3.120471Comes in too soon; for writing of her eyes,
3.121472I'll say that like a glass they catch the sun,
3.122473And thence the hot reflection doth rebound
3.123474Against my breast and burns my heart within.
3.124475Ah, what a world of descant makes my soul
3.125476Upon this voluntary ground of love!
3.126477Come, Lod'wick, hast thou turned thy ink to gold?
3.127478If not, write but in letters capital
3.128479My mistress' name and it will gild thy paper;
Read, lord, read,
3.129480Fill thou the empty hollows of mine ears
3.130481With the sweet hearing of thy poetry.
I have not to a period brought her praise.
Her praise is as my love, both infinite,
3.133484Which apprehend such violent extremes
3.134485That they disdain an ending period.
3.135486Her beauty hath no match but my affection,
3.136487Hers more than most, mine most, and more than more,
3.137488Hers more to praise than tell the sea by drops,
3.138489Nay, more than drop, the massy earth by sands,
3.139490And sand by sand, print them in memory;
3.140491Then wherefore talkst thou of a period
3.141492To that which craves unended admiration?
'More fair and chaste than is the queen of shades' --
That line hath two faults, gross and palpable:
3.145496Compar'st thou her to the pale queen of night,
3.146497Who being set in dark seems therefore light?
3.147498What is she, when the sun lifts up his head,
3.148499But like a fading taper, dim and dead?
3.149500My love shall brave the eye of heaven at noon,
3.150501And, being unmasked, outshine the golden sun.
What is the other fault, my sovereign lord?
Read o'er the line again.
Read o'er the line again. 'More fair and chaste' --
I did not bid thee talk of chastity
3.154506To ransack so the treasure of her mind,
3.155507For I had rather have her chased than chaste.
3.156508Out with the moon line, I will none of it,
3.157509And let me have her likened to the sun:
3.158510Say she hath thrice more splendor than the sun,
3.159511That her perfections emulates the sun,
3.160512That she breeds sweets as plenteous as the sun,
3.161513That she doth thaw cold winter like the sun,
3.162514That she doth cheer fresh summer like the sun,
3.163515That she doth dazzle gazers like the sun,
3.164516And in this application to the sun
3.165517Bid her be free and general as the sun,
3.166518Who smiles upon the basest weed that grows
3.167519As lovingly as on the fragrant rose.
3.168520Let's see what follows that same moonlight line.
'More fair and chaste than is the queen of shades,
In constancy than who?
In constancy than who? 'Than Judith was.'
Oh, monstrous line! Put in the next a sword
3.173526And I shall woo her to cut off my head!
3.174527Blot, blot, good Lod'wick; let us hear the next.
There's all that yet is done.
I thank thee then thou hast done little ill,
3.177530But what is done is passing passing ill.
3.178531No, let the captain talk of boist'rous war,
3.179532The prisoner of immurèd dark constraint,
3.180533The sick man best sets down the pangs of death,
3.181534The man that starves the sweetness of a feast,
3.182535The frozen soul the benefit of fire,
3.183536And every grief his happy opposite;
3.184537Love cannot sound well but in lovers' tongues.
3.185538Give me the pen and paper, I will write.
3.187540But soft, here comes the treasurer of my spirit --
3.188541Lod'wick, thou knowst not how to draw a battle:
3.189542These wings, these flankers, and these squadrons
3.190543Argue in thee defective discipline;
3.191544Thou shouldst have placed this here, this other here.
Pardon my boldness, my thrice gracious lords,
3.193546Let my intrusion here be called my duty
3.194547That comes to see my sovereign how he fares.
Go, draw the same, I tell thee in what form.
I go.
Sorry I am to see my liege so sad;
3.199551What may thy subject do to drive from thee
3.200552Thy gloomy consort, sullen melancholy?
Ah, lady, I am blunt and cannot strew
3.202554The flowers of solace in a ground of shame;
3.203555Since I came hither, Countess, I am wronged.
Now God forbid that any in my house
3.205557Should think my sovereign wrong! Thrice gentle king,
3.206558Acquaint me with your cause of discontent.
How near then shall I be to remedy?
As near, my liege, as all my woman's power
3.209561Can pawn itself to buy thy remedy.
If thou speakst true, then have I my redress;
3.211563Engage thy power to redeem my joys,
3.212564And I am joyful, Countess, else I die.
I will, my liege.
I will, my liege. Swear, Countess, that thou wilt.
By heaven, I will.
Then take thyself a little way aside,
3.216569And tell thyself a king doth dote on thee,
3.217570Say that within thy power doth lie
3.218571To make him happy, and that thou hast sworn
3.219572To give him all the joy within thy power;
3.220573Do this and tell me when I shall be happy.
All this is done, my thrice dread sovereign:
3.222575That power of love that I have power to give
3.223576Thou hast with all devout obedience;
3.224577Employ me how thou wilt in proof thereof.
Thou hearst me say that I do dote on thee.
If on my beauty, take it if thou canst;
3.227580Though little, I do prize it ten times less.
3.228581If on my virtue, take it if thou canst;
3.229582For virtue's store by giving doth augment.
3.230583Be it on what it will that I can give,
3.231584And thou canst take away, inherit it.
It is thy beauty that I would enjoy.
Oh, were it painted I would wipe it off
3.234587And dispossess myself to give it thee;
3.235588But sovereign, it is soldered to my life,
3.236589Take one and both, for like an humble shadow
3.237590It haunts the sunshine of my summer's life.
But thou mayst leave it me to sport withal.
As easy may my intellectual soul
3.240593Be lent away and yet my body live,
3.241594As lend my body, palace to my soul,
3.242595Away from her and yet retain my soul.
3.243596My body is her bower, her court, her abbey,
3.244597And she an angel pure, divine, unspotted;
3.245598If I should leave her house, my lord, to thee,
3.246599I kill my poor soul and my poor soul me.
Didst thou not swear to give me what I would?
I did, my liege, so what you would, I could.
I wish no more of thee than thou mayst give,
3.250603Nor beg I do not but I rather buy --
3.251604That is, thy love, and for that love of thine
3.252605In rich exchange I tender to thee mine.
But that your lips were sacred, my lord,
3.254607You would prophane the holy name of love;
3.255608That love you offer me you cannot give,
3.256609For Caesar owes that tribute to his queen;
3.257610That love you beg of me I cannot give,
3.258611For Sarah owes that duty to her lord.
3.259612He that doth clip or counterfeit your stamp
3.260613Shall die, my lord; and will your sacred self
3.261614Commit high treason against the king of heaven
3.262615To stamp his image in forbidden metal,
3.263616Forgetting your allegiance and your oath?
3.264617In violating marriage sacred law
3.265618You break a greater honor than yourself;
3.266619To be a king is of a younger house
3.267620Than to be married; your progenitor,
3.268621Sole reigning Adam on the universe,
3.269622By God was honored for a married man,
3.270623But not by him anointed for a king.
3.271624It is a penalty to break your statutes,
3.272625Though not enacted with your highness' hand;
3.273626How much more to infringe the holy act
3.274627Made by the mouth of God, sealed with His hand?
3.275628I know my sovereign in my husband's love,
3.276629Who now doth loyal service in his wars,
3.277630Doth but to try the wife of Salisbury,
3.278631Whether she will hear a wanton's tale or no;
3.279632Lest being therein guilty by my stay,
3.280633From that, not from my liege, I turn away.
Whether is her beauty by her words divine,
3.283635Or are her words sweet chaplains to her beauty?
3.284636Like as the wind doth beautify a sail,
3.285637And as a sail becomes the unseen wind,
3.286638So do her words her beauty, beauty words.
3.287639Oh, that I were a honey-gathering bee
3.288640To bear the comb of virtue from this flower,
3.289641And not a poison-sucking envious spider
3.290642To turn the juice I take to deadly venom.
3.291643Religion is austere and beauty gentle,
3.292644Too strict a guardian for so fair a ward.
3.293645Oh, that she were as is the air to me!
3.294646Why so she is, for when I would embrace her,
3.295647This do I, and catch nothing but myself;
3.296648I must enjoy her, for I cannot beat
3.297649With reason and reproof fond love away.
3.299651Here comes her father; I will work with him
3.300652To bear my colors in this field of love.
How is it that my sovereign is so sad?
3.302654May I with pardon know your highness' grief?
3.303655And that my old endeavor will remove it,
3.304656It shall not cumber long your majesty.
A kind and voluntary gift thou profferest,
3.306658That I was forward to have begged of thee.
3.307659But, O thou world, great nurse of flattery,
3.308660Why dost thou tip men's tongues with golden words
3.309661And peise their deeds with weight of heavy lead,
3.310662That fair performance cannot follow promise?
3.311663Oh, that a man might hold the heart's close book,
3.312664And choke the lavish tongue when it doth utter
3.313665The breath of falsehood not charactered there!
Far be it from the honor of my age
3.315667That I should owe bright gold and render lead;
3.316668Age is a cynic, not a flatterer.
3.317669I say again, that if I knew your grief
3.318670And that by me it may be lessenèd,
3.319671My proper harm should buy your highness' good.
These are the vulgar tenders of false men
3.321673That never pay the duty of their words.
3.322674Thou wilt not stick to swear what thou hast said,
3.323675But when thou knowest my grief's condition,
3.324676This rash disgorgèd vomit of thy word
3.325677Thou wilt eat up again and leave me helpless.
By heaven, I will not, though your majesty
3.327679Did bid me run upon your sword and die.
Say that my grief is no way medicinable
3.329681But by the loss and bruising of thine honor.
If nothing but that loss may vantage you,
3.331683I would account that loss my vantage too.
Thinkst that thou canst answer thy oath again?
I cannot, nor I would not if I could.
But if thou dost, what shall I say to thee?
What may be said to any perjured villain
3.336688That breaks the sacred warrant of an oath.
What wilt thou say to one that breaks an oath?
That he hath broke his faith with God and man,
3.339691And from them both stands excommunicate.
What office were it to suggest a man
3.341693To break a lawful and religious vow?
An office for the devil not for man.
That devil's office must thou do for me,
3.344696Or break thy oath or cancel all the bonds
3.345697Of love and duty 'twixt thyself and me.
3.346698And therefore, Warwick, if thou art thyself,
3.347699The lord and master of thy word and oath,
3.348700Go to thy daughter and in my behalf
3.349701Command her, woo her, win her any ways
3.350702To be my mistress and my secret love.
3.351703I will not stand to hear thee make reply --
3.352704Thy oath break hers or let thy sovereign die.
O doting king, O detestable office!
3.355706Well may I tempt myself to wrong myself
3.356707When he hath sworn me by the name of God
3.357708To break a vow made by the name of God.
3.358709What if I swear by this right hand of mine
3.359710To cut this right hand off? The better way
3.360711Were to prophane the idol than confound it.
3.361712But neither will I do; I'll keep mine oath,
3.362713And to my daughter make a recantation
3.363714Of all the virtue I have preached to her.
3.364715I'll say she must forget her husband Salisbury,
3.365716If she remember to embrace the King;
3.366717I'll say an oath may easily be broken,
3.367718But not so easily pardoned being broken;
3.368719I'll say it is true charity to love,
3.369720But not true love to be so charitable;
3.370721I'll say his greatness may bear out the shame,
3.371722But not his kingdom can buy out the sin;
3.372723I'll say it is my duty to persuade,
3.373724But not her honesty to give consent.
3.375726See where she comes; was never father had,
3.376727Against his child, an embassage so bad.
My lord and father, I have sought for you;
3.378729My mother and the peers importune you
3.379730To keep in presence of his majesty,
3.380731And do your best to make his highness merry.
[Aside] How shall I enter in this graceless errand?
3.382733I must not call her child, for where's the father
3.383734That will in such a suit seduce his child?
3.384735Then 'wife of Salisbury,' shall I so begin?
3.385736No, he's my friend, and where is found the friend
3.386737That will do friendship such endamagement? --
3.387738[To Countess] Neither my daughter, nor my dear friend's wife,
3.388739I am not Warwick as thou thinkst I am,
3.389740But an attorney from the court of hell,
3.390741That thus have housed my spirit in his form
3.391742To do a message to thee from the King:
3.392743The mighty King of England dotes on thee.
3.393744He that hath power to take away thy life,
3.394745Hath power to take thine honor, then consent
3.395746To pawn thine honor rather than thy life;
3.396747Honor is often lost and got again,
3.397748But life once gone hath no recovery.
3.398749The sun that withers hay doth nourish grass;
3.399750The King that would distain thee, will advance thee.
3.400751The poets write that great Achilles' spear
3.401752Could heal the wound it made: the moral is,
3.402753What mighty men misdo, they can amend.
3.403754The lion doth become his bloody jaws,
3.404755And grace his foragement by being mild
3.405756When vassal fear lies trembling at his feet;
3.406757The King will in his glory hide thy shame,
3.407758And those that gaze on him to find out thee
3.408759Will lose their eyesight looking in the sun.
3.409760What can one drop of poison harm the sea,
3.410761Whose hugy vastures can digest the ill
3.412763The King's great name will temper thy misdeeds,
3.413764And give the bitter potion of reproach
3.414765A sugared, sweet, and most delicious taste.
3.415766Besides it is no harm to do the thing
3.416767Which without shame could not be left undone.
3.417768Thus have I, in his majesty's behalf,
3.418769Apparelled sin in virtuous sentences,
3.419770And dwell upon thy answer in his suit.
Unnatural besiege! Woe me unhappy
3.421772To have escaped the danger of my foes
3.422773And to be ten times worse envired by friends!
3.423774Hath he no means to stain my honest blood,
3.424775But to corrupt the author of my blood
3.425776To be his scandalous and vile solicitor?
3.426777No marvel though the branches be then infected,
3.427778When poison hath encompassèd the root;
3.428779No marvel though the leprous infant die,
3.429780When the stern dame envenometh the dug.
3.430781Why then give sin a passport to offend
3.431782And youth the dangerous reign of liberty;
3.432783Blot out the strict forbidding of the law,
3.433784And cancel every canon that prescribes
3.434785A shame for shame, or penance for offence.
3.435786No, let me die, if his too boist'rous will
3.436787Will have it so, before I will consent
3.437788To be an actor in his graceless lust.
Why now thou speakst as I would have thee speak,
3.439790And mark how I unsay my words again:
3.440791An honorable grave is more esteemed
3.441792Than the polluted closet of a king.
3.442793The greater man, the greater is the thing,
3.443794Be it good or bad, that he shall undertake:
3.444795An unreputed mote, flying in the sun,
3.445796Presents a greater substance than it is;
3.446797The freshest summer's day doth soonest taint
3.447798The loathèd carrion that it seems to kiss;
3.448799Deep are the blows made with a mighty axe;
3.449800That sin doth ten times aggravate itself
3.450801That is committed in a holy place;
3.452803Is sin and subornation; deck an ape
3.453804In tissue, and the beauty of the robe
3.454805Adds but the greater scorn unto the beast.
3.455806A spacious field of reasons could I urge
3.456807Between his glory, daughter, and thy shame:
3.457808That poison shows worst in a golden cup,
3.458809Dark night seems darker by the lightning flash,
3.459810Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds,
3.460811And every glory that inclines to sin
3.461812The shame is treble, by the opposite.
3.462813So leave I with my blessing in thy bosom,
3.463814Which then convert to a most heavy curse
3.464815When thou convertst from honor's golden name
3.465816To the black faction of bed-blotting shame.
I'll follow thee, and when my mind turns so,
3.467818My body sink my soul in endless woe.