5LEt Fame, that all hunt after in their liues,

6Liue registred vpon our brazen Tombes,

7And then grace vs in the disgrace of death:

8when spight of cormorant deuouring Time,

9Th'endeuour of this present breath may buy:

10That honour which shall bate his sythes keene edge,

11And make vs heyres of all eternitie.

12Therefore braue Conquerours, for so you are,

13That warre against your owne affections,

14And the huge Armie of the worlds desires.

15Our late edict shall strongly stand in force,

16Nauar shall be the wonder of the world.

17Our Court shall be a little Achademe,

18Still and contemplatiue in liuing Art.

19You three, Berowne, Dumaine, and Longauill,

20Haue sworne for three yeeres terme, to liue with me:

21My fellow Schollers, and to keepe those statutes

22That are recorded in this scedule heere.

23Your oathes are past, and now subscribe your names:

24That his owne hand may strike his honour downe,

25That violates the smallest branch heerein:

26If you are arm'd to doe, as sworne to do,

27Subscribe to your deepe oathes, and keepe it to.

28Longauill. I am resolu'd, 'tis but a three yeeres fast:

29The minde shall banquet, though the body pine,

30Fat paunches haue leane pates: and dainty bits,

31Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.

32Dumane. My louing Lord, Dumane is mortified,

33The grosser manner of these worlds delights,

34He throwes vpon the grosse worlds baser slaues:

35To loue, to wealth, to pompe, I pine and die,

36With all these liuing in Philosophie.

37Berowne. I can but say their protestation ouer,

38So much, deare Liege, I haue already sworne,

39That is, to liue and study heere three yeeres.

40But there are other strict obseruances:

41As not to see a woman in that terme,

42Which I hope well is not enrolled there.

43And one day in a weeke to touch no foode:

44And but one meale on euery day beside:

45The which I hope is not enrolled there.

46And then to sleepe but three houres in the night,

47And not be seene to winke of all the day.

48When I was wont to thinke no harme all night,

49And make a darke night too of halfe the day:

50Which I hope well is not enrolled there.

51O, these are barren taskes, too hard to keepe,

52Not to see Ladies, study, fast, not sleepe.

53Ferd. Your oath is past, to passe away from these.

54Berow. Let me say no my Liedge, and if you please,

55I onely swore to study with your grace,

56And stay heere in your Court for three yeeres space.

57Longa. You swore to that Berowne, and to the rest.

58Berow. By yea and nay sir, than I swore in iest.

59What is the end of study, let me know?

60Fer. Why that to know which else wee should not

61know.

62Ber. Things hid & bard (you meane) frõ cõmon sense.

63Ferd. I, that is studies god-like recompence.

64Bero. Come on then, I will sweare to studie so,

65To know the thing I am forbid to know:

66As thus, to study where I well may dine,

67When I to fast expressely am forbid.

68Or studie where to meet some Mistresse fine,

69When Mistresses from common sense are hid.

70Or hauing sworne too hard a keeping oath,

71Studie to breake it, and not breake my troth.

72If studies gaine be thus, and this be so,

73Studie knowes that which yet it doth not know,

74Sweare me to this, and I will nere say no.

75Ferd. These be the stops that hinder studie quite,

76And traine our intellects to vaine delight.

77Ber. Why? all delights are vaine, and that most vaine

78Which with paine purchas'd, doth inherit paine,

79As painefully to poare vpon a Booke,

80To seeke the light of truth, while truth the while

81Doth falsely blinde the eye-sight of his looke:

82Light seeeking light, doth light of light beguile:

83So ere you finde where light in darkenesse lies,

84Your light growes darke by losing of your eyes.

85Studie me how to please the eye indeede,

86By fixing it vpon a fairer eye,

87Who dazling so, that eye shall be his heed,

88And giue him light that it was blinded by.

89Studie is like the heauens glorious Sunne,

90That will not be deepe search'd with sawcy lookes:

91Small haue continuall plodders euer wonne,

92Saue base authoritie from others Bookes.

93These earthly Godfathers of heauens lights,

94That giue a name to euery fixed Starre,

95Haue no more profit of their shining nights,

96Then those that walke and wot not what they are.

97Too much to know, is to know nought but fame:

98And euery Godfather can giue a name.

99Fer. How well hee's read, to reason against reading.