492Boyet. Now Madam summon vp your dearest spirits,

493Consider who the King your father sends:

494To whom he sends, and what's his Embassie.

495Your selfe, held precious in the worlds esteeme,

496To parlee with the sole inheritour

497Of all perfections that a man may owe,

498Matchlesse Nauarre, the plea of no lesse weight

499Then Aquitaine, a Dowrie for a Queene.

500Be now as prodigall of all deare grace,

501As Nature was in making Graces deare,

502When she did starue the generall world beside,

503And prodigally gaue them all to you.

504Queen. Good L. Boyet, my beauty though but mean,

505Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:

506Beauty is bought by iudgement of the eye,

507Not vttred by base sale of chapmens tongues:

508I am lesse proud to heare you tell my worth,

509Then you much wiling to be counted wise,

510In spending your wit in the praise of mine.

511But now to taske the tasker, good Boyet,

512Prin. You are not ignorant all-telling fame

513Doth noyse abroad Nauar hath made a vow,

514Till painefull studie shall out-weare three yeares,

515No woman may approach his silent Court:

516Therefore to's seemeth it a needfull course,

517Before we enter his forbidden gates,

518To know his pleasure, and in that behalfe

519Bold of your worthinesse, we single you,

520As our best mouing faire soliciter:

521Tell him, the daughter of the King of France,

522On serious businesse crauing quicke dispatch,

523Importunes personall conference with his grace.

524Haste, signifie so much while we attend,

525Like humble visag'd suters his high will.

526Boy. Proud of imployment, willingly I goe. Exit.

527Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours is so:

528Who are the Votaries my louing Lords, that are vow-

529fellowes with this vertuous Duke?

530Lor. Longauill is one.

531Princ. Know you the man?

5321 Lady. I know him Madame at a marriage feast,

533Betweene L. Perigort and the beautious heire

534Of Iaques Fauconbridge solemnized.

535In Normandie saw I this Longauill,

536A man of soueraigne parts he is esteem'd:

537Well fitted in Arts, glorious in Armes:

538Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.

539The onely soyle of his faire vertues glosse,

540If vertues glosse will staine with any soile,

541Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a Will:

542Whose edge hath power to cut whose will still wills,

543It should none spare that come within his power.

544Prin. Some merry mocking Lord belike, ist so?

545Lad. 1. They say so most, that most his humors know.

546Prin. Such short liu'd wits do wither as they grow.

547Who are the rest?

5482. Lad. The yong Dumaine, a well accomplisht youth,

549Of all that Vertue loue, for Vertue loued.

550Most power to doe most harme, least knowing ill:

551For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,

552And shape to win grace though she had no wit.

553I saw him at the Duke Alansoes once,

554And much too little of that good I saw,

555Is my report to his great worthinesse.

556Rossa. Another of these Students at that time,

557Was there with him, as I haue heard a truth.

558Berowne they call him, but a merrier man,

559Within the limit of becomming mirth,

560I neuer spent an houres talke withall.

561His eye begets occasion for his wit,

562For euery obiect that the one doth catch,

563The other turnes to a mirth-mouing iest.

564Which his faire tongue (conceits expositor)

565Deliuers in such apt and gracious words,

566That aged eares play treuant at his tales,

567And yonger hearings are quite rauished.

568So sweet and voluble is his discourse.

569Prin. God blesse my Ladies, are they all in loue?

570That euery one her owne hath garnished,

571With such bedecking ornaments of praise.

572Ma. Heere comes Boyet.

574Prin. Now, what admittance Lord?

575Boyet. Nauar had notice of your faire approach,

576And he and his competitors in oath,

577Were all addrest to meete you gentle Lady

578Before I came: Marrie thus much I haue learnt,

579He rather meanes to lodge you in the field,

580Like one that comes heere to besiege his Court,

581Then seeke a dispensation for his oath:

582To let you enter his vnpeopled house.

584Heere comes Nauar.

585Nau. Faire Princesse, welcom to the Court of Nauar.

586Prin. Faire I giue you backe againe, and welcome I

587haue not yet: the roofe of this Court is too high to bee

588yours, and welcome to the wide fields, too base to be

589mine.

590Nau. You shall be welcome Madam to my Court.

591Prin. I wil be welcome then, Conduct me thither.

592Nau. Heare me deare Lady, I haue sworne an oath.

593Prin. Our Lady helpe my Lord, he'll be forsworne.

594Nau. Not for the world faire Madam, by my will.

595Prin. Why, will shall breake it will, and nothing els.

596Nau. Your Ladiship is ignorant what it is.

597Prin. Were my Lord so, his ignorance were wise,

598Where now his knowledge must proue ignorance.

599I heare your grace hath sworne out Houseekeeping:

600'Tis deadly sinne to keepe that oath my Lord,

601And sinne to breake it:

602But pardon me, I am too sodaine bold,

603To teach a Teacher ill beseemeth me.

604Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my comming,

605And sodainly resolue me in my suite.

606Nau. Madam, I will, if sodainly I may.

607Prin. You will the sooner that I were away,

608For you'll proue periur'd if you make me stay.

609Berow. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?

610Rosa. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?

L3v Ber. I