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.

100Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding.

101Lon. Hee weedes the corne, and still lets grow the

102weeding.

103Ber. The Spring is neare when greene geesse are a

104breeding.

105Dum. How followes that?

106Ber. Fit in his place and time.

107Dum. In reason nothing.

108Ber. Something then in rime.

109Ferd. Berowne is like an enuious sneaping Frost,

110That bites the first borne infants of the Spring.

111Ber. Wel, say I am, why should proud Summer boast,

112Before the Birds haue any cause to sing?

113Why should I ioy in any abortiue birth?

114At Christmas I no more desire a Rose,

115Then wish a Snow in Mayes new fangled showes:

116But like of each thing that in season growes.

117So you to studie now it is too late,

118That were to clymbe ore the house to vnlocke the gate.

119Fer. Well, sit you out: go home Berowne: adue.

120Ber. No my good Lord, I haue sworn to stay with you.

121And though I haue for barbarisme spoke more,

122Then for that Angell knowledge you can say,

123Yet confident Ile keepe what I haue sworne,

124And bide the pennance of each three yeares day.

125Giue me the paper, let me reade the same,

126And to the strictest decrees Ile write my name.

127Fer. How well this yeelding rescues thee from shame.

130Hath this bin proclaimed?

131Lon. Foure dayes agoe.

132Ber. Let's see the penaltie.

134Who deuis'd this penaltie?

135Lon. Marry that did I.

136Ber. Sweete Lord, and why?

137Lon. To fright them hence with that dread penaltie,

138A dangerous law against gentilitie.

143Ber. This Article my Liedge your selfe must breake,

144For well you know here comes in Embassie

145The French Kings daughter, with your selfe to speake:

146A Maide of grace and compleate maiestie,

147About surrender vp of Aquitaine:

148To her decrepit, sicke, and bed-rid Father.

149Therefore this Article is made in vaine,

150Or vainly comes th'admired Princesse hither.

151Fer. What say you Lords?

152Why, this was quite forgot.

153Ber. So Studie euermore is ouershot,

154While it doth study to haue what it would,

155It doth forget to doe the thing it should:

156And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,

157'Tis won as townes with fire, so won, so lost.

158Fer. We must of force dispence with this Decree,

159She must lye here on meere necessitie.

160Ber. Necessity will make vs all forsworne

161Three thousand times within this three yeeres space:

162For euery man with his affects is borne,

163Not by might mastred, but by speciall grace.

164If I breake faith, this word shall breake for me,

165I am forsworne on meere necessitie.

166So to the Lawes at large I write my name,

167And he that breakes them in the least degree,

168Stands in attainder of eternall shame.

169Suggestions are to others as to me:

170But I beleeue although I seeme so loth,

171I am the last that will last keepe his oth.

172But is there no quicke recreation granted?

173Fer. I that there is, our Court you know is hanted

174With a refined trauailer of Spaine,

175A man in all the worlds new fashion planted,

176That hath a mint of phrases in his braine:

177One, who the musicke of his owne vaine tongue,

178Doth rauish like inchanting harmonie:

179A man of complements whom right and wrong

180Haue chose as vmpire of their mutinie.

181This childe of fancie that Armado hight,

182For interim to our studies shall relate,

183In high-borne words the worth of many a Knight:

184From tawnie Spaine lost in the worlds debate.

185How you delight my Lords, I know not I,

186But I protest I loue to heare him lie,

187And I will vse him for my Minstrelsie.

188Bero. Armado is a most illustrious wight,

189A man of fire, new words, fashions owne Knight.

190Lon. Costard the swaine and he, shall be our sport,

191And so to studie, three yeeres is but short.

193Const. Which is the Dukes owne person.

194Ber. This fellow, What would'st?

195Con. I my selfe reprehend his owne person, for I am

196his graces Tharborough: But I would see his own person

197in flesh and blood.

198Ber. This is he.

199Con. Signeor Arme, Arme commends you:

200Ther's villanie abroad, this letter will tell you more.

201Clow. Sir the Contempts thereof are as touching

202mee.

203Fer. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

204Ber. How low soeuer the matter, I hope in God for

205high words.

206Lon. A high hope for a low heauen, God grant vs pa-

207tience.

208Ber. To heare, or forbeare hearing.

209Lon. To heare meekely sir, and to laugh moderately,

210or to forbeare both.

211Ber. Well sir, be it as the stile shall giue vs cause to

212clime in the merrinesse.

213Clo. The matter is to me sir, as concerning Iaquenetta.

214The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.

215Ber. In what manner?

216Clo. In manner and forme following sir all those three.

217I was seene with her in the Mannor house, sitting with

218her vpon the Forme, and taken following her into the

219Parke: which put to gether, is in manner and forme

220following. Now sir for the manner; It is the manner

221of a man to speake to a woman, for the forme in some

222forme.

223Ber. For the following sir.

224Clo. As it shall follow in my correction, and God de-

225fend the right.

226Fer. Will you heare this Letter with attention?

227Ber. As we would heare an Oracle.

228Clo. Such is the simplicitie of man to harken after the

229flesh.

L2 Fer. Great

234Cost. Not a word of Costard yet.

235Ferd. So it is.

236Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is in telling

237true: but so.

238Ferd. Peace,

239Clow. Be to me, and euery man that dares not fight.

240Ferd. No words,

241Clow. Of other mens secrets I beseech you.

262Clo. With a Wench.

268Anth. Me, an't shall please you? I am Anthony Dull.

275Ber. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best

276that euer I heard.

277Fer. I the best, for the worst. But sirra, What say you

278to this?

279Clo. Sir I confesse the Wench.

280Fer. Did you heare the Proclamation?

281Clo. I doe confesse much of the hearing it, but little

282of the marking of it.

283Fer. It was proclaimed a yeeres imprisoment to bee

284taken with a Wench.

285Clow. I was taken with none sir, I was taken with a

286Damosell.

287Fer. Well, it was proclaimed Damosell.

288Clo. This was no Damosell neyther sir, shee was a

289Virgin.

290Fer. It is so varried to, for it was proclaimed Virgin.

291Clo. If it were, I denie her Virginitie: I was taken

292with a Maide.

293Fer. This Maid will not serue your turne sir.

294Clo. This Maide will serue my turne sir.

295Kin. Sir I will pronounce your sentence: You shall

296fast a Weeke with Branne and water.

297Clo. I had rather pray a Moneth with Mutton and

298Porridge.

299Kin. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.

300My Lord Berowne, see him deliuer'd ore,

301And goe we Lords to put in practice that,

302Which each to other hath so strongly sworne.

303Bero. Ile lay my head to any good mans hat,

304These oathes and lawes will proue an idle scorne.

305Sirra, come on.

306Clo. I suffer for the truth sir: for true it is, I was ta-

307ken with Iaquenetta, and Iaquenetta is a true girle, and

308therefore welcome the sowre cup of prosperitie, afflicti-

309on may one day smile againe, and vntill then sit downe

310sorrow. Exit.