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Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with ACT IV the King; and here he hath fram'd a letter to Sc. II a sequent1 of the stranger Queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried. [to JAQUENETTA.] Trip and go, my Sweet; deliver this paper into the royal hand of the King: it may concern much. Stay not thy compliment; I forgive thy duty: adieu.

138

JAQ. Good Costard, go with me. Sir, God save your life!
COST. Have with thee, my Girl. [Exeunt Cost. and Jaq.
NATH. Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very
religiously; and, as a certain father saith-

HOL. Sir, tell not me of the father; I do fear colourable
colours.2 But to return to the verses: did they please
you, Sir Nathaniel ?

NATH. Marvellous well for the pen.

HOL. I do dine to-day at the father's of a certain pupil of mine; where, if before repast it shall please you to gratify the table with a grace, I will, on my privilege I have with the parents of the foresaid child or pupil, undertake your ben venuto; where I will prove those verses to be very unlearned, neither savouring of poetry, wit, nor invention: I beseech your society.

153

NATH. And thank you too; for society, saith the text,
is the happiness of life.

HOL. And, certes, the text most infallibly concludes it.
[to DULL.] Sir, I do invite you too; you shall not say
me nay: pauca verba. Away! the gentles are at their
game, and we will to our recreation.
[exeunt.

SCENE III. The Same.

Enter BIRON, with a paper in his hand, alone.

3

BIRON. The King he is hunting the deer; I am coursing myself: they have pitch'd a toil; I am toiling in a pitch: pitch that defiles: defile! a foul word. Well, Sit thee down, Sorrow! for so they say the fool said, and so say I, and I the fool: well prov'd, Wit! By the Lord, this love is as mad as Ajax: it kills sheep;

1 follower.

2 specious appearances.

4 Rosaline's two pitch-balls for eyes.

3 hunting-net.

113

[graphic]

ACT IV
Sc. III

it kills me, I a sheep: well prov'd again o' my side! I will not love: if I do, hang me; i'faith, I will not. O, but her eye!-by this Light, but for her eye, I would not love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do nothing in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By Heaven, I do love and it hath taught me to rhyme, and to be melancholy; and here is part of my rhyme, and here my melancholy. Well, she hath one o' my sonnets already: the Clown bore it, the Fool sent it, and the Lady hath it: sweet Clown, sweeter Fool, sweetest Lady! By the World, I would not care a pin, if the other three were in. Here comes one with a paper: God give him grace to groan!

Enter the KING, with a paper.

KING. Ay me!

BIRON [aside.] Shot, by Heaven! Proceed, sweet Cupid : thou hast thump'd him with thy bird-bolt' under the In faith, secrets!

left pap.
[He gets him in a tree.
KING [reads.] So sweet a kiss the golden Sun gives not
To those fresh morning drops upon the rose
As thy eye-beams, when their fresh rays have smote
The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows:
Nor shines the silver Moon one half so bright

Through the transparent bosom of the deep
As doth thy face through tears of mine give light;
Thou shin'st in every tear that I do weep:

No drop but as a coach doth carry thee;

So ridest thou triumphing in my woe.

Do but behold the tears that swell in me,

And they thy glory through my grief will shew:
But do not love thyself; then thou wilt keep

My tears for glasses, and still make me weep.

O Queen of Queens! how far dost thou excel,

30

No thought can think, nor tongue of mortal tell.
How shall she know my griefs? I'll drop the paper :-
Sweet Leaves, shade folly! Who is he comes here? 41
What, Longaville! and reading! listen, Ear. [steps aside.
BIRON [aside.] Now, in thy likeness, one
more fool

appear!

1 a short blunt arrow used in birding.

Enter LONGAVILLE, with a paper.

LONG. Ay me, I am forsworn!

BIRON [aside.] Why, he comes in like a perjure,1 wearing

[blocks in formation]

KING [aside.] In love, I hope: sweet fellowship in shame!
BIRON [aside.] One drunkard loves another of the name.
LONG. Am I the first that have been perjur'd so?
BIRON [aside.] I could put thee in comfort: not by two
that I know:

Thou mak❜st the triumviry, the corner-cap3 of society,
The shape of Love's Tyburn, that hangs up simplicity.
LONG. I fear these stubborn lines lack power to move:
O sweet Maria, Empress of my love!

These numbers will I tear, and write in prose.

50

BIRON [aside.] O, rhymes are guards* on wanton Cupid's hose:

Disfigure not his slop.5

LONG.

This same shall go. [He reads the sonnet.
Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye,
'Gainst whom the world cannot hold argument,
Persuade my heart to this false perjury?

Vows for thee broke deserve not punishment.
A woman I forswore; but I will prove,

Thou being a Goddess, I forswore not thee:

My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love;

Thy grace, being gain'd, cures all disgrace in me.

Vows are but breath, and breath a vapour is:

Then thou, fair Sun, which on my Earth dost shine, Exhal'st this vapour-vow; in thee it is:

If broken then, it is no fault of mine:

If by me broke, what fool is not so wise

To lose an oath to win a Paradise?

60

70

BIRON [aside.] This is the liver-vein, which makes flesh

A

a deity,

green goose a Goddess: pure, pure idolatry!

God amend us, God amend! we are much out o' the way. LONG. By whom shall I send this? Company! stay.

[steps aside.

1 perjurer. 2 the convicted perjurer wore his confession on his breast. * the biretta, the three-cornered clerical cap: whence the reference to the triple beam of Tyburn.

4 trimmings.

5 trunk-breeches.

115

ACT IV

Sc. III

[graphic]

ACT IV BIRON [aside.] All hid, all hid, an old infant play.

Sc. III

Like a Demigod here sit I in the sky,

And wretched fools' secrets heedfully o'er-eye.

More sacks to the mill! O Heavens, I have my wish!

Enter DUMAIN, with a paper.

Dumain transform'd! four woodcocks1 in a dish! 80 DUм. O most divine Kate!

BIRON [aside.] O most profane coxcomb!

DUM. By Heaven, the wonder of a mortal eye!

BIRON [aside.] By Earth, she is but corporal: there

you lie.

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DUM. Her amber hairs for foul hath amber quoted.

BIRON [aside.] An amber-colour'd raven was well noted.
DUM. As upright as the cedar.
BIRON [aside.]

Her shoulder is with child.

DUM.

BIRON [aside.] Ay, as

must shine.

2

Stoop, I say;

As fair as day.

some days; but then no Sun

DUM. O, that I had my wish!

LONG. [aside.]

And I had mine!

90

KING [aside.] And I mine too, good Lord!

BIRON [aside.] Amen, so I had mine: is not that a good

word?

DUM. I would forget her; but a fever she

Reigns in my blood, and will remember'd be.

BIRON [aside.] A fever in your blood! why, then incision
Would let her out in saucers: sweet misprision !3

DUM. Once more I'll read the ode that I have writ.
BIRON [aside.] Once more I'll mark how love can vary
wit.

DUM. [reads his sonnet.] On a day-alack the day!

[blocks in formation]
[graphic]

Air, quoth he, thy cheeks may blow;
Air, would I might triumph so!
But, alack, my hand is sworn

Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn :
Vow, alack, for youth unmeet,
Youth so apt to pluck a sweet!

Do not call it sin in me,
That I am forsworn for thee;

Thou for whom Jove would swear
Juno but an Ethiope were;

And deny himself for Jove,

Turning mortal for thy love.

This will I send, and something else more plain,
That shall express my true love's fasting pain.
O, would the King, Biron, and Longaville
Were lovers too! Ill, to example ill,

Would from my forehead wipe a perjur'd note;
For none offend where all alike do doat.

ΙΙΟ

120

LONG. [advancing.] Dumain, thy love is far from charity,
That in love's grief desir'st society:

You may look pale, but I should blush, I know,

To be o'erheard and taken napping so.

KING [advancing.] Come, Sir, you blush: as his your

case is such;

You chide at him, offending twice as much :
You do not love Maria; Longaville

Did never sonnet for her sake compile,
Nor never lay his wreathed arms athwart
His loving bosom, to keep down his heart!
I have been closely shrouded in this bush,
And mark'd you both, and for you both did blush:
I heard your guilty rhymes, observ'd your fashion,
Saw sighs reek from you, noted well your passion:
Ay me! says one; O Jove! the other cries;
Her hairs were gold, crystal the other's eyes.

130

140

[to LONG.] You would for Paradise break faith and

troth;

[to DUM.] And Jove for your love would infringe an oath.

What will Biron say, when that he shall hear

ACT IV

Sc. III

II: Q

117

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