My fellow Schollers, and to keepe those statutes
That are recorded in this scedule heere.

Your oathes are past, and now subscribe your names:
That his owne hand may strike his honour downe,
That violates the smallest branch heerein:

If you are arm'd to doe, as sworne to do,
Subscribe to your deepe oathes, and keepe it to.
Longavill. I am resolv'd, 'tis but a three yeeres fast:
The minde shall banquet, though the body pine,
Fat paunches have leane pates: and dainty bits,
Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.

Dumane. My loving Lord, Dumane is mortified,
The grosser manner of these worlds delights,
He throwes upon the grosse worlds baser slaves:
To love, to wealth, to pompe, I pine and die,
With all these living in Philosophie.

30

Berowne. I can but say their protestation over, So much, deare Liege, I have already sworne, That is, to live and study heere three yeeres.

But there are other strict observances:
As not to see a woman in that terme,
Which I hope well is not enrolled there.
And one day in a weeke to touch no foode:
And but one meale on every day beside:

40

The which I hope is not enrolled there.

And then to sleepe but three houres in the night,

And not be seene to winke of all the day.
When I was wont to thinke no harme all night,
And make a darke night too of halfe the day:
Which I hope well is not enrolled there.
O, these are barren taskes, too hard to keepe,
Not to see Ladies, study, fast, not sleepe.

50

31. bankerout: bankrupt (bancrout) quite-IQ.

Ferd. Your oath is past, to passe away from these. Berow. Let me say no my Liedge, and if you please, I onely swore to study with your grace, And stay heere in your Court for three yeeres space. Longa. You swore to that Berowne, and to the rest. Berow. By yea and nay sir, than I swore in jest. What is the end of study, let me know?

Fer. Why that to know which else wee should not know. 61

Ber. Things hid & bard (you meane) from common sense. |

Ferd. I, that is studies god-like recompence.
Bero. Come on then, I will sweare to studie so,

To know the thing I am forbid to know:
As thus, to study where I well may dine,
When I to fast expressely am forbid.
Or studie where to meet some Mistresse fine,
When Mistresses from common sense are hid.

Or having sworne too hard a keeping oath,
Studie to breake it, and not breake my troth.
If studies gaine be thus, and this be so,
Studie knowes that which yet it doth not know,
Sweare me to this, and I will nere say no.

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Ferd. These be the stops that hinder studie quite, And traine our intellects to vaine delight.

Ber. Why? all delights are vaine, and that most vaine Which with paine purchas'd, doth inherit paine, As painefully to poare upon a Booke, To seeke the light of truth, while truth the while 80 Doth falsely blinde the eye-sight of his looke: Light seeeking light, doth light of light beguile: So ere you finde where light in darkenesse lies,

Your light growes darke by losing of your eyes.

Studie me how to please the eye indeede,

By fixing it upon a fairer eye,

Who dazling so, that eye shall be his heed,
And give him light that it was blinded by.

Studie is like the heavens glorious Sunne,

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

Small have continuall plodders ever wonne,

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Save base authoritie from others Bookes.

These earthly Godfathers of heavens lights,

That give a name to every fixed Starre,

Have no more profit of their shining nights,
Then those that walke and wot not what they are.
Too much to know, is to know nought but fame:

And every Godfather can give a name.

Fer. How well hee's read, to reason against reading. Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding. Lon. Hee weedes the corne, and still lets grow the weeding.

102

Ber. The Spring is neare when greene geesse are a

breeding.

Dum. How followes that?

Ber. Fit in his place and time.

Dum. In reason nothing.

Ber. Something then in rime.

Ferd. Berowne is like an envious sneaping 1 Frost,

That bites the first borne infants of the Spring. 1 snipping Ber. Wel, say I am, why should proud Summer boast,

Before the Birds have any cause to sing?

Why should I joy in any abortive birth?

At Christmas I no more desire a Rose,

Then wish a Snow in Mayes new fangled showes:

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But like of each thing that in season growes.
So you to studie now it is too late,

That were to clymbe ore the house to unlocke the gate.
Fer. Well, fit you out: go home Berowne: adue.
Ber. No my good Lord, I have sworn to stay with you.

And though I have for barbarisme spoke more,
Then for that Angell knowledge you can say,
Yet confident Ile keepe what I have sworne,
And bide the pennance of each three yeares day.
Give me the paper, let me reade the same,
And to the strictest decrees Ile write my name.

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Fer. How well this yeelding rescues thee from shame. Ber. [Reads] Item. That no woman shall come

within a mile of my Court.

Hath this bin proclaimed?

Lon. Foure dayes agoe.

Ber. Let's see the penaltie. [Reads]

On paine of loosing her tongue.

Who devis'd this penaltie?

Lon. Marry that did I.

Ber. Sweete Lord, and why?

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Lon. To fright them hence with that dread penaltie, [Biron] A dangerous law against gentilitie. 1 1 urbanity [Reads] Item, If any man be seene to talke with a woman with- | in the tearme of three yeares, hee shall indure such publique shame as the rest of the Court shall possibly | devise.

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Ber. This Article my Liedge your felfe must breake, For well you know here comes in Embassie

The French Kings daughter, with your selfe to speake:

A Maide of grace and compleate majestie,

About surrender up of Aquitaine:
To her decrepit, sicke, and bed-rid Father.
Therefore this Article is made in vaine,
Or vainly comes th'admired Princesse hither.
Fer. What say you Lords?

Why, this was quite forgot.

Ber. So Studie evermore is overshot,
While it doth study to have what it would,
It doth forget to doe the thing it should:

And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,
'Tis won as townes with fire, so won, so lost.

150

Fer. We must of force dispence with this Decree,

She must lye1 here on meere necessitie.

1 lodge

160

Ber. Necessity will make us all forsworne
Three thousand times within this three yeeres space:
For every man with his affects is borne,
Not by might mastred, but by speciall grace.
If I breake faith, this word shall breake for me,
I am forsworne on meere necessitie.

So to the Lawes at large I write my name, [Subscribes]
And he that breakes them in the least degree,
Stands in attainder of eternall shame.
Suggestions 2 are to others as to me:
But I beleeve although I seeme so loth,
I am the last that will last keepe his oth.
But is there no quicke recreation granted?

2 temptations

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

With a refined travailer of Spaine,

A man in all the worlds new fashion planted,

That hath a mint of phrases in his braine:

One, who the musicke of his owne vaine tongue,

Doth ravish like inchanting harmonie: