Shakespeare's First Folio Part 110

Ber. Wel, say I am, why should proud Summer boast, Before the Birds haue any cause to sing?

Why should I ioy in any abortiue birth?

At Christmas I no more desire a Rose, Then wish a Snow in Mayes new fangled showes: 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 vnlocke the gate

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

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

And though I haue for barbarisme spoke more, Then for that Angell knowledge you can say, Yet confident Ile keepe what I haue sworne, And bide the pennance of each three yeares day.

Giue me the paper, let me reade the same, And to the strictest decrees Ile write my name

Fer. How well this yeelding rescues thee from shame

Ber. 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.

On paine of loosing her tongue.

Who deuis'd this penaltie?

Lon. Marry that did I

Ber. Sweete Lord, and why?

Lon. To fright them hence with that dread penaltie, A dangerous law against gentilitie.

Item, If any man be seene to talke with a woman within the tearme of three yeares, hee shall indure such publique shame as the rest of the Court shall possibly deuise

Ber. This Article my Liedge your selfe must breake, For well you know here comes in Emba.s.sie The French Kings daughter, with your selfe to speake: A Maide of grace and compleate maiestie, About surrender vp 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 euermore is ouershot, While it doth study to haue 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

Fer. We must of force dispence with this Decree, She must lye here on meere necessitie

Ber. Necessity will make vs all forsworne Three thousand times within this three yeeres s.p.a.ce: For euery 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, And he that breakes them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternall shame.

Suggestions are to others as to me: But I beleeue although I seeme so loth, I am the last that will last keepe his oth.

But is there no quicke recreation granted?

Fer. I that there is, our Court you know is hanted With a refined trauailer 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 rauish like inchanting harmonie: A man of complements whom right and wrong Haue chose as vmpire of their mutinie.

This childe of fancie that Armado hight, For interim to our studies shall relate, In high-borne words the worth of many a Knight: From tawnie Spaine lost in the worlds debate.

How you delight my Lords, I know not I, But I protest I loue to heare him lie, And I will vse him for my Minstrelsie

Bero. Armado is a most ill.u.s.trious wight, A man of fire, new words, fashions owne Knight

Lon. Costard the swaine and he, shall be our sport, And so to studie, three yeeres is but short.

Enter a Constable with Costard with a Letter.

Const. Which is the Dukes owne person

Ber. This fellow, What would'st?

Con. I my selfe reprehend his owne person, for I am his graces Tharborough: But I would see his own person in flesh and blood

Ber. This is he

Con. Signeor Arme, Arme commends you: Ther's villanie abroad, this letter will tell you more

Clow. Sir the Contempts thereof are as touching mee

Fer. A letter from the magnificent Armado

Ber. How low soeuer the matter, I hope in G.o.d for high words

Lon. A high hope for a low heauen, G.o.d grant vs patience

Ber. To heare, or forbeare hearing

Lon. To heare meekely sir, and to laugh moderately, or to forbeare both

Ber. Well sir, be it as the stile shall giue vs cause to clime in the merrinesse

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

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

Ber. In what manner?

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

I was seene with her in the Mannor house, sitting with her vpon the Forme, and taken following her into the Parke: which put to gether, is in manner and forme following. Now sir for the manner; It is the manner of a man to speake to a woman, for the forme in some forme

Ber. For the following sir

Clo. As it shall follow in my correction, and G.o.d defend the right

Fer. Will you heare this Letter with attention?

Ber. As we would heare an Oracle

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

Ferdinand. Great Deputie, the Welkins Vicegerent, and sole dominator of Nauar, my soules earths G.o.d, and bodies fostring patrone: Cost. Not a word of Costard yet

Ferd. So it is

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

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

Ferd. No words, Clow. Of other mens secrets I beseech you

Ferd. So it is besieged with sable coloured melancholie, I did commend the blacke oppressing humour to the most wholesome Physicke of thy health-giuing ayre: And as I am a Gentleman, betooke my selfe to walke: the time When? about the sixt houre, When beasts most grase, birds best pecke, and men sit downe to that nourishment which is called supper: So much for the time When. Now for the ground Which? which I meane I walkt vpon, it is ycliped, Thy Parke. Then for the place Where? where I meane I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous euent that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon coloured Inke, which heere thou viewest, beholdest: suruayest, or seest. But to the place Where? It standeth North North-east and by East from the West corner of thy curious knotted garden; There did I see that low spirited Swaine, that base Minow of thy myrth, Clown. Mee?