That honour, which shall bate his scythe's keen edge, Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names; Biron. I can but say their protestation over, Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there : King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from com mon sense? King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense. To know the thing I am forbid to know : Study knows that, which yet it doth not know: King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book, To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile: By fixing it upon a fairer eye; That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights, Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. Too much to know, is, to know nought but fame; And every godfather can give a name. King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Fit in his place and time. Dum. In reason nothing. Biron. Something then in rhyme. That bites the first-born infants of the spring. boast, Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I joy in an abortive birth? Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. King. Well, sit you out: go home, Biron; adieu ! Biron. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you: And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Give me the paper, let me read the same ; shame! from S Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come with in a mile of my court. And hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.]-On pain of losing her tongue. Who devis'd this? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise.This article, my liege, yourself must break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak,A maid of grace, and complete majesty,About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. Biron. So study evermore is overshot ; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it should : And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; so won, so lost. King. We must, of force, dispense with this decree; She must lie here on mere necessity. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space; For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace : If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, |