company your brother, the bastard, is fled from Record it with your high and worthy deeds; Messina: you have, among your killed a sweet and 'T was bravely done, if you bethink you of it. innocent lady: For my lord Lack-beard there, he Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, and I shall meet; and till then peace be with him. Yet I must speak: Choose your revenge yourself; [Exit Benedick. Impose me to what penance your invention D. Pedro. He is in earnest. Can lay upon my sin; yet sinn'd I not, Claud. In most profound earnest; and I'll war- But in mistaking. rant you for the love of Beatrice.

D. Pedro. And hath challenged thee?
Claud. Most sincerely.

D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he
goes in his doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit!
Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is
an ape a doctor to such a man.

D. Pedro. But, soft you, let me be; pluck up, my
heart, and be sad! Did he not say my brother was
fled?

Enter Dogberry, Verges, and the Watch, with
Conrade and Borachio.

Dogb. Come, you, sir; if justice cannot tame you,
she shall ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance:
nay, an you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must
be looked to.

D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men

bound! Borachio one!

Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord!
D. Pedro. Officers, what offence have these men

done?

D. Pedro.

By my soul, nor I;
And yet, to satisfy this good old man,
I would bend under any heavy weight
That he 'll enjoin me to.

Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live,
That were impossible; but I pray you both,
Possess the people in Messina here
How innocent she died: and, if your love
Can labour aught in sad invention,
Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb..
And sing it to her bones; sing it to-night :-
To-morrow morning come you to my house;
Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daughter,
And since you could not be my son-in-law,
Almost the copy of my child that 's dead,
And she alone is heir to both of us;
And so dies my revenge.
Give her the right you should have given her cousin,
Claud.
O, noble sir,
I do embrace your offer; and dispose
Your over kindness doth wring tears from me!
For henceforth of poor Claudio.

Bora.

Dogb. Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; se-To-night I take my leave.-This naughty man Leon. To-morrow then I will expect your coming; condarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they Shall face to face be brought to Margaret, have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified un- Who, I believe, was pack'd in all this wrong, just things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves. Hir'd to it by your brother. D. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what 's their offence; sixth and lastly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge? Claud. Rightly reasoned, and in his own division: and, by my troth, there's one meaning well suited. D. Pedro. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned constable is too cunning to be understood: What's your offence? Bora. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer; do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms could not discover these shallow fools have brought to light; who, in the night, overheard me confessing to this man, how Don John your brother incensed me to slander the lady Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, and saw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you disgraced her, when you should marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which I had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to my shame: the lady is dead upon mine and my master's false accusation; and, briefly, I desire nothing but the reward of a [your blood? D. Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through Claud. I have drunk poison whiles he uttered it. D. Pedro. But did my brother set thee on to this? Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it. D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treaAnd fled he is upon this villainy. [chery: Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare semblance that I lov'd it first.

villain.

Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this
time our sexton hath reformed signior Leonato of
the matter: And, masters, do not forget to specify,
when time and space shall serve, that I am an ass.
Verg. Here, here comes master signior Leonato,
and the sexton too.

Re-enter Leonato and Antonio, with the Sexton.
Leon. Which is the villain? Let me see his eyes;
That when I note another man like him
I may avoid him: Which of these is he? [me.
Bora. If you would know your wronger, look on
Leon. Art thou-thou-the slave that with thy
breath hast kill'd

Mine innocent child? Bora. Yea, even I alone.
Leon. No, not so, villain; thou beliest thyself;
Here stand a pair of honourable men,

A third is fled, that had a hand in it:

I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death;

Nor knew not what she did, when she spoke to me;
No, by my soul, she was not;
But always hath been just and virtuous,
In anything that I do know by her.
white and black,) this plaintiff here, the offender,
Dogb. Moreover, sir, (which, indeed, is not under
did call me ass: I beseech you let it be remembered
in his punishment: And also, the watch heard them
talk of one Deformed: they say, he wears a key in
his ear, and a lock hanging by it; and borrows
money in God's name; the which he hath used so
hearted, and will lend nothing for God's sake: Pray
long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-
you, examine him upon that point.
Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains.
and reverend youth; and I praise God for you.
Dogb. Your worship speaks like a most thankful
Dogb. God save the foundation!
Leon. There's for thy pains.
Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner, and I
thank thee.
Dogb. I leave an arrant knave with your worship;
which, I beseech your worship, to correct yourself,
for the example of others. God keep your worship:
humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry
I wish your worship well! God restore you to health:
meeting may be wished, God prohibit it.-Come,
neighbour.

I

[Exeunt Dogberry, Verges, and Watch.
Leon. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell.
Ant. Farewell, my lords; we look for you to-morrow.
D. Pedro. We will not fail.
Claud.

To-night I'll mourn with Hero.
Leon. Bring you these fellows on; we 'll talk with
[Exeunt Don Pedro and Claudio.
Margaret,

How her acquaintance grew with this lewd fellow.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Leonato's Garden.
Enter Benedick and Margaret, meeting.
Bene. Pray thee, sweet mistress Margaret, deserve
well at my hands, by helping me to the speech of
Beatrice.
[my beauty?
Marg. Will you then write me a sonnet in praise of
Bene. In so high a style, Margaret, that no man
living shall come over it; for, in most comely truth,
thou deservest it.

Marg. To have no man come over me? why, shall
I always keep below stairs?
[it catches.
Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth,

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO, a| PRINCESS OF FRANCE.
fantastical Spaniard.

Sir NATHANIEL, a curate.
HOLOFERNES, a schoolmaster.
DULL, a constable.

the Princess of COSTARD, a clown.
MOTH, page to Armado.
A Forester.

Our court shall be a little Academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.
You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes,
That are recorded in this schedule here:
Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names;
That his own hand may strike his honour down,
That violates the smallest branch herein:
If you are armed to do, as sworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep oath, and keep it too.
Long. I am resolv'd: 't is but a three years' fast:
The mind shall banquet, though the body pine:
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.
Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified.
The grosser manner of these world's delights
He throws upon the gross world's baser slaves:
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philosophy.

Biron. I can but say their protestation over,
So much, dear liege, I have already sworn,
That is, To live and study here three years.
But there are other strict observances:
As, not to see a woman in that term;
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there:
And, one day in a week to touch no food,
And but one meal on every day beside;
The which, I hope, is not enrolled there:
And then to sleep but three hours in the night,
And not be seen to wink of all the day;
(When I was wont to think no harm all night,
And make a dark night too of half the day ;)
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there:
O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep;
Not to see ladies,-study,-fast,-not sleep.
King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please;
I only swore, to study with your grace,
And stay here in your court for three years' space.
Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest.
Biron. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest.
What is the end of study? let me know.
King. Why, that to know, which else we should

not know.

Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from

common sense?

King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense.
Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so,
To know the thing I am forbid to know:
As thus,-To study where I well may dine,

When I to feast expressly am forbid;
Or, study where to meet some mistress fine,
When mistresses from common sense are hid:
Or, having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If study's gain be thus, and this be so,
Study knows that, which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er say, no.
King. These be the stops that hinder study quite,
And. train our intellects to vain delight. [vain,
Riron. Why, all delights are vain; and that inost
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
Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look:

Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile :
So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.
Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it upon a fairer eye;
Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,
And give him light that it was blinded by.
Study is like the heaven's glorious sun,

That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks;
Small have continual plodders ever won,
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.
[ing!
King. How well he 's read, to reason against read-
Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding!|

Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the
weeding.
[a breeding.
Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are
Dum. How follows that?
Biron.

Dum. In reason nothing.
Biron.

Fit in his place and time.

Something then in rhyme.
King. Biron is like an envious sneaping frost,
That bites the first-born infants of the spring.
Biron. Well say I am; why should proud summer
boast,

Before the birds have any cause to sing?

Why should I join in an abortive birth?
At Christmas I no more desire a rose,

Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows;
But like of each thing that in season grows.

So you, to study now it is too late,

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,
Than for that angel knowledge you can say,
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;
And to the strictest decrees I'll write my name.
King. How well this yielding rescues thee from
shame!

Biron. [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 shall 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,

[forgot.

Or vainly comes the admired princess hither.
King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite
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,
'T is 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'
For every man with his affects is born; [space:
Not by might master'd, but by special grace.
If I break faith, this word shall speak for me,

I am forsworn on mere necessity.-
So to the laws at large I write my name:

[Subscribes.
And he that breaks them in the least degree,
Stands in attainder of eternal shame:
Suggestions are to others, as to me;
But, I believe, although I seem so loth;
I am the last that will last keep his oath.
But is there no quick recreation granted?
King. Ay, that there is; our court, you know, is
With a refined traveller of Spain; [haunted

A man in all the world's new fashion planted,
That hath a mint of phrases in his brain:
One whom the music of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish, like enchanting harmony;

A man of complements, whom right and wrong
Have chose as umpire of their mutiny:
This child of fancy, that Armado hight

For interim to our studies, shall relate,
In high-born words, the worth of many a knight
From tawny Spain, lost in the world's debate.
How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;
But, I protest, I love to hear him lie,
And I will use him for my minstrelsy.
Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight,
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.
Long. Costard, the swain, and he, shall be our sport;
And, so to study, three years is but short.

Enter Dull, with a letter, and Costard.
Dull. Which is the duke's own person?
Biron. This, fellow; What would'st?
Dull. I myself reprehend his own person, for I am
his grace's tharborough: but I would see his own
person in flesh and blood. .Biron. This is he.
Dull. Signior Arme Arme commends you.
There's villainy abroad; this letter will tell you more.
Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me.
King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.
Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God
for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low heaven: God grant
us patience!

Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing?
Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh
ately; or to forbear both.

Dull. Me, an 't shall please you; I am Antony
King.

"For Jaquenetta, (so is the weaker vessel called,
moder-which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain,)I keep
her as a vessel of thy law's fury; and shall, at the least
of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in
of duty,-DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO."
all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat

Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb in the merriness.

Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with

the manner.

Biron. In what manner?

Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is in manner and form following. Now, sir, for the manner, it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman for the form,-in some form.

Biron. For the following, sir?

Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; And God
defend the right!

King. Will you hear this letter with attention?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken

after the flesh. King. [Reads.]

"Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole
dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and
body's fostering patron,-

Cost. Not a word of Costard yet.
King.

"So it is,

Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirral, what say you to this?

Cost. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?
Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little
of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench.

Cost. I was taken with none, sir; I was taken with a damosel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damosel.
Cost. This was no damosel, neither, sir; she was a
virgin.
[virgin.
King. It is so varied too; for it was proclaimed
Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken
with a maid.

King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir.
Cost. This maid will serve my turn, sir.
King. Sir, I will pronounce your sentence; You
shall fast a week with bran and water. [porridge.
Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and
King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.-
My lord Biron, see him deliver'd o'er.-

Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, in And go we, lords, to put in practice, that
telling true, but so.

King. Peace!

Cost.-be to me, and every man that dares not
King. No words!

[fight!

Cost, of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. "So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving air: and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper. So much for the time when: Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon: it is ycleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, 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 swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,

I

Which each to other hath so strongly sworn.

[Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumain. Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and lords will prove an idle scorn.Sirrah, come on.

Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was
taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true
girl; and therefore, Welcome the sour cup of pros-
perity! Affliction may one day smile again, and
until then, Sit down, Sorrow!
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Another part of the same.
Armado's House.

Enter Armado and Moth.
Arm. Boy, what sign is it, when a man of great
spirit grows melancholy?
Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad.
Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same
thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no.

Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melan
choly, my tender juvenal?
Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working.
my tough senior.

H