LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. ACT I. SCENE I. Navarre. A Park with a Palace in it. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. King. LET fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, You three, Birón, Dumain, and Longaville, your names; Your oaths are past, and now subscribe If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do, Biron. I can but say their protestation over, l'i. e. with all these companions. He may be supposed to point to the king, Biron, &c. 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 god-like 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. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain: To seek the light of truth: while truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look: 2 Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile : Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, 2 Dishonestly, treacherously. 3 The whole sense of this gingling declamation is only this, that a man by too close study may read himself blind. 4 The meaning is; that when he dazzles, that is, has his eye made weak, by fixing his eye upon a fairer eye, that fairer eye shall be his heed or guide, his lode-star, and give him light that was blinded by it. 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 name3. King. How well he's read, to reason against Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! weeding. grow the Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rhyme. Dum. In reason nothing. Biron. Long. Birón is like an envious sneaping frost, Before the birds have any cause to sing? Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows"; But like of each thing that in season grows. 5 That is, too much knowledge gives no real solution of doubts, but merely fame, or a name, a thing which every godfather can give. ¤ i. e. nipping._ In The Winter's Tale, Act i. Sc. 1. we have sneaping winds. To sneap is also to check, to rebuke. See Note on King Henry IV. Part II. Act ii. Sc. 1. 7 By these shows the poet means May-games, at which a shop I would be very unwelcome and unexpected. It is only a peri phrasis for May. 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, Birón; adieu! And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court.-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 penalty? 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 8. [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, ད་ 8 The word gentility here does not signify that rank of people called gentry; but what the French express by gentilesse, i. e. elegantia, urbanitas. |