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With men like men, of strange inconstancy.

When shall you see me write a thing in rhime?
Or groan for Joan? or spend a minute's time
In pruning me? When shall you hear, that I
Will praise a hand, a foot, a face, an eye,
A gait, a state, a brow, a breast, a waist,
A leg, a limb?—

King. Soft; whither away so fast?

A true man, or a thief, that gallops so?
Biron. I post from love; good lover, let me go.

Enter JAQUENETTA, and COSTARD.

Jaq. God bless the king!

King. What present hast thou there?

Cost. Some certain treason.

King. What makes treason here?
Cost. Nay, it makes nothing, sir.
King. If it mar nothing neither,

510

590

The treason, and you, go in peace away together. Jaq. I beseech your grace, let this letter be read Our parson misdoubts it; it was treason, he said. King. Biron read it over.

Where hadst thou it?

Jaq. Of Costard.

King. Where hadst thou it?

[He reads the Letter.

539

Cost. Of Dun Adramadio, Dun Adramadio.

King. How now! what is in you? why dost thou

tear it?

Biron. A toy, my liege, a toy; your grace needs

not fear it.

Fij

Long.

Long. It did move him to passion, and therefore

let's hear it.

Dum. It is Biron's writing, and here is his name.

Biron. Ah, you whoreson loggerhead, you were born to do me shame.

[To COST.

Guilty my lord, guilty; I confess, I confess.

King. What?

540

Biron. That you three fools lack'd me fool to make

up the mess.

He, he, and you, and you, my liege, and I,

Are pick-purses in love, and we deserve to die.
O, dismiss this audience, and I shall tell you more.
Dum. Now the number is even.

Biron. True true; we are four :

Will these turtles be gone?

King. Hence, sirs; away.

Cost. Walk aside the true folk, and let the traitors

stay.

[Exeunt COSTARD, and JAQ. Biron. Sweet lords, sweet lovers, O let us embrace !

As true we are, as flesh and blood can be: 551 The sea will ebb and flow, heaven will shew his face Young blood doth not obey an old decree: We cannot cross the cause why we were born; Therefore, of all hands must we be forsworn.

King. What, did these rent lines shew some love of thine ?

Biron. Did they, quoth you? Who sees the heavenly Rosaline,

That, like a rude and savage man of Inde,

At the first opening of the gorgeous east,

Bows

Bows not his vassal head; and, strucken blind, 569

Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?

What peremptory eagle-sighted eye

Dares look upon the heaven of her brow,

That is not blinded by her majesty ?

King. What zeal, what fury hath inspir'd thee

now?

My love, her mistress, is a gracious moon;
She, an attending star, scarce seen a light.
Biron. My eyes are then no eyes, nor I Biron :
O, but for my love, day would turn to night!
Of all complexions the cull'd sovereignty

Do meet, as at a fair, in her fair cheek;
Where several worthies make one dignity;

570

Where nothing wants, that want itself doth seek. Lend me the flourish of all gentle tongues

Fye, painted rhetorick! O, she needs it not : To things of sale a seller's praise belongs;

She passes praise; then praise too short doth
blot.

A wither'd hermit, fivescore winters worn,
Might shake off fifty, looking in her eye:
Beauty doth varnish age, as if new born,

And gives the crutch the cradle's infancy.
O, 'tis the sun, that maketh all things shine!
King. By heaven, thy love is black as ebony.
Biron. Is ebony like her? O wood divine!

A wife of such wood were felicity.

O, who can give an oath? where is a book?
That I may swear, beauty doth beauty lack,

Fiij

580

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If that she learn not of her eye to look?

No face is fair, that is not full so black.

King. O paradox! Black is the badge of hell, 590 The hue of dungeons, and the scowl of night; And beauty's crest becomes the heavens well. Biron. Devils soonest tempt, resembling spirits of light.

O, if in black my lady's brow be deckt,

It mourns, that painting, and usurping hair, Should ravish doters with a false aspect;

And therefore is she born to make black fair. Her favour turns the fashion of the days;

600

For native blood is counted painting now: And therefore red, that would avoid dispraise, Paints itself black, to imitate her brow. Dum. To look like her, are chimney-sweepers

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Long. And, since her time, are colliers counted bright.

King. And Ethiops of their sweet complexion

crack.

Dum. Dark needs no candles now, for dark is

light.

Biron. Your mistresses dare never come in rain,

For fear their colours should be wash'd away. King. 'Twere good, yours did; for, sir, to tell you plain,

I'll find a fairer face not wash'd to-day.

Biron. I'll prove her fair, or talk till dooms-day

here.

610

King. No devil will fright thee then so much as

.she.

Dum. I never knew man hold vile stuff so dear. Long. Look, here's thy love; my foot and her face [Shewing his Shoe.

see.

Biron. O, if the streets were paved with thine

eyes,

Her feet were too much dainty for such tread! Dum. O vile! then as she goes, what upward lies The street should see as she walk'd over head. King. But what of this? Are we not all in love? Biroh. Nothing so sure; and thereby all forsworn. King. Then leave this chat; and, good Biron, now

prove

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Our loving lawful, and our faith not torn.

620

Dum. Ay, marry, there;-some flattery for this

evil.

Long. O, some authority how to proceed;

Some tricks, some quillets, how to cheat the devil. Dum. Some salve for perjury.

Biron. O, 'tis more than need !—

Have at you then, affection's men at arms:
Consider, what you first did swear unto;-
To fast,-to study, and to see no woman;-
Flat treason 'gainst the kingly state of youth.
Say, can you fast? your stomachs are too young;
And abstinence engenders maladies.

630

And where that you have vow'd to study, lords,
In that each of you hath forsworn his book:
Can you still dream, and pore, and thereon look ?

For

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