Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming, And suddenly resolve me in my suit. FERDINAND Madam, I will, if suddenly I may. PRINCESS You will the sooner, that I were away;For you'll prove perjured if you make me stay. BIRON Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? ROSALINE Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? BIRON I know you did. ROSALINE How needless was it then to ask the question! BIRON You must not be so quick. ROSALINE 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with such questions. BIRON Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire. ROSALINE Not till it leave the rider in the mire. BIRON What time o' day? ROSALINE The hour that fools should ask. BIRON Now fair befall your mask! ROSALINE Fair fall the face it covers! BIRON And send you many lovers! ROSALINE Amen, so you be none. BIRON Nay, then will I be gone. FERDINAND Madam, your father here doth intimate The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;Being but the one half of an entire sum Disbursed by my father in his wars.
But say that he or we, as neither have, Received that sum, yet there remains unpaid A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which, One part of Aquitaine is bound to us, Although not valued to the money's worth.
If then the king your father will restore But that one half which is unsatisfied, We will give up our right in Aquitaine, And hold fair friendship with his majesty.
But that, it seems, he little purposeth, For here he doth demand to have repaid A hundred thousand crowns; and not demands, On payment of a hundred thousand crowns, To have his title live in Aquitaine;Which we much rather had depart withal And have the money by our father lent Than Aquitaine so gelded as it is.
Dear Princess, were not his requests so far From reason's yielding, your fair self should make A yielding 'gainst some reason in my breast And go well satisfied to France again. PRINCESS You do the king my father too much wrong And wrong the reputation of your name, In so unseeming to confess receipt Of that which hath so faithfully been paid. FERDINAND I do protest I never heard of it;And if you prove it, I'll repay it back Or yield up Aquitaine. PRINCESS We arrest your word.
Boyet, you can produce acquittances For such a sum from special officers Of Charles his father. FERDINAND Satisfy me so. BOYET So please your grace, the packet is not come Where that and other specialties are bound:
To-morrow you shall have a sight of them. FERDINAND It shall suffice me: at which interview All liberal reason I will yield unto.
Meantime receive such welcome at my hand As honour without breach of honour may Make tender of to thy true worthiness:
You may not come, fair princess, in my gates;But here without you shall be so received As you shall deem yourself lodged in my heart, Though so denied fair harbour in my house.
Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewell:
To-morrow shall we visit you again. PRINCESS Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace! FERDINAND Thy own wish wish I thee in every place!
Exit BIRON Lady, I will commend you to mine own heart. ROSALINE Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it. BIRON I would you heard it groan. ROSALINE Is the fool sick? BIRON Sick at the heart. ROSALINE Alack, let it blood. BIRON Would that do it good? ROSALINE My physic says 'ay.' BIRON Will you prick't with your eye? ROSALINE No point, with my knife. BIRON Now, God save thy life! ROSALINE And yours from long living! BIRON I cannot stay thanksgiving.
Retiring DUMAIN Sir, I pray you, a word: what lady is that same? BOYET The heir of Alencon, Katharine her name. DUMAIN A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well.
Exit LONGAVILLE I beseech you a word: what is she in the white? BOYET A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light. LONGAVILLE Perchance light in the light. I desire her name. BOYET She hath but one for herself; to desire that were a shame. LONGAVILLE Pray you, sir, whose daughter? BOYET Her mother's, I have heard. LONGAVILLE God's blessing on your beard! BOYET Good sir, be not offended.
She is an heir of Falconbridge. LONGAVILLE Nay, my choler is ended.
She is a most sweet lady. BOYET Not unlike, sir, that may be.
Exit LONGAVILLE BIRON What's her name in the cap? BOYET Rosaline, by good hap. BIRON Is she wedded or no? BOYET To her will, sir, or so. BIRON You are welcome, sir: adieu. BOYET Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you.
Exit BIRON MARIA That last is Biron, the merry madcap lord:
Not a word with him but a jest. BOYET And every jest but a word. PRINCESS It was well done of you to take him at his word. BOYET I was as willing to grapple as he was to board. MARIA Two hot sheeps, marry. BOYET And wherefore not ships?
No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips. MARIA You sheep, and I pasture: shall that finish the jest? BOYET So you grant pasture for me.
Offering to kiss her MARIA Not so, gentle beast:
My lips are no common, though several they be. BOYET Belonging to whom? MARIA To my fortunes and me. PRINCESS Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles, agree:
This civil war of wits were much better used On Navarre and his book-men; for here 'tis abused. BOYET If my observation, which very seldom lies, By the heart's still rhetoric disclosed with eyes, Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected. PRINCESS With what? BOYET With that which we lovers entitle affected. PRINCESS Your reason? BOYET Why, all his behaviors did make their retire To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire:
His heart, like an agate, with your print impress'd, Proud with his form, in his eye pride express'd:
His tongue, all impatient to speak and not see, Did stumble with haste in his eyesight to be;All senses to that sense did make their repair, To feel only looking on fairest of fair:
Methought all his senses were lock'd in his eye, As jewels in crystal for some prince to buy;Who, tendering their own worth from where they were glass'd, Did point you to buy them, along as you pass'd:
His face's own margent did quote such amazes That all eyes saw his eyes enchanted with gazes.
I'll give you Aquitaine and all that is his, An you give him for my sake but one loving kiss. PRINCESS Come to our pavilion: Boyet is disposed. BOYET But to speak that in words which his eye hath disclosed.
I only have made a mouth of his eye, By adding a tongue which I know will not lie. ROSALINE Thou art an old love-monger and speakest skilfully. MARIA He is Cupid's grandfather and learns news of him. ROSALINE Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim. BOYET Do you hear, my mad wenches? MARIA No. BOYET What then, do you see? ROSALINE Ay, our way to be gone. BOYET You are too hard for me.
Exeunt LOVE'S LABOURS LOST
