The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
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reason for it. He surely affected her for her wit.
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MOTH It was so, sir, for she had a green wit.
ARMADO My love is most immaculate white and red.
MOTH Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked
under such colours.
ARMADO Define, define, well-educated infant.
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MOTH My father’s wit and my mother’s tongue assist me!
ARMADO Sweet invocation of a child, most pretty and
pathetical!
MOTH If she be made of white and red,
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Her faults will ne’er be known,
For blushing cheeks by faults are bred,
And fears by pale white shown.
Then if she fear or be to blame,
By this you shall not know,
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For still her cheeks possess the same
Which native she doth owe.
A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of
white and red.
ARMADO Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the
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Beggar?
MOTH The world was very guilty of such a ballad some
three ages since, but I think now ’tis not to be found,
or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing nor
the tune.
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ARMADO I will have that subject newly writ o’er, that I
may example my digression by some mighty precedent.
Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the park
with the rational hind Costard. She deserves well.
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MOTH [aside] To be whipped: and yet a better love than
my master.
ARMADO Sing, boy. My spirit grows heavy in love.
MOTH [aside] And that’s great marvel, loving a light
wench.
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ARMADO I say sing.
MOTH Forbear till this company be passed.
Enter COSTARD, the Clown, DULL, the Constable, and JAQUENETTA, a wench.
DULL Sir, the Duke’s pleasure is that you keep Costard
safe; and you must suffer him to take no delight, nor
no penance, but ’a must fast three days a week. For
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this damsel, I must keep her at the park: she is allowed
for the dey-woman. Fare you well.
ARMADO [aside] I do betray myself with blushing. –
Maid –
JAQUENETTA Man.
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ARMADO I will visit thee at the lodge.
JAQUENETTA That’s hereby.
ARMADO I know where it is situate.
JAQUENETTA Lord, how wise you are!
ARMADO I will tell thee wonders.
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JAQUENETTA With that face?
ARMADO I love thee.
JAQUENETTA So I heard you say.
ARMADO And so farewell.
JAQUENETTA Fair weather after you.
DULL Come, Jaquenetta, away.
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Exeunt Dull and Jaquenetta.
ARMADO Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere
thou be pardoned.
COSTARD Well, sir, I hope when I do it I shall do it on a
full stomach.
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ARMADO Thou shalt be heavily punished.
COSTARD I am more bound to you than your fellows, for
they are but lightly rewarded.
ARMADO Take away this villain. Shut him up.
MOTH Come, you transgressing slave, away!
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COSTARD Let me not be pent up, sir, I will fast being
loose.
MOTH No, sir, that were fast and loose. Thou shalt to prison.
COSTARD Well, if ever I do see the merry days of
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desolation that I have seen, some shall see –
MOTH What shall some see?
COSTARD Nay, nothing, Master Moth, but what they
look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too silent in
their words and therefore I will say nothing. I thank
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God I have as little patience as another man and
therefore Ican be quiet. Exeunt Moth and Costard.
ARMADO I do affect the very ground, which is base,
where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot,
which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, which
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is a great argument of falsehood, if I love. And how
can that be true love which is falsely attempted? Love
is a familiar; Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but
Love. Yet was Samson so tempted, and he had an
excellent strength. Yet was Solomon so seduced, and
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he had a very good wit. Cupid’s butt-shaft is too hard
for Hercules’ club, and therefore too much odds for a
Spaniard’s rapier. The first and second cause will not
serve my turn. The passado he respects not; the duello
he regards not. His disgrace is to be called boy, but his
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glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour; rust, rapier; be
still, drum, for your manager is in love. Yea, he loveth.
Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme, for I am
sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit; write, pen; for I
am for whole volumes in folio. Exit.
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2.1 Enter the PRINCESS of France, with three attending ladies, ROSALINE, MARIA and KATHERINE and three lords
BOYET and two others.
BOYET Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits.
Consider who the King your father sends,
To whom he sends and what’s his embassy:
Yourself, held precious in the world’s esteem,
To parley with the sole inheritor
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Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitaine, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace
As Nature was in making graces dear
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When she did starve the general world beside
And prodigally gave them all to you.
PRINCESS
Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise.
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,
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Not uttered by base sale of chapmen’s tongues.
I am less proud to hear you tell my worth
Than you much willing to be counted wise
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker. Good Boyet,
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You are not ignorant all-telling fame
Doth noise abroad Navarre hath made a vow,
Till painful study shall outwear three years,
No woman may approach his silent court.
Therefore to’s seemeth it a needful course,
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Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthiness, we single you
As our best-moving fair solicitor.
Tell him the daughter of the King of France,
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On serious business craving quick dispatch,
Importunes personal conference with his grace.
Haste, signify so much, while we attend,
Like humble-visaged suitors, his high will.
BOYET Proud of employment, willingly I go.
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PRINCESS All pride is willing pride, and yours is so.
Exit Boyet.
Who are the votaries, my loving lords,
That are vow-fellows with this virtuous Duke?
LORD Longaville
is one.
PRINCESS Know you the man?
MARIA I know him, madam. At a marriage feast
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Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jaques Falconbridge, solemnized
In Normandy, saw I this Longaville.
A man of sovereign parts, he is esteemed,
Well fitted in arts, glorious in arms.
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Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.
The only soil of his fair virtue’s gloss –
If virtue’s gloss will stain with any soil –
Is a sharp wit matched with too blunt a will,
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
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It should none spare that come within his power.
PRINCESS Some merry mocking lord belike: is’t so?
MARIA They say so most that most his humours know.
PRINCESS
Such short-lived wits do wither as they grow.
Who are the rest?
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KATHERINE
The young Dumaine, a well-accomplished youth,
Of all that virtue love for virtue loved;
Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill,
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace, though he had no wit.
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I saw him at the Duke Alençon’s once;
And much too little of that good I saw
Is my report to his great worthiness.
ROSALINE Another of these students at that time
Was there with him, if I have heard a truth.
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Berowne they call him, but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour’s talk withal.
His eye begets occasion for his wit,
For every object that the one doth catch
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The other turns to a mirth-moving jest,
Which his fair tongue, conceit’s expositor,
Delivers in such apt and gracious words
That aged ears play truant at his tales
And younger hearings are quite ravished,
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So sweet and voluble is his discourse.
PRINCESS God bless my ladies! Are they all in love,
That every one her own hath garnished
With such bedecking ornaments of praise?
LORD Here comes Boyet.
Enter BOYET.
PRINCESS Now, what admittance, lord?
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BOYET Navarre had notice of your fair approach,
And he and his competitors in oath
Were all addressed to meet you, gentle lady,
Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learned:
He rather means to lodge you in the field,
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Like one that comes here to besiege his court,
Than seek a dispensation for his oath,
To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Enter the KING of Navarre, BEROWNE, LONGAVILLE and DUMAINE and attendants.
Here comes Navarre.
KING Fair Princess, welcome to the court of Navarre.
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PRINCESS ‘Fair’ I give you back again, and ‘welcome’ I
have not yet. The roof of this court is too high to be
yours, and welcome to the wide fields too base to be
mine.
KING You shall be welcome, madam, to my court.
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PRINCESS I will be welcome then. Conduct me thither.
KING Hear me, dear lady: I have sworn an oath.
PRINCESS Our Lady help my lord! He’ll be forsworn.
KING Not for the world, fair madam, by my will.
PRINCESS
Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing else.
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KING Your ladyship is ignorant what it is.
PRINCESS Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.
I hear your grace hath sworn out housekeeping.
’Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,
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And sin to break it.
But pardon me, I am too sudden bold;
To teach a teacher ill beseemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming
And suddenly resolve me in my suit.
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[Gives the King a paper.]
KING 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.
[The King reads.]
BEROWNE [to Rosaline]
Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
ROSALINE Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
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BEROWNE I know you did.
ROSALINE How needless was it then