Act II
Scene I
The same.
Enter the Princess of France, Rosaline, Maria, Katharine, Boyet, Lords, and other Attendants. | |
Boyet |
Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits:
|
Princess |
Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
|
Boyet |
Proud of employment, willingly I go. |
Princess |
All pride is willing pride, and yours is so. Exit Boyet.
|
First Lord |
Lord Longaville is one. |
Princess |
Know you the man? |
Maria |
I know him, madam: at a marriage-feast,
|
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.
|
Katharine |
The young Dumain, a well-accomplished youth,
|
Rosaline |
Another of these students at that time
|
Princess |
God bless my ladies! are they all in love,
|
First Lord |
Here comes Boyet. |
Re-enter Boyet. | |
Princess |
Now, what admittance, lord? |
Boyet |
Navarre had notice of your fair approach;
|
Enter King, Longaville, Dumain, Biron, and Attendants. | |
King |
Fair princess, welcome to the court of Navarre. |
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. |
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. |
King |
Your ladyship is ignorant what it is. |
Princess |
Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,
|
King |
Madam, I will, if suddenly I may. |
Princess |
You will the sooner, that I were away;
|
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. |
King |
Madam, your father here doth intimate
|
Princess |
You do the king my father too much wrong
|
King |
I do protest I never heard of it;
|
Princess |
We arrest your word.
|
King |
Satisfy me so. |
Boyet |
So please your grace, the packet is not come
|
King |
It shall suffice me: at which interview
|
Princess |
Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace! |
King |
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 Alençon, 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.
|
Longaville |
Nay, my choler is ended.
|
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:
|
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?
|
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:
|
Boyet | Belonging to whom? |
Maria |
To my fortunes and me. |
Princess |
Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles, agree:
|
Boyet |
If my observation, which very seldom lies,
|
Princess | With what? |
Boyet |
With that which we lovers entitle affected. |
Princess | Your reason? |
Boyet |
Why, all his behaviours did make their retire
|
Princess |
Come to our pavilion: Boyet is disposed. |
Boyet |
But to speak that in words which his eye hath disclosed.
|
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. |