Loves Labours Lost | Page 9

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;
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?
FIRST LORD. Here comes Boyet.
[Re-enter BOYET.]
PRINCESS. Now, what admittance, lord?
BOYET. Navarre had notice of your fair approach, And he and his
competitors in oath Were all address'd to meet you, gentle lady, Before
I came. Marry, thus much I have learnt; He rather means to lodge you
in the field, Like one that comes here to besiege his court, Than seek a
dispensation for his oath, To let you enter his unpeeled house. Here
comes Navarre.
[The LADIES mask.]
[Enter KING, LONGAVILLE, DUMAINE, BEROWNE, 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, Where now his
knowledge must prove ignorance. I hear your Grace hath sworn out
house-keeping: 'Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord, 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.
[Gives a paper.]
KING. Madam, I will, if suddenly I may.
PRINCESS. You will the sooner that I were away, For you'll prove
perjur'd if you make me stay.
BEROWNE. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
ROSALINE. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
BEROWNE. I know you did.

ROSALINE. How needless was it then To ask the question!
BEROWNE. You must not be so quick.
ROSALINE. 'Tis long of you, that spur me with such questions.
BEROWNE. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire.
ROSALINE. Not till it leave the rider in the mire.
BEROWNE. What time o' day?
ROSALINE. The hour that fools should ask.
BEROWNE. Now fair befall your mask!
ROSALINE. Fair fall the face it covers!
BEROWNE. And send you many lovers!
ROSALINE. Amen, so you be none.
BEROWNE. Nay, then will I be gone.
KING. 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,-- Receiv'd 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.
KING. 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.
KING. 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.
KING. 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