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.

Tomorrow 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 not come, fair princess, within 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.

Tomorrow shall we visit you again.

PRINCESS

Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace.

KING

Thy own wish wish I thee in every place.

Exit with Longueville and Dumaine

BIRON (to Rosaline) 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

Non point, with my knife.

BIRON

Now God save thy life.

ROSALINE

And yours, from long living.

BIRON

I cannot stay thanksgiving. Exit

Enter Dumaine

DUMAINE (to Boyet)

Sir, I pray you a word. What lady is that same?

BOYET

The heir of Alençon, Catherine her name.

DUMAINE

A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well. Exit

Enter Longueville

LONGUEVILLE (to Boyet)

I beseech you a word, what is she in the white?

BOYET

A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light.

LONGUEVILLE

Perchance light in the light. I desire her name.

BOYET

She hath but one for herself; to desire that were a shame.

LONGUEVILLE

Pray you, sir, whose daughter?

BOYET

Her mother’s, I have heard.

LONGUEVILLE

God’s blessing on your beard !

BOYET

Good sir, be not offended.

She is an heir of Fauconbridge.

LONGUEVILLE

Nay, my choler is ended.

She is a most sweet lady.

BOYET

Not unlike, sir. That may be.

Exit Longueville

Enter Biron

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

O, 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.

⌈CATHERINE⌉

Two hot sheeps, marry.

BOYET

And wherefore not ships?

No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips.

⌈CATHERINE⌉

You sheep and I pasture—shall that finish the jest?

BOYET

So you grant pasture for me.

⌈CATHERINE⌉

Not so, gentle beast.

My lips are no common, though several they be.

BOYET

Belonging to whom?

⌈CATHERINE⌉

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 bookmen, 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 behaviours did make their retire

To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire.

His heart like an agate with your print impressed,

Proud with his form, in his eye pride expressed.

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 locked in his eye,

As jewels in crystal, for some prince to buy,

Who, tendering their own worth from where they were glassed,

Did point you to buy them along as you passed.

His face’s own margin 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 speak’st skilfully.

⌈MARIA⌉

He is Cupid’s grandfather, and learns news of him.

⌈CATHERINE⌉

Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim.

BOYET

Do you hear, my mad wenches?