Comedy plays; Courts and courtiers -- Drama; Navarre (Kingdom) -- Drama; Princesses -- Drama
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,
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.
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, 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.
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.
[_Exeunt the King, Longaville and Dumaine._]
BEROWNE.
Lady, I will commend you to mine own heart.
ROSALINE.
Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it.
BEROWNE.
I would you heard it groan.
ROSALINE.
Is the fool sick?
BEROWNE.
Sick at the heart.
ROSALINE.
Alack, let it blood.
BEROWNE.
Would that do it good?
ROSALINE.
My physic says “ay”.
BEROWNE.
Will you prick’t with your eye?
ROSALINE.
_Non point_, with my knife.
BEROWNE.
Now, God save thy life.
ROSALINE.
And yours from long living.
BEROWNE.
I cannot stay thanksgiving.
[_He exits._]
Enter Dumaine.
DUMAINE.
Sir, I pray you, a word. What lady is that same?
BOYET.
The heir of Alençon, Katharine her name.
DUMAINE.
A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well.
[_He exits._]
Enter Longaville.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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