"Let Fame that all hunt after in their lives, Live registred upon our brazen Tombes, And then grace us, in the disgrace of death: When spight of cormorant devouring time, Th' endevour of this present breath may buy: That honour which shall bate his sythes keene edge, And make us heyres of all eternitie. Therefore brave Conquerours, for so you are, That warre against your own affections, And the huge Armie of the worlds desires. Our late Edict shall strongly stand in force, Navar shall be the wonder of the world. Our Court shall be a little Achademe, Still and contemplative in living Art. You three, Berowne, Doumaine, and Longavill, Have sworne for three yeeres terme, to live with me, My fellow Schollers, and to keepe those statutes That are recorded in this schedule heere. Your oathes are past, and now subscribe your names; That his owne hand may strike his honour downe, That violates the smallest branch heerein: If you are arm'd to doe, as sworne to do, Subscribe to your deepe oathes, and keepe it to." Four young men in the French "Academie" associated together, as in "Love's Labour Lost," to war against their own affections and the whole army of the world's desires. Dumaine, in giving his acquiescence to Ferdinand, ends:-- "To love, to wealth, to pompe, I pine and die With all these living in Philosophie." Philosophie was the subject of study of the four young men to the "Academie." Berowne was a visitor, for he says:-- "I only swore to study with your grace And stay heere in your Court for three yeeres' space." Upon his demurring to subscribe to the oath as drawn, Ferdinand retorts:-- Well, sit you out: go home, Berowne: adue." To which Berowne replies:-- No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you." Achitob was a visitor at the Academie in France. There are other points of resemblance, but sufficient has been said to warrant consideration of the suggestion that the French "Academie" contains the serious studies of the four young men whose experiences form the subject of the play. The parallels between passages in the Shakespeare plays and the French "Academie" are numerous, but they form no part of the present contention. One of these may, however, be mentioned. In the third Tome the following passage occurs[11]:-- Psal. xix.: "It is not without cause that the Prophet said (The heavens declare the glory of God, and the earth sheweth the workes of his handes) For thereby he evidently teacheth, as with the finger even to our eies, the great and admirable providence of God their Creator; even as if the heavens should speake to anyone. In another place it is written (Eccles. xliii.): (This high ornament, this cleere firmament, the beauty of the heaven so glorious to behold, tis a thing full of Majesty)."