What will Berowne say, when that he shall hear
Faith infringed, which such zeal did swear?
How will he scorn! how will he spend his wit!
How will he triumph, leap and laugh at it! 148
For all the wealth that ever I did see,
I would not have him know so much by me.
Ber. Now step I forth to whip hypocrisy.
[Descends from the tree.]
Ah! good my liege, I pray thee, pardon me: 152
Good heart! what grace hast thou, thus to reprove
These worms for loving, that art most in love?
Your eyes do make no coaches; in your tears
There is no certain princess that appears: 156
You'll not be perjur'd, 'tis a hateful thing:
Tush! none but minstrels like of sonneting.
But are you not asham'd! nay, are you not,
All three of you, to be thus much o'ershot? 160
You found his mote; the king your mote did see;
But I a beam do find in each of three.
O what a scene of foolery have I seen,
Of sighs, of groans, of sorrow, and of teen! 164
O me! with what strict patience have I sat,
To see a king transformed to a gnat;
To see great Hercules whipping a gig,
And profound Solomon to tune a jig, 168
And Nestor play at push-pin with the boys,
And critic Timon laugh at idle toys!
Where lies thy grief? O! tell me, good Dumaine.
And, gentle Longaville, where lies thy pain? 172
And where my liege's? all about the breast:
150 by: about
158 like of: like
160 o'ershot: wide of the mark
161 You: i.e. Longaville
his: i.e. Dumaine's
164 teen: grief, pain
166 gnat: a singing insect
167 gig: top
168 tune: play, or hum
169 push-pin: a child's game with pins
170 critic: cynic
toys: trifles
