And never borrow any tear of thee.
Enter a Gardener and two Servants.
But stay, here come the gardeners: 24
Let's step into the shadow of these trees.
My wretchedness unto a row of pins,
They'll talk of state; for every one doth so
Against a change: woe is forerun with woe. 28
[Queen and Ladies retire.]
Gard. Go, bind thou up yon dangling apricocks,
Which, like unruly children, make their sire
Stoop with oppression of their prodigal weight:
Give some supportance to the bending twigs. 32
Go thou, and like an executioner,
Cut off the heads of too fast growing sprays,
That look too lofty in our commonwealth:
All must be even in our government. 36
You thus employ'd, I will go root away
The noisome weeds, that without profit suck
The soil's fertility from wholesome flowers.
First Serv. Why should we in the compass of a pale 40
Keep law and form and due proportion,
Showing, as in a model, our firm estate,
When our sea-walled garden, the whole land,
Is full of weeds, her fairest flowers chok'd up, 44
Her fruit-trees all unprun'd, her hedges ruin'd,
Her knots disorder'd, and her wholesome herbs
Swarming with caterpillars?
Gard. Hold thy peace:
26 unto: staked against
28 Against: in expectation of
forerun: announced as by a harbinger
31 oppression: burden
36 even: uniform
government: domain under our control
40 pale: fence
42 model: plan on a small scale
estate: condition
46 knots: parterres, flower-beds
