Page:Love's Labour's Lost (1925) Yale.djvu/50

38

O heresy in fair, fit for these days!

A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise.

But come, the bow: now mercy goes to kill,

And shooting well is then accounted ill.

Thus will I save my credit in the shoot:

Not wounding, pity would not let me do 't;

If wounding, then it was to show my skill,

That more for praise than purpose meant to kill.

And out of question so it is sometimes,

Glory grows guilty of detested crimes,

When, for fame's sake, for praise, an outward part,

We bend to that the working of the heart;

As I for praise alone now seek to spill

The poor deer's blood, that my heart means no ill.

Boyet. Do not curst wives hold that self-sovereignty

Only for praise' sake, when they strive to be

Lords o'er their lords?

Prin. Only for praise; and praise we may afford

To any lady that subdues a lord.

Boyet. Here comes a member of the commonwealth.

Cost. God dig-you-den all! Pray you, which

is the head lady?

Prin. Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the

rest that have no heads.

Cost. Which is the greatest lady, the highest?

Prin. The thickest, and the tallest.

Cost. The thickest, and the tallest: it is so; truth is truth,

 22 heresy; cf. n.

23 giving: generous

30 out of question: undoubtedly

32 outward part: extraneous quality

36 curst: shrewish

41 commonwealth: i.e. common people

42 dig-you-den: give you good evening

48 The thickest, etc.; cf. n.

