Page:Love's Labour's Lost (1925) Yale.djvu/65

Love's Labour's Lost, IV. iii

Vows for thee broke deserve not punishment.

A woman I forswore; but I will prove,

Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee:

My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love;

Thy grace, being gain'd, cures all disgrace in me.

Vows are but breath, and breath a vapour is:

Then thou, fair sun, which on my earth dost shine,

Exhal'st this vapour-vow; in thee it is:

If broken, then, it is no fault of mine:

If by me broke, what fool is not so wise

To lose an oath to win a paradise!'

Ber. This is the liver-vein, which makes flesh a deity,

A green goose a goddess; pure, pure idolatry.

God amend us, God amend! we are much out o' the way.

Long. By whom shall I send this?—Company! stay.

[Steps aside.]

Ber. All hid, all hid; an old infant play.

Like a demi-god here sit I in the sky,

And wretched fools' secrets heedfully o'er-eye.

More sacks to the mill! O heavens! I have my wish.

Dumaine transform'd: four woodcocks in a dish!

Dum. O most divine Kate!

Ber. O most profane coxcomb!

Dum. By heaven, the wonder of a mortal eye!

Ber. By earth, she is not, corporal; there you lie.

Dum. Her amber hairs for foul have amber quoted.

Ber. An amber-colour'd raven was well noted.

 74 liver-vein: i.e. style of a man in love (the liver being the supposed seat of the affections)

78 All hid: i.e. as in the game of hide and seek

82 woodcocks: proverbially silly birds

87 quoted: set down, regarded

