Imatges de pàgina
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[DRAMATIS PERSONE.

FERDINAND, King of Navarre

BEROWNE,

LONGAVILLE,

DUMAINE,

BOYET,

MARCADE,

}

}

three Lords attending upon the King in his retirement

Lords attending upon the Princess of
France

DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO, a fantastical Spaniard

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JAQUENETTA, a country Wench

Officers and Other Attendants upon the King and

Princess

SCENE: Navarre]

Dramatis Personæ; cf. n.

Love's Labour's Lost

ACT FIRST

Scene One

[The King of Navarre's Park]

Enter Ferdinand King of Navarre, Berowne,
Longaville, and Dumaine.

King. Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Live register'd upon our brazen tombs,

And then grace us in the disgrace of death;

When, spite of cormorant devouring Time,
Th' endeavour of this present breath may buy
That honour which shall bate his scythe's keen edge,
And make us heirs of all eternity.

Therefore, brave conquerors, for so you are,
That war against your own affections
And the huge army of the world's desires,-
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force:
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world;
Our court shall be a little academe,

Still and contemplative in living art.

12

You three, Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me, 16
My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes
That are recorded in this schedule here:

Your oaths are pass'd; and now subscribe your names,
That his own hand may strike his honour down

That violates the smallest branch herein.

Love's Labour's Lost; cf. n.

6 bate: blunt
12 Navarre; cf. n.
14 living art: the art of living; cf. n.

20

4 cormorant: ravenous 13 academe: academy 19 subscribe: sign

If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do,

Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep it too.
Long. I am resolv'd; 'tis but a three years' fast: 24
The mind shall banquet, though the body pine:
Fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits.
Dum. My loving lord, Dumaine is mortified:
The grosser manner of these world's delights
He throws upon the gross world's baser slaves:
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philosophy.

Ber. I can but say their protestation over;
So much, dear liege, I have already sworn,
That is, to live and study here three years.
But there are other strict observances;
As, not to see a woman in that term,
Which I hope well is not enrolled there:
And one day in a week to touch no food,
And but one meal on every day beside;

28

12242

32

36

40

The which I hope is not enrolled there:

And then, to sleep but three hours in the night,

And not be seen to wink of all the day,—

When I was wont to think no harm all night
And make a dark night too of half the day,-

44

Which I hope well is not enrolled there.
O! these are barren tasks, too hard to keep,

Not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep.

48

King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. Ber. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please.

I only swore to study with your Grace,

22 arm'd: ready

27 wits: faculties of the mind

26 pates: heads

28 mortified: dead so far as pleasures and passions are concerned

32 all these: i.e. love, wealth, pomp 43 wink of: close the eyes during

47 barren: fruitless, futile

38 there: i.e. in the schedule

50 an if: if

And stay here in your court for three years' space. 52 Long. You swore to that, Berowne, and to the rest. Ber. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest. What is the end of study? let me know.

King. Why, that to know which else we should not know.

56

Ber. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense?

King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense.

Ber. Come on then; I will swear to study so,
To know the thing I am forbid to know;
As thus: to study where I well may dine,
When I to feast expressly am forbid;
Or study where to meet some mistress fine,

When mistresses from common sense are hid;
Or, having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If study's gain be thus, and this be so,
Study knows that which yet it doth not know.
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er say no.

King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight.

60

64

68

Ber. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain

Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain:
As, painfully to pore upon a book,

To seek the light of truth; while truth the while
Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look:

Light seeking light doth light of light beguile: So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.

72

76

54 By yea and nay: i.e. by the most positive oath of affirmation and

denial

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57 common sense: ordinary sight or perception

67, 68 Cf. n.

77 beguile: deprive

73 Cf. n. 79 light: i.e. sight

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