But seek the weary beds of people sick. But what to me, my love? but what to me? Dum. Dum. I'll serve thee true and faithfully till then. Long. I'll stay with patience; but the time is long. Ros. Oft have I heard of you, my Lord Biron, 810 815 820 825 830 To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain, 835 And therewithal to win me, if you please, Without the which I am not to be won, You shall this twelvemonth term from day to day 840 To enforce the pained impotent to smile. Biron. To move wild laughter in the throat of death? It cannot be; it is impossible: Mirth cannot move a soul in agony. 845 Ros. Why, that's the way to choke a gibing spirit, Whose influence is begot of that loose grace Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools: Of him that hears it, never in the tongue 850 Of him that makes it: then, if sickly ears, Deaf'd with the clamours of their own dear groans, Will hear your idle scorns, continue then, And I will have you and that fault withal; 855 But if they will not, throw away that spirit, Biron. A twelvemonth! well; befall what will befall, I'll jest a twelvemonth in an hospital. Prin. [To the King] Ay, sweet my Lord; and so I take my leave. King. No, madam; we will bring you on your way. Biron. Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill: these ladies' courtesy Might well have made our sport a comedy. King. Come, sir, it wants a twelvemonth and a day, And then 'twill end. 860 865 I 870 Arm. I will kiss thy royal finger, and take leave. am a votary; I have vowed to Jaquenetta to hold the 852. dear] dere Johnson conj. drear Jackson conj. dire Collier MS. 853. then] them Collier MS. verse with the King and curtsying. 868. not] om. Q2. plough for her sweet love three years. But, most esteemed King. Call them forth quickly; we will do so. Re-enter HOLOFERNES, NATHANIEL, MOTH, COSTARD, and others. This side is Hiems, Winter, this Ver, the Spring; the one maintained by the owl, the other by the cuckoo. Ver, begin. 875 880 WINTER. When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, 872. years] yeare Q. year Capell. 877. Re-enter...] Enter all. Qq Ff. 882, 883. Theobald. In Ff Qq the order is 883, 882. 883. cuckoo-buds] cowslip-buds Farmer conj. crocus-buds Whalley conj. 884. with delight] much-bedight Warburton. 900 And Marian's nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Tu-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. Arm. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. You that way,-we this way. [Exeunt. The words...Apollo] In Q, printed in larger type. om. Qr. 915 NOTES. NOTE I. DRAMATIS PERSONE. Biron is spelt 'Berowne,' Longaville 'Longavill,' in Q, F. Q2; Mercade Marcade,' in Qq Ff. Armado is written sometimes 'Armatho.' Mr Grant White suggests that Moth should be written Mote,' as it was clearly so pronounced. See note (VI). 'Boyet' is made to rhyme with 'debt' in v. 2. 334; Longaville' with 'ill' in IV. 3. 119, and with 'mile' in V. 2. 53; Rosaline' with 'thine,' IV. 3. 217. Costard, in the old stage directions, is called 'Clown.' NOTE II. Mason says, 'I believe the title of this play should be 'Love's Labours Lost,' but it is clear, from the form in which it is written in the running title of Qq F, F2 'Loves Labour's Lost,' that the full name was intended to be 'Love's Labour is Lost.' On the title pages however of Q, and Q2 it is written respectively 'Loues labors lost,' and 'Loues Labours lost.' It is called by Meres (1598) 'Love Labour Lost,' and by Tofte 'Love's Labour Lost,' which is in favour of the ordinary spelling. NOTE III. As the scene through the play is in the King of Navarre's park, and as it is perfectly obvious when the action is near the palace and when near the tents of the French princess, we have not thought it necessary to specify the several changes. |