Imatges de pàgina
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For by this ring the Doctor lay with me.

Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano, For that fame fcrubbed boy, the Doctor's clerk, In lieu of this, laft night did lie with me.

Gra. Why, this is like the mending of high-ways In fummer, where the ways are fair enough: What are we cuckolds ere we have deferv'd it? Por. Speak not fo grofsly; you are all amaz'd: Here is a letter, read it at your leifure;

It comes from Padua, from Bellario:

There you fhall find, that Portia was the Doctor;
Neriffa, there, her clerk. Lorenzo, here,
Shall witnefs I fet forth as foon as you,
And even but now return'd: I have not yet
Enter'd my houfe. Anthonio, you are welcome;
And I have better news in ftore for you,
Than you expect: unfeal this letter foon;
There you fhall find, three of your Argolies
Are richly come to harbour fuddenly.

You fhall not know by what strange accident
I chanced on this letter.

Ant. I am dumb.

Baf. Were you the Docter, and I knew you not? Gra. Were you the clerk that is to make me cuc

kold?

Ner. Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man.

Baff. Sweet Doctor, you fhall be my bedfellow; When I am abfent, then lie with my wife.

Ant. Sweet Lady, you have giv'n me life and living; For here I read for certain, that my fhips

Are fafely come to road.

Por. How now, Lorenzo?

My clerk hath fome good comforts too for you.
Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.
There do I give to you and Jeffica,

From the rich Jew, a fpecial deed of gift,
After his death, of all he dies poffefs'd of.

Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way
Of starved people.

Por. It is almost morning,

And yet I'm fure you are not fatisfy'd

of

Of thefe events at full. Let us go in,
And charge us there upon interr'gatories,
And we will anfwer all things faithfully.

Gra. Let it be fo. The firft interr'gatory, That my Neriffa fhall be fworn on, is, Whether till the next night she had rather stay, Or go to bed now, being two hours to day? But were the day come, I fhould wish it dark, Till I were couching with the Doctor's clerk. Well, while I live, I'll fear no other thing So fore, as keeping safe Neriffa's ring. [Exeunt omnes.

LOVE'S

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST*.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

FERDINAND, King of Na-|| Holofernes, a fchoolmaster.

varre.

Biron,

three Lords at- ||

Longaville,
Dumain,

Boyet,

Coftard, a clown.
Moth, page to Don Adria-
no de Armado.

Princess of France..

tending upon the King in his A Forefer, retirement. Lords attending || Rofaline, upon the Prin- || Maria, Macard, cefs of France. Don Adriana de Armada, a fantastical Spaniard. Nathaniel, a curate. Dull, a conftable.

Ladies attend-
ing on the Prin-

Catharine, cefs.
Jaquenetta, a country wench.
Officers, and others, attend-
ants upon the King and
Princefs

SCENE, the King of Navarre's palace, and the coun-

A C T I.

try near it.

SCENE I.

The palace.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain,

King.

L

ET fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live regiftred upon our brazen tombs +;
When, fpight of cormorant devouring
time,

Th' endeavour of this prefent breath may buy
That honour which fhall 'bate his scythe's keen edge,
And make us heirs of all eternity.

Therefore, brave conquerors! for fo you are,

That war against your own affections,

In this play are to be perceived fveral ftrokes of Shakespear's pen, but the whole ought by no means to pafs for the work of it.

+

bazen tombs;

And then grace us in the difgrace of death;

When, fpight of, &c.

And

And the huge army of the world's defires;
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force.
Navarre fhall be the wonder of the world;
Our court fhall be a little academy,
Still and contemplative in living arts.
You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville,
Have fworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow-fcholars; and to keep those statutes,
That are recorded in this schedule here.

Your oaths are pafs'd, and now fubfcribe your names :
That his own hand may ftrike his honour down,
That violates the smallest branch herein :
If you are arm'd to do as fworn to do,

Subfcribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too.
Long. I am refolv'd; 'tis but a three years's fast:
The mind fhall banquet tho' the body pine;.
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.

Dum. My loving Lord, Dumain is mortify'd:
The groffer manner of these world's delights
He throws upon the grofs world's bafer flaves :
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philofophy.

Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over.
So much (dear Liege) I have already sworn,
That is, to live and ftudy here three years.
But there are other ftrict obfervances:
As, not to fee a woman in that term;
Which I hope well is not inrolled there:
And one day in a week to touch no food,
And but one meal on every day beside;
The which I hope is not inrolled there:
And then to fleep but three hours in the night,
And not be feen 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);
Which I hope well is not inrolled there.
O, thefe are barren tasks, too hard to keep;
Not to fee ladies, ftudy, faft, not sleep.

King. Your oath is pafs'd to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me fay, No, my Liege, an' if you please;
I only

I only fwore to ftudy with your Grace,
And stay here in your court for three years' space.
Long. You fwore to that, Biron, and to the rest.
Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I fwore in jeft.
What is the end of study? let me know.

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

Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common fenfe.

King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence.
Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to study so,
To know the thing I am forbid to know;
As thus; to study where I well may dine,
When I to feaft exprefsly am forbid;
Or ftudy where to meet fome mistress fine,
When miftreffes from common fenfe are hid;
Or, having fworn too hard a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If ftudy's gain be this, and this be fo,

Study knows that which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er fay, No.

King. Thefe be the ftops that hinder ftudy quite, And train our intellects to vain delight.

}

Biron. 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 feek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falfely blind the eye-fight of his look:

Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile; So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by lofing of your eyes. Study me how to pleafe the eye indeed, By fixing it upon a fairer eye;

Who dazzling fo, that eye fhall be his heed,

And give him light, that it was blinded by.

Study is like the heaven's glorious fun,

That will not be deep-fearch'd with fawcy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save bafe authority from others' books. Thefe earthly godfathers of heaven's lights That give a name to every fixed ftar,

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