A

PLEASANT

Nauar

Our Ci

Still an

Conceited Comedie

CALLED,

Loues labors loft.

As it vvas presented before her Highnes
this laft Christmas.

Newly corrected and augmented
By W. Shakespere.

[From the Duke of Devonshire's copy of the Quarto.]

[The whole Play is in the King of Nauars Parke.]

Actus Primus.§ Scena Prima.

Enter, FERDINAND, King of Nauar, BEROVVNE, LONGAUILL,
and DUMAINE.

L

Ferdinand.

ET Fame, that all hunt after in their lyues,
Liue registred vpon our brazen Tombes,
And then grace vs, in the disgrace of death;

When, fpight of cormorant deuouring Time,

Thendeuour of this present breath may buy

That honour which shall bate his fythes keene edge,

And make vs heires of all eternitie.

Therefore, braue Conquerours, (for so you are,

That warre agaynft your owne affections,

And the hudge armie of the worldes defires,)

Our late edict shall strongly stand in force:

Nauar fhall be the wonder of the worlde,

4

12

Our Court shalbe a lytlle Achademe,

Still and contémplatyue in lyuing art.

You three, Berowne, Dumaine, and Longauill,

Haue fworne, for three yeeres tearme, to liue with me,

My fellow Schollers, and to keepe those statutes

That are recorded in this fedule here.

Your othes are paft; and now fubscribe your names,

That his owne hand may ftrike his honour downe,

That violates the smallest branch herein.

If you are armd to do, as fworne to do,

Subscribe to your deepe othes, and keepe it too.

Longauill. I am refolued! tis but a three* yeeres

The minde fhall banquet, though the body pine.

Fat paunches haue leane pates; and daynty bits

Make rich the ribbes, but bankerout quite the wits.

§Actus Primus] F. Q om.

23. too] to Q, F.

16

20

23

faft:

[Signs.

27

*24. three] F. thee Q.

+27. bankerout] F. banerout Q.

Dumaine. My louing Lord! Dumaine is mortefied

The groffer manner of these worldes delyghts,

He throwes vppon the groffe worlds bafer flaues.

28

To loue, to wealth, to pompe*, I pine and die; [Signs] 31

With all these [points to FER., B., L.] lyuing in Philofophie.
Berowne. I can but say their proteftation ouer:

So much, deare Liedge, I haue already fworne,
That is, to lyue and study heere three yeeres.
But there are other ftrickt obferuances :
As, not to see a woman in that terme,
(Which I hope well is not enrolled there ;)
And one day in a weeke to touch no foode,
And but one meale on euery day befide,
(The which I hope is not enrolled there.)
And then to fleepe but three houres in the nyght,
And not be feene to wincke of all the day,-
When I was wont to thinke no harme all nyght,
And make a darke nyght too of halfe the day,-

(Which I hope well is not enrolled there.)

O! these are barraine taskes; too hard to keepe!

36

40

42

45

48

Not to fee Ladyes, ftudy, faft, not sleepe!

Ferd. Your othe is paft, to paffe away from these.

Berow. Let me fay No,' my liedge, and yf you please. 50

I onely fwore to study with your Grace,

And stay heere in your Court, for three yeeres space.

52

Longa. You fwore to that, Berowne, and to the rest.

Bero. By yea and nay, fir, than I swore in ieft.

54

What is the ende of study? let me know.

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

Ber. Things hid & bard† (you meane) from commont

Ferd. I, that is ftudies god-like recompence.

Bero. Com on then! I will fweare to study so,

58 [fenfe.

To know the thing I am forbid to know:
As thus: to ftudy where I well may dine,
When I to feaft, expreffely am forbid;

Or ftudie where to meete fome Miftris fine,

When Miftreffes from common sense are hid.

60

64

*31. pompe] F. pome Q.
157. bard; common] F.

cammon Q.

hard;

62. feast] Theobald. fast Q, F.

Or, hauing fworne too hard a keeping oth,
Studie to breake it, and not breake my troth.
If ftudies gaine be thus, and this be so,

Studie knowes that which yet it doth not know :
Sweare me to this; and I will nere say 'no.'

Ferd. These be the stopps that hinder ftudie quite*,

And traine our intelects to vaine delight.

66

бо

70

[*quite F. quit Q.]

To feeke the lyght of Trueth, while Trueth the whyle

Bero. Why! all delightes are vaine; but that most vaine,

Which, with payne purchaf'd, doth inherite payne;

As, paynefully to poare vpon a Booke,

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74

Doth falfely blinde the eye-fight of his looke:

Light feeking light, doth light of light beguyle:

77

So, ere you finde where light in darknes lyes,

Your light growes darke, by loofing of your eyes.

Studie me how to please the eye in deede,

By fixing it vppon a fayrer eye,

Who, dazling fo, that eye fhalbe his heed,

And giue him light, that it was blinded by.

Studie is lyke the heauens glorious Sunne,

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84

That will not be deepe-searcht with fawcie lookes:

Small haue continuall plodders euer wonne,

Saue base authoritie, from others Bookes.

These earthly Godfathers of heauens lights,

That giue a name to euery fixèd Starre,

Haue no more profite of their fhyning nights,

Then those that walke, and wot not what they are.

Too much to know, is to know nought but fame;

And euery Godfather can giue a name.

Ferd. How well hees read, to reason against reading!

Dum. Proceeded well, to ftop all good proceeding!

Lon. He weedes the corne, & ftill lets grow the weeding.

Ber. The Spring is neare, when greene geese are a breed-

Duma. How followes that?

[ing. 97

Fit in his place and tyme.

91

93

95

Ber.

Duma. In reafon, nothing.

Bero.

Ferd. Beroune is like an enuious fneaping Froft,

That bites the first-borne infants of the Spring.

Bero. Well, fay I am! why should proude Sommer boast,

Something then in rime. 99

100