DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

FERDINAND, King of Navarre.

BIRON,

LONGAVILLE,

DUMAIN,

BOYET,

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three Lords attending upon the

bis retirement.

King in

Lords attending upon the Princess of

MACARD, 5 France.

Don ADRIANO DE ARMADO, a fantastical Spaniard,

NATHANIEL, a Curate.

DULL, a Conftable.

HOLOFERNES, a Schoolmaster.

COSTARD, a Clorun.

Мотн, Page to Don Adriano de Armado,

Princess of FRANCE.

ROSALINE,

MARIA,

CATHARINE,

}

Ladies attending on the Princess.

JAQUENETTA, a Country Wench.

Officers and others Attendants upon the King and Princess.

SCENE the King of Navarre's Palace, and the Country near it.

.:.

LOVE'S

*

*LOVE's Labour's loft.

4

King.

ACT I. SCENE Ι.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville and Dumain.

L

L

ET Fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live registred upon our brazen tombs; †
When, spight 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 againft your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's defires,
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force;
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world,
Our court shall be a little academy,
Still and contemplative in living arts.
You three, Biron, Dumain and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me
My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes
That are recorded in this schedule here.

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names:
That his own hand may strike his honcur down,

That violates the smallest branch herein:

:

A

* In this Play are to be perceived several strokes of Shakespear's pe, but the whole ought by no means to pass for the work of it. +----- brazen tombs;

And then grace us in the disgrace of death:

When, fpight of, .

if

If you are arm'd to do as sworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too.
Long. I am resolv'd; 'tis but a three years' faft :
The mind shall banquet, tho' the body pine;
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankrout quite the wits.
Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortify'd :
The groffer 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.

Biron. I can but say their proteftation 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 fee 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 befide;
The which I hope is not enrolled there.
And then to fleep 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;
Which I hope well is not enrolled there.
O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep;
Not to see ladies, study, fast, not fleep.
King. Your oath is past to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please;
I only swore to study with your Grace,
And stay here in your court for three years' space.
Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the reft.
Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I swore 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

sense.

King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompence.
Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so,

To know the thing I am forbid to know;

A

As thus; to study where I well may dine,
When I to fast expresly am fore-bid;
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 this, 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.

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 seek the light of truth, while truth the while
Doth falsfly blind the eye-fight of his look:

Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So ere you find where light in darkness lyes,
Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.
Study me how to please the eye indeed,
By fixing it upon a fairer eye;
Who dazling so, that eye shall be his heed,
And give him light that it was blinded by.
Study is like the Heaven's glorious Sun,

That will not be deep search'd with sawcy looks;
Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights,

Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. Too much to know, is to know nought but fame; And every godfather can give a name.

}

King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding. Long. He weeds the corn, and still let's grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding.

Dum. How follows that?.

Biron. Fit in his place and time.

Dum. In reason nothing.

VOL. II.

Aa

Biron

Biron. Something then in rhime.

Long. Biron is like an envious sneaping froft,

That bites the first-born infants of the spring.

Biron. Well, say I am; why should proud summer boaft,
Before the birds have any cause to fing?

Why should I joy in an abortive birth?
At Christmas I no more defire a rofe,
Than with a snow in May's new-fangled earth :
But like of each thing that in season grows.
So you, to study now it is too late,
Climb o'er the house t'unlock the little gate.

King. Well, fit you out. Go home, Biron: Adieu.
Biron. No, my good lord, I've sworn to stay with you.

And though I have for barbarism spoke more,
Than for that angel knowledge you can say,

Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore,

And bide the penance of each three years' day.

Give me the paper, let me read the fame,

And to the strict'st decrees I'll write my name..

King. How well this yielding rescues thee from shame!

}

Biron. Item, That no woman shall come within a mile

Biron. Sweet lord, and why?

[Reading,

[Reading.

Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty.

Biron. A dangerous law against gentility!

Item, [reading.] If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure fuch publick shame as the rest of the court can poffibly devise.

This article, my liege, your felf must break;

For well you know here comes in enibassy
The French King's daughter, with your self to speak,
A maid of grace and compleat majesty,

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