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  • Title: Love's Labor's Lost (Quarto 1, 1598)
  • Editor: Timothy Billings

  • Copyright Timothy Billings. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Timothy Billings
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Love's Labor's Lost (Quarto 1, 1598)

    A pleasant conceited Comedie:

    Arm. How canst thou part sadnes and melancholy, my
    tender Iuuenall?
    320Boy. By a familier demonstration of the working, my
    tough signeor.
    Arma. Why tough signeor? Why tough signeor?
    Boy. Why tender iuuenall? Why tender iuuenall?
    Arm. I spoke it tender iuuenal, as a congruent apethaton
    325apperteining to thy young dayes, which we may nominate
    tender.
    Boy. And I tough signeor, as an appertinent title to your
    olde time, which we may name tough.
    Arma. Prettie and apt.
    330Boy. How meane you sir, I prettie, and my saying apt?
    or I apt, and my saying prettie?
    Arma. Thou prettie because little.
    Boy. Little prettie, because little: wherefore apt.
    Arma. And therfore apt, because quicke.
    335Boy. Speake you this in my praise Maister?
    Arma. In thy condigne praise.
    Boy. I will praise an Eele with the same praise.
    Arma. What? that an Eele is ingenious.
    Boy. That an Eele is quicke.
    340Arma. I do say thou art quicke in answeres. Thou heatst
    my blood.
    Boy. I am answerd sir.
    Arma. I loue not to be crost.
    Boy. He speakes the meer contrarie, crosses loue not him.
    345Ar. I haue promised to studie three yeeres with the duke.
    Boy. You may do it in an houre sir.
    Arma. Impossible.
    Boy. How many is one thrice tolde?
    Arm. I am ill at reckning, it fitteth the spirit of a Tapster.
    350Boy. You are a Gentleman and a Gamster sir.
    Arma. I confesse both, they are both the varnish of a com-
    pleat man.
    Boy. Then I am sure you know how much the grosse
    summe of deus-ace amountes to.
    355Arm. It doth amount to one more then two.
    Boy.
    B2