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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    called Loues Labor's lost.

    Prin, Were my Lord so, his ignoraunce were wise,
    Where now his knowledge must proue ignorance.
    I heare your grace hath sworne out Houskeeping:
    600Tis deadlie sinne to keepe that oath my Lord,
    And sin to breake it: but pardon me, I am too sodaine bold,
    To teach a teacher ill beseemeth mee.
    Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my comming,
    605And sodainelie resolue mee in my suite.
    Nau. Madame I will, if sodainelie I may.
    Prin. You will the sooner that I were awaie,
    For youle proue periurde if you make me staie.
    Berowne. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
    610Kather. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
    Ber. I know you did.
    Kath. How needles was it then to aske the question?
    Ber. You must not be so quicke.
    Kath. Tis long of you that spur me with such questions.
    615Ber. Your wit's too hot, it speedes too fast, twill tire.
    Kath. Not till it leaue the rider in the mire.
    Ber. What time a day?
    Kath. The houre that fooles should aske.
    Ber. Now faire befall your maske.
    620Kath. Faire fall the face it couers.
    Ber. And send you manie louers.
    Kath. Amen, so you be none.
    Ber. Nay then will I be gon.
    Ferd. Madame, your father heere doth intimate,
    625The payment of a hundred thousand Crownes,
    Being but the one halfe of, of an intire summe,
    Disbursed by my father in his warres.
    But say that he, or we, as neither haue
    Receiud that summe, yet there remaines vnpaide
    630A hundred thousand more, in suretie of the which,
    One part of Aquitaine is bound to vs,
    Although not valued to the monies worth.
    If then the King your father will restore,
    But that one halfe which is vnsatisfied,
    635We will giue vp our right in Aquitaine,
    And