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  • Title: Love's Labor's Lost (Folio 1, 1623)
  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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 (Folio 1, 1623)

    138 Loues Labour's lost
    2015And euery one his Loue-feat will aduance,
    Vnto his seuerall Mistresse: which they'll know
    By fauours seuerall, which they did bestow.
    Queen. And will they so? the Gallants shall be taskt:
    For Ladies; we will euery one be maskt,
    2020And not a man of them shall haue the grace
    Despight of sute, to see a Ladies face.
    Hold Rosaline, this Fauour thou shalt weare,
    And then the King will court thee for his Deare:
    Hold, take thou this my sweet, and giue me thine,
    2025So shall Berowne take me for Rosaline.
    And change your Fauours too, so shall your Loues
    Woo contrary, deceiu'd by these remoues.
    Rosa. Come on then, weare the fauours most in sight.
    Kath. But in this changing, What is your intent?
    2030Queen. The effect of my intent is to crosse theirs:
    They doe it but in mocking merriment,
    And mocke for mocke is onely my intent.
    Their seuerall counsels they vnbosome shall,
    To Loues mistooke, and so be mockt withall.
    2035Vpon the next occasion that we meete,
    With Visages displayd to talke and greete.
    Ros. But shall we dance, if they desire vs too't?
    Quee. No, to the death we will not moue a foot,
    Nor to their pen'd speech render we no grace:
    2040But while 'tis spoke, each turne away his face.
    Boy. Why that contempt will kill the keepers heart,
    And quite diuorce his memory from his part.
    Quee. Therefore I doe it, and I make no doubt,
    The rest will ere come in, if he be out.
    2045Theres no such sport, as sport by sport orethrowne:
    To make theirs ours, and ours none but our owne.
    So shall we stay mocking entended game,
    And they well mockt, depart away with shame. Sound.
    Boy. The Trompet sounds, be maskt, the maskers
    2050come.

    Enter Black moores with musicke, the Boy with a speech,

    and the rest of the Lords disguised.
    Page.
    All haile, the richest Beauties on the earth
    .
    Ber. Beauties no richer then rich Taffata.
    2055Pag.
    A holy parcell of the fairest dames that euer turn'd
    their backes to mortall viewes
    .
    The Ladies turne their backes to him.
    Ber. Their eyes villaine, their eyes.
    Pag.
    That euer turn'd their eyes to mortall viewes.
    2060Out
    Boy. True, out indeed.
    Pag.
    Out of your fauours heauenly spirits vouchsafe
    Not to beholde
    .
    Ber. Once to behold, rogue.
    2065Pag.
    Once to behold with your Sunne beamed eyes,
    With your Sunne beamed eyes
    .
    Boy. They will not answer to that Epythite,
    You were best call it Daughter beamed eyes.
    Pag. They do not marke me, and that brings me out.
    2070Bero. Is this your perfectnesse? be gon you rogue.
    Rosa. What would these strangers?
    Know their mindes Boyet.
    If they doe speake our language, 'tis our will
    That some plaine man recount their purposes.
    2075Know what they would?
    Boyet. What would you with the Princes?
    Ber. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
    Ros. What would they, say they?
    Boy. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
    2080Rosa. Why that they haue, and bid them so be gon.
    Boy. She saies you haue it, and you may be gon.
    Kin. Say to her we haue measur'd many miles,
    To tread a Measure with you on the grasse.
    Boy. They say that they haue measur'd many a mile,
    2085To tread a Measure with you on this grasse.
    Rosa. It is not so. Aske them how many inches
    Is in one mile? If they haue measur'd manie,
    The measure then of one is easlie told.
    Boy. If to come hither, you haue measur'd miles,
    2090And many miles: the Princesse bids you tell,
    How many inches doth fill vp one mile?
    Ber. Tell her we measure them by weary steps.
    Boy. She heares her selfe.
    Rosa. How manie wearie steps,
    2095Of many wearie miles you haue ore-gone,
    Are numbred in the trauell of one mile?
    Bero. We number nothing that we spend for you,
    Our dutie is so rich, so infinite,
    That we may doe it still without accompt.
    2100Vouchsafe to shew the sunshine of your face,
    That we (like sauages) may worship it.
    Rosa. My face is but a Moone and clouded too.
    Kin. Blessed are clouds, to doe as such clouds do.
    Vouchsafe bright Moone, and these thy stars to shine,
    2105(Those clouds remooued) vpon our waterie eyne.
    Rosa. O vaine peticioner, beg a greater matter,
    Thou now requests but Mooneshine in the water.
    Kin. Then in our measure, vouchsafe but one change.
    Thou bidst me begge, this begging is not strange.
    2110Rosa. Play musicke then: nay you must doe it soone.
    Not yet no dance: thus change I like the Moone.
    Kin. Will you not dance? How come you thus e-
    stranged?
    Rosa. You tooke the Moone at full, but now shee's
    2115changed?
    Kin. Yet still she is the Moone, and I the Man.
    Rosa. The musick playes, vouchsafe some motion to
    it: Our eares vouchsafe it.
    Kin. But your legges should doe it.
    2120Ros. Since you are strangers, & come here by chance,
    Wee'll not be nice, take hands, we will not dance.
    Kin. Why take you hands then?
    Rosa. Onelie to part friends.
    Curtsie sweet hearts, and so the Measure ends.
    2125Kin. More measure of this measure, be not nice.
    Rosa. We can afford no more at such a price.
    Kin. Prise your selues: What buyes your companie?
    Rosa. Your absence onelie.
    Kin. That can neuer be.
    2130Rosa. Then cannot we be bought: and so adue,
    Twice to your Visore, and halfe once to you.
    Kin. If you denie to dance, let's hold more chat.
    Ros. In priuate then.
    Kin. I am best pleas'd with that.
    2135Be. White handed Mistris, one sweet word with thee.
    Qu. Hony, and Milke, and Suger: there is three.
    Ber. Nay then two treyes, an if you grow so nice
    Methegline, Wort, and Malmsey; well runne dice:
    There's halfe a dozen sweets.
    2140Qu. Seuenth sweet adue, since you can cogg,
    Ile play no more with you.
    Ber. One word in secret.
    Qu. Let it not be sweet.
    Ber. Thou greeu'st my gall.
    M3v Queen.
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