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Love's Labor's Lost (Folio 1, 1623)
Loues Labour's lost
1 Actus primus.
2Enter Ferdinand King of Nauarre, Berowne, Longauill, and
3Dumane.
4 Ferdinand.
5LEt Fame, that all hunt after in their liues,
6Liue registred vpon our brazen Tombes,
7And then grace vs in the disgrace of death:
8when spight of cormorant deuouring Time,
9Th'endeuour of this present breath may buy:
11And make vs heyres of all eternitie.
12Therefore braue Conquerours, for so you are,
14And the huge Armie of the worlds desires.
16Nauar shall be the wonder of the world.
17Our Court shall be a little Achademe,
18Still and contemplatiue in liuing Art.
19You three, Berowne, Dumaine, and Longauill,
20Haue sworne for three yeeres terme, to liue with me:
22That are recorded in this scedule heere.
24That his owne hand may strike his honour downe,
26If you are arm'd to doe, as sworne to do,
27Subscribe to your deepe oathes, and keepe it to.
29The minde shall banquet, though the body pine,
30Fat paunches haue leane pates: and dainty bits,
31Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.
35To loue, to wealth, to pompe, I pine and die,
38So much, deare Liege, I haue already sworne,
39That is, to liue and study heere three yeeres.
41As not to see a woman in that terme,
42Which I hope well is not enrolled there.
43And one day in a weeke to touch no foode:
44And but one meale on euery day beside:
45The which I hope is not enrolled there.
46And then to sleepe but three houres in the night,
47And not be seene to winke of all the day.
48When I was wont to thinke no harme all night,
49And make a darke night too of halfe the day:
50Which I hope well is not enrolled there.
59What is the end of study, let me know?
61know.
65To know the thing I am forbid to know:
66As thus, to study where I well may dine,
70Or hauing sworne too hard a keeping oath,
71Studie to breake it, and not breake my troth.
73Studie knowes that which yet it doth not know,
74Sweare me to this, and I will nere say no.
76And traine our intellects to vaine delight.
78Which with paine purchas'd, doth inherit paine,
79As painefully to poare vpon a Booke,
80To seeke the light of truth, while truth the while
82Light seeeking light, doth light of light beguile:
84Your light growes darke by losing of your eyes.
85Studie me how to please the eye indeede,
86By fixing it vpon a fairer eye,
88And giue him light that it was blinded by.
89Studie is like the heauens glorious Sunne,
91Small haue continuall plodders euer wonne,
92Saue base authoritie from others Bookes.
93These earthly Godfathers of heauens lights,
94That giue a name to euery fixed Starre,
96Then those that walke and wot not what they are.
97Too much to know, is to know nought but fame:
98And euery Godfather can giue a name.
Loues Labour's lost123
102weeding.
104breeding.
105Dum. How followes that?
106Ber. Fit in his place and time.
108Ber. Something then in rime.
113Why should I ioy in any abortiue birth?
117So you to studie now it is too late,
118That were to clymbe ore the house to vnlocke the gate.
122Then for that Angell knowledge you can say,
124And bide the pennance of each three yeares day.
125Giue me the paper, let me reade the same,
128Ber.
Item. That no woman shall come within a mile
129of my Court.
130Hath this bin proclaimed?
131Lon. Foure dayes agoe.
On paine of loosing her tongue.
134Who deuis'd this penaltie?
135Lon. Marry that did I.
136Ber. Sweete Lord, and why?
137Lon. To fright them hence with that dread penaltie,
138A dangerous law against gentilitie.
Item, If any man be seene to talke with a woman with-
142deuise.
144For well you know here comes in Embassie
146A Maide of grace and compleate maiestie,
147About surrender vp of Aquitaine:
148To her decrepit, sicke, and bed-rid Father.
149Therefore this Article is made in vaine,
150Or vainly comes th'admired Princesse hither.
152Why, this was quite forgot.
154While it doth study to haue what it would,
155It doth forget to doe the thing it should:
156And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,
164If I breake faith, this word shall breake for me,
166So to the Lawes at large I write my name,
167And he that breakes them in the least degree,
168Stands in attainder of eternall shame.
169Suggestions are to others as to me:
172But is there no quicke recreation granted?
173Fer. I that there is, our Court you know is hanted
174With a refined trauailer of Spaine,
175A man in all the worlds new fashion planted,
176That hath a mint of phrases in his braine:
177One, who the musicke of his owne vaine tongue,
178Doth rauish like inchanting harmonie:
179A man of complements whom right and wrong
180Haue chose as vmpire of their mutinie.
181This childe of fancie that Armado hight,
183In high-borne words the worth of many a Knight:
184From tawnie Spaine lost in the worlds debate.
185How you delight my Lords, I know not I,
186But I protest I loue to heare him lie,
192 Enter a Constable with Costard with a Letter.
198Ber. This is he.
199Con. Signeor Arme, Arme commends you:
200Ther's villanie abroad, this letter will tell you more.
201Clow. Sir the Contempts thereof are as touching
202mee.
205high words.
207tience.
208Ber. To heare, or forbeare hearing.
210or to forbeare both.
212clime in the merrinesse.
214The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.
215Ber. In what manner?
218her vpon the Forme, and taken following her into the
219Parke: which put to gether, is in manner and forme
220following. Now sir for the manner; It is the manner
222forme.
225fend the right.
226Fer. Will you heare this Letter with attention?
227Ber. As we would heare an Oracle.
L2 Fer. Great
124 Loues Labour's lost
230 Ferdinand.
GReat Deputie, the Welkins Vicegerent, and sole domi-
233string patrone:
235Ferd. So it is.
237true: but so.
238Ferd. Peace,
240Ferd. No words,
242Ferd.
So it is besieged with sable coloured melancholie, I
245tleman, betooke my selfe to walke: the time When? about the
248for the time When. Now for the ground Which? which I
249meane I walkt vpon, it is ycliped, Thy Parke. Then for the
250place Where? where I meane I did encounter that obscene and
262Clo. With a Wench.
263Ferd.
With a childe of our Grandmother Eue, a female;
267Dull, a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, & estimation.
Ferd. For Iaquenetta (so is the weaker vessell called)
270which I apprehended with the aforesaid Swaine, I keeper her
272sweet notice, bring her to triall. Thine in all complements of
273deuoted and heart-burning heat of dutie.
274Don Adriana de Armado.
276that euer I heard.
278to this?
280Fer. Did you heare the Proclamation?
282of the marking of it.
284taken with a Wench.
286Damosell.
289Virgin.
291Clo. If it were, I denie her Virginitie: I was taken
292with a Maide.
296fast a Weeke with Branne and water.
297Clo. I had rather pray a Moneth with Mutton and
298Porridge.
300My Lord Berowne, see him deliuer'd ore,
301And goe we Lords to put in practice that,
303Bero. Ile lay my head to any good mans hat,
305Sirra, come on.
307ken with Iaquenetta, and Iaquenetta is a true girle, and