Internet Shakespeare Editions

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Not Peer Reviewed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