Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Timothy Billings
Not Peer Reviewed

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

A pleasant conceited Comedie:

Boy. By my penne of obseruation.
Brag. But o but o.
Boy. The Hobbie-horse is forgot.
Brag.Calst thou my loue Hobbi-horse.
800Boy. No Maister, the Hobbi-horse is but a colt, and your
loue perhaps, a hacknie: But haue you forgot your Loue?
Brag. Almost I had.
Boy. Necligent student, learne her by hart.
805Brag. By hart, and in hart boy.
Boy. And out of hart Maister: all those three I will
proue.
Brag. What wilt thou proue?
Boy. A man, if I liue (and this) by, in, and without, vpon the
810instant: by hart you loue her, because your hart cannot come
by her: in hart you loue her, because your hart is in loue
with her: and out of hart you loue her, being out of hart
that you cannot enioy her.
Brag. I am all these three.
815Boy. And three times as much more, and yet nothing
at all.
Brag. Fetch hither the Swaine, he must carrie me a letter.
Boy. A message well simpathisd, a Horse to be embassa-
820doure for an Asse.
Brag. Ha ha, What saiest thou?
Boy. Marrie sir, you must send the Asse vpon the Horse,
for he is verie slow gated: but I go.
Brag. The way is but short, away.
825Boy. As swift as Lead sir.
Brag. The meaning prettie ingenius, is not Lead a mettal
heauie, dull, and slow?
Boy. Minnime honest Maister, or rather Maister no.
Brag. I say Lead is slow.
830Boy. You are too swift sir to say so.
Is that Lead slow which is fierd from a Gunne?
Brag. Sweete smoke of Rhetorike,
He reputes me a Cannon, and the Bullet thats hee:
I shoote thee at the Swaine.
835Boy. Thump then, and I flee.
Brag.
C4