Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Timothy Billings
Not Peer Reviewed

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

called Loues Labor's lost.

a man buy for a remuneration?
Ber. O what is a remuneration?
Cost. Marie sir, halfepennie farthing.
915Ber. O, why then threefarthing worth of Silke.
Cost. I thanke your worship, God be wy you.
Ber. O stay slaue, I must employ thee.
As thou wilt win my fauour, good my knaue,
Do one thing for me that I shall intreate.
920Clow. When would you haue it done sir?
Ber. O this after-noone.
Clow. Well, I will do it sir: Fare you well.
Ber. O thou knowest not what it is.
Clow. I shall know sir when I haue done it.
925Ber. Why villaine, thou must know first.
Clow. I will come to your worship to morrow morning.
Ber. It must be done this after noone,
Harke slaue, it is but this:
The Princesse comes to hunt here in the Parke,
930And in her traine there is a gentle Ladie:
When tongues speake sweetely, then they name her name,
And Rosaline they call her, aske for her:
And to her white hand see thou do commend
This seald-vp counsaile. Ther's thy guerdon: goe.
935Clow. Gardon, O sweete gardon, better then remuneratiõ.
a leuenpence-farthing better: most sweete gardon. I will
do it sir in print: gardon remuneration.
Exit.
Ber. O and I forsoth in loue, I that haue been loues whip?
A verie Bedell to a humerous sigh, a Crietick, nay a night-
watch Constable,
A domineering pedant ore the Boy, then whom no mor-
tall so magnificent.
945This wimpled whyning purblind wayward Boy,
This signior Iunios gyant dwarffe, dan Cupid,
Regent of Loue-rimes, Lord of folded armes,
Th'annoynted soueraigne of sighes and groones:
Liedge of all loyterers and malecontents:
950Dread Prince of Placcats, King of Codpeeces.
Sole