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  • Title: Love's Labor's Lost (Quarto 1, 1598)
  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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 (Quarto 1, 1598)

    called Loues Labor's lost.

    A greene Goose, a Goddesse, pure pure ydotarie.
    God amende vs, God amende, we are much out a th'way.

    1410Enter Dumaine.
    Long. By whom shall I send this (companie?) Stay.
    Berow. All hid, all hid, an olde infant play,
    Like a demie God, here sit I in the skie,
    And wretched fooles secrets heedfully ore ey.
    1415More Sacks to the myll. O heauens I haue my wysh,
    Dumaine transformed, foure Woodcocks in a dysh.
    Duma. O most deuine Kate.
    Berow. O most prophane coxcombe.
    Duma. By heauen the woonder in a mortall eye.
    1420Ber. By earth she is not, corporall, there you ly.
    Duma. Her Amber heires for foule hath amber coted.
    Ber. An amber colourd Rauen was well noted.
    Duma. As vpright as the Ceder.
    Ber. Stoope I say, her shoulder is with child.
    1425Duma. As faire as day.
    Ber. I as some dayes, but then no Sunne must shine.
    Duma. O that I had my wish?
    Long. And I had mine.
    King. And mine too good Lord.
    1430Ber. Amen, so I had mine: Is not that a good word?
    Duma. I would forget her, but a Feuer shee
    Raignes in my blood, and will remembred be.
    Ber. A Feuer in your blood, why then incision
    Would let her out in Sawcers, sweete misprison.
    1435Dum. Once more Ile reade the Odo that I haue writ.
    Ber. Once more Ile marke how Loue can varrie Wit.
    Dumaine reads his Sonnet.
    On a day, alacke the day:
    Loue, whose Month is euer May:
    1440 Spied a blossome passing faire,
    Playing in the wanton aire:
    Through the Veluet, leaues the wind,
    All vnseene, can passage finde:
    That the Louer sicke to death,
    Wish