Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Timothy Billings
Not Peer Reviewed

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

A pleasant conceited Comedie:

1445 Wish himselfe the heauens breath.
Ayre (quoth he) thy cheekes may blow,
Ayre would I might triumph so.
But alacke my hand is sworne,
Nere to plucke thee from thy throne:
1450 Vow alacke for youth vnmeete,
Youth so apt to pluck a sweete.
Do not call it sinne in me,
That I am forsworne for thee:
Thou for whom Ioue would sweare,
1455 Iuno but an AEthiop were,
And denie himselfe for Ioue,
Turning mortall for thy loue.
This will I send, and something els more plaine.
That shall expresse my true loues fasting paine.
1460O would the King, Berowne, and Longauill,
Were Louers too, ill to example ill,
Would from my forehead wipe a periurde note:
For none offende, where all alike do dote.
Long. Dumaine thy Loue is farre from charitie,
1465That in loues griefe desirst societie:
You may looke pale, but I should blush I know,
To be ore-hard and taken napping so.
King. Come sir, you blush: as his, your case is such.
You chide at him, offending twice as much.
1470You do not loue Maria? Longauile,
Did neuer Sonnet for her sake compile,
Nor neuer lay his wreathed armes athwart
His louing bosome, to keepe downe his hart.
I haue been closely shrowded in this bush,
1475And markt you both, and for you both did blush.
I heard your guyltie Rimes, obserude your fashion:
Saw sighes reeke from you, noted well your pashion.
Ay mee sayes one! O Ioue the other cryes!
One her haires were Golde, Christal the others eyes.
1480You would for Parradise breake Fayth and troth,
And Ioue for your Loue would infringe an oth.
What will Berowne say when that he shall heare
Fayth
E4