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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    A pleasant conceited Comedie:

    Rosal. What would these stranges?
    Know their mindes Boyet.
    If they do speake our language, tis our will
    That some plaine man recount their purposes.
    2075Know what they would?
    Boyet. What would you with the Princes?
    Berow. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
    Rosa. What would they, say they?
    Boy. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
    2080Rosa. Why that they haue, and bid them so be gon.
    Boy. She saies you haue it, and you may be gon.
    King. Say to her we haue measurd many miles,
    To treade a Measure with her on this grasse.
    Boy. They say that they haue measurd many a mile,
    2085To tread a Measure with you on this grasse.
    Rosa. It is not so. Aske them how manie inches
    Is in one mile? If they haue measured manie,
    The measure then of one is easlie tolde.
    Boy. If to come hither, you haue measurde miles,
    2090And manie miles: the Princesse bids you tell,
    How manie inches doth fill vp one mile?
    Berow. Tell her we measure them by weerie steps.
    Boy. She heares her selfe.
    Rosa. How manie weerie steps,
    2095Of manie weerie miles you haue ore gone,
    Are numbred in the trauaile of one Mile?
    Bero. We number nothing that we spend for you,
    Our duetie is so rich, so infinite,
    That we may do it still without accompt.
    2100Vouchsafe to shew the sunshine of your face,
    That we (like sauages) may worship it.
    Rosa. My face is but a Moone, and clouded too.
    King. Blessed are cloudes, to do as such cloudes do.
    Vouchsafe bright Moone, and these thy Starrs to shine,
    2105(Those cloudes remooued) vpon our waterie eyne.
    Rosa. O vaine peticioner, begg a greater matter,
    Thou now requests but Mooneshine in the water.
    King. Then in our measure, do but vouchsafe one change,
    Thou
    G4