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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    Not Peer Reviewed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:

    2850ende of our shew.
    King. Call them foorth quickly, we will do so.
    Brag. Holla. Approch.

    Enter all.

    2855Brag. This side is Hiems, Winter.
    This Ver, the Spring: The one maynteined by the Owle,
    th'other by the Cuckow.

    B. Ver begin.
    The Song.
    2860When Dasies pied, and Violets blew,
    And Cuckow-budds of yellow hew:
    And Ladi-smockes all siluer white,
    Do paint the Meadowes with delight:
    The Cuckow then on euerie tree,
    2865Mocks married men; for thus singes hee,
    Cuckow.
    Cuckow, Cuckow: O word of feare,
    Vnpleasing to a married eare.

    When Shepheards pipe on Oten Strawes,
    2870And merrie Larkes are Ploughmens Clocks:
    When Turtles tread and Rookes and Dawes,
    And Maidens bleach their summer smockes:
    The Cuckow then on euerie tree,
    Mockes married men, for thus singes he,
    2875Cuckow.
    Cuckow, cuckow: O word of feare,
    Vnpleasing to a married eare.

    Winter.
    When Isacles hang by the wall,
    2880And Dicke the Sheepheard blowes his naile:
    And Thom beares Logges into the hall,
    And Milke coms frozen home in paile:
    When Blood is nipt, and wayes be full,
    Then
    K2
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