* LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.] I have not hitherto discovered any novel on which this comedy appears to have been founded; and yet the ftory of it has moft of the features of an ancient romance. STEEVENS. I fufpect that there is an error in the title of this play, which I believe, should be-" Love's Labours Loft." M. MASON. Love's Labour's Loft, I conjecture to have been written in 1594. See An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. II. MALONE. PERSONS REPRESENTED.* Ferdinand, King of Navarre. Biron, Longaville, Lords, attending on the King. Dumain, Boyet, } } Lords, attending on the Princefs of Don Adriano de Armado, a fantastical Spaniard. Holofernes, a Schoolmaster. Coftard, a Clown. Moth, Page to Armado. Princess of France. Maria,} Ladies, attending on the Princess. Katharine, Jaquenetta, a country Wench. Officers and others, Attendants on the King and Princess. SCENE, Navarre. * This enumeration of the persons was made by Mr. Rowe. JOHNSON. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. ACT I. SCENE I. Navarre. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. KING. Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Live register'd upon our brazen tombs, And then grace us in the difgrace of death; Therefore, brave conquerors !-for fo you are, And the huge army of the world's defires,→→→ Your oaths are paft, and now fubfcribe your names: If you are arm'd to do, as fworn to do, LONG. I am refolv'd: 'tis but a three years' fast; The mind fhall banquet, though the body pine: Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits Make rich the ribs, but bank'rout quite the wits, DUM. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified; BIRON. I can but say their protestation over, I your deep oath,] The old copies have oaths. Corrected by Mr. Steevens. MALONE. 2 With all these living in philofophy.] The ftyle of the rhyming fcenes in this play is often entangled and obfcure. I know not certainly to what all these is to be referred; I suppose he means, that he finds love, pomp, and wealth in philofophy. JOHNSON. By all thefe, Dumain means the King, Biron, &c. to whom he may be fuppofed to point, and with whom he is going to live in philofophical retirement. A. C. |