LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. ACT I. SCENE I. The king of Navarre's park. Enter FERDINAND, king of Navarre, BIRONE, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. And then grace us in the disgrace of death; The endeavour of this present breath may buy Still and contemplative in living art. You three, Birone, Dumain, and Longaville, Have sworn for three years' term to live with me That are recorded in this schedule here: Your oaths are pass'd; and now subscribe your names, That his own hand may strike his honour down If you are arm'd to do as sworn to do, Long. I am resolv'd; 't is but a three years' fast: bate blunt. 10 20 30 13 keep it too: an example, not of "Shakespearean grammar," but of the carelessness of the period, particularly in play-writing and play-printing. 37 bankrout. The old spelling and pronounciation of bankrupt. To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die; Bir. I can but say their protestation over; King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. I only swore to study with your grace And stay here in your court for three years' space. What is the end of study? let me know. 50 King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Bir. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense? King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense. Bir. Come on, then; I will swear to study so, To know the thing I am forbid to know: As thus, to study where I well may dine, Or study where to meet some mistress fine, When mistresses from common sense are hid; If study's gain be thus and this be so, Study knows that which yet it doth not know: And train our intellects to vain delight. 60 King. These be the stops that hinder study quite 70 Bir. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which with pain purchas'd doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book 58 Birone. This name is spelled Berowne in the old copies. It is to be accented on the last syllable and pronounced with the o as in cone. 57 common sense: that is, common knowledge; not a faculty of the mind. To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Light seeking light doth light of light beguile; By fixing it upon a fairer eye, That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks. Have no more profit of their shining nights 80 Than those that walk and wot not what they are. 90 Too much to know is to know nought but fame; And every godfather can give a name. King. How well he 's read, to reason against reading! Long. He weeds the corn and still lets grow the weeding. ( Dum. How follows that? Bir. Dum. In reason nothing. Bir. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rhyme. King. Birone is like an envious sneaping frost That bites the first-born infants of the spring. Bir. Well, say I am; why should proud summer boast Why should I joy in any abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth; So you, to study now it is too late, 100 That were to climb o'er th' house to unlock the gate. King. Well, sit you out: go home, Birone: adieu. Bir. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you: And though I have for barbarism spoke more Than for that angel knowledge you can say, Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore, And bide the penance of each three years' day. 100 sneaping snipping, nipping. 107 like of like: an obsolete phrase. 109 That were to climb. This is to be read as a line of five accents: "That were ❘ to climb o'er th' house to unlock the gate." Give me the paper; let me read the same; And to the strict'st decrees I'll write my name. King. How well this yielding rescues thee from shame! Bir. [Reads.] "Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court: Hath this been proclaimed? Long. Four days ago. 120 Bir. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.] "On pain of losing her tongue." Who devis'd this penalty? Long. Marry, that did I. Bir. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Bir. A dangerous law: against gentility! [Reads.] "Item, "If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise." This article, my liege, yourself must break; For well you know here comes in embassy The French king's daughter with yourself to speak- About surrender up of Aquitaine To her decrepit, sick and bedrid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. While it doth study to have what it would It doth forget to do the thing it should, And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, "T is won as towns with fire, so won, so lost. King. We must of force dispense with this decree; She must lie here on mere necessity. Bir. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space; For every man with his affects is born, Not by might master'd but by special grace: If I break faith, this word shall speak for me; I am forsworn on 66 mere necessity." And he that breaks them in the least degree Suggestions are to other as to me; 146 lie here stay, lodge here. 149 affects affections, natural likings, passions. 186 suggestions= temptations. 130 140 150 [Subscribes King. Ay, that there is. Our court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain; 161 A man in all the world's new fashion planted, That hath a mint of phrases in his brain; A man of complements, whom right and wrong For interim to our studies shall relate, In high-born words, the worth of many a knight Bir. Armado is a most illustrious wight, A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight. Long. Costard, the swain, and he shall be our sport; And so to study, three years is but short. Enter DULL with a letter, and COSTARD. Dull. Which is the Duke's own person? Bir. This, fellow: what wouldst ? 170 180 Dull. I myself reprehend his own person, for I am his grace's tharborough: but I would see his own person in flesh and blood. Bir. This is he. Dull. Signior Arme Arme- commends you. There's villany abroad: this letter will tell you more. Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me. Bir. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. 190 Long. A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience! Bir. To hear? or forbear laughing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Bir. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. 166 complements accomplishments. 168 hight is called; the only passive verb in the English language. 176 fire-new brand-new. 182 tharborough third-borough; a minor parish officer. 191 a low heaven. The meaning is not very clear; but much of the dialogue of this play is mere jingle, quip and conceit. heaven jingles with havin—having. 199 taken with the manner = taken in the fact, a technical law phrase. |