LOVE'S LABOUR'S loft DRAMATIS PERSON Æ. FERDINAND, King of Na-Costard, a clown. Moth, page to Don Adriano de SCENE, the King of Navarre's palace, and the country near it. ACTI. SCENE I.. The palace. Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain.. King. L ET fame, that all hunt after in their lives,. Th' endeavour of this present breath may buy That honour which shall 'bate his fcythe's keen edge,, Therefore, brave conquerors! for so you are, In this play are to be perceived several strokes of Shakespear's pen, but the whole ought by no means to pafs for the work of it. brazen tombs; And then grace us in the disgrace of death :. When, fpight of, &c. And the huge army of the world's defires; Your oaths are pass'd, and now fubfcribe your names : If you are arm'd to do as fworn to do, Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too. Dum. My loving Lord, Dumain is mortify'd: Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over, King. Your oath is pafs'd to pafs away from thefe. I only fwore to ftudy with your Grace, And ftay here in your court for three years' space. Long. You fwore to that, Biron, and to the reft. Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I swore in jeit. What is the end of ftudy? let me know. King, Why, that to know, which elfe we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from com- King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence. King. These be the ftops that hinder ftudy quite, Biron. Why, all delights are vain ; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain; As, painfully to pore upon a book, To feek the light of truth; while truth the while Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile; Who dazzling fo, that eye fhall be his heed, That will not be deep-fearch'd with faucy looks; Have no more profit of their fhining nights, Than thofe that walk, and wot not what they are. "Too much to know, is to know nought: but feign; "And every godfather can give a name." King. How well he's read, to reafon against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to ftop all good proceeding. Long. He weeds the corn, and ftill let's grow the weeding. Biron. The fpring is near when green geefe are abreeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Fit in his place and time. Biron. Something then in rhime. Long. Biron is like an envious fneaping froft, That bites the firft-born infants of the fpring. Biron. Well; fay, I am; why fhould proud fummer boaft, Before the birds have any caufe to fing? Climb o'er the houfe t'unlock the little gate. King. Well, fit you out-Go-home, Biron: adieu! Biron. No, my good Lord, I've fworn to ftay with you. And though I have for barbarism spoke more, And 'bide the penance of each three years' day. fhame! Biron. Item, That no woman fhall come within a mile of my court. [reading. Hath this been proclaimed? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's fee the penalty. On pain of losing her tongue. [reading. VOL. II. N Caft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Ja quenetta, The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner. Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all thofe three. I was feen with her in the manor-houfe, fitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner: it is the manner of a man to fpeak to a woman; for the form, in fome form. Biron. For the following, Sir? Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right! King. Will you hear the letter with attention? Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King. [reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftering patron Coft. Not a word of Costard yet. King. So it is Coft. It may be fo; but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but, fo, fo. King. Peace Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words Coft. Of other mens fecrets, I beseech you. King. So it is, besieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing humour to the most wholesome phyfic of thy bealth-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beafts moft graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper fo much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which? which, I mean, I walk'd upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where? where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and most prepofterous event, that draweth from my for-white pen the eban-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft. But to the place, where? it standeth north-north-eaft and by east from |