FERDINAND, King of Navarre.

Biron, three Lords, attending upon the King in

Longaville,

Dumain,

his retirement.

-Boyet,

Lords, attending upon the Princess of

Macard,

Don Adriano de Armado, a fantastical Spaniard.
Nathanael, a Curate.

Dull, a Constable

Holofernes, a Schoolmaster,

Coftard, a Clown.

Moth, Page to Don Adriano de Armado.

A Forefter.

Princess of France.

Officers, and others, Attendants upon the King and
Princess

SCENE, the King of Navarre's Palace, and the Country near it.

This enumeration of the perfons was made by Mr. Rowe.

Of this Play there is an edi

tion in 4to 1598, by W. W. for Cuthbert Burby, which I have not feen.

LOVE'S

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The PALACE.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain.

L

KING.

ET Fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live registered upon our brazen tombs ;
And then grace
grace us in the difgrace of death:
When, fpight of cormorant devouring time,

Th' endeavour of this prefent breath may buy
That honour which fhall bate his fcythe's keen edge;
And make us heirs of all eternity.

Therefore, brave Conquerors! for fo you are,
That war against your own Affections,
And the huge army of the world's defires;
Our late edict fhall strongly stand in force.
Navarre fhall be the wonder of the world;
Our Court fhall be a little academy,
Still and contemplative in living arts.
You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville,
Have fworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow Scholars; and to keep thofe Statutes,
That are recorded in this fchedule here.

Your oaths are paft, and now fubfcribe your names:

That

That his own hand may strike his honour down;
That violates the fmallest branch herein :
If you are arm'd to do, as fworn to do,

Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too?
Long. I am refolv'd; 'tis but a three years fast:
The mind fhall banquet tho' the body pine;
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.

Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortify'd:
The groffer manner of thefe world's delights
He throws upon the gröfs world's bafer flavés.
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philofophy'.

Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over.
So much (dear liege) I have already fworn,
That is, to live and ftudy here three years'
But there are other ftrict obfervances;
As, not to fee a woman in that term,
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there.
And one day in a week to touch no food,
And but one meal on every day befide;
The which, I hope, is not enrolled there.
And then to fleep but three hours in the night,
And not be feen to wink of all the day;
(When I was wont to think no harm all night,
And make a dark night too of half the day ;)
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there.
O, these are barren tafks, too hard to keep;
Not to fee ladies, study, fast, not sleep.

King, Your Oath is pafs'd to pafs away from thefe. Biron. Let me fay, no, liege, an' if you please ; Ionly fwore to ftudy with your Grace,

And stay 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 fwore in jeft. What is the end of ftudy? let me know? Some King. Why, that to know, which elfe wefhould

not know.

Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from
common fenfe.. ́:

King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence.
Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to study fo,
To know the thing I am forbid to know;'
As thus; to study where I well may dine,
When I to feaft exprefly am forbid;
Or ftudy where to meet fome mistress fine,
When miftreffes from common fenfe are hid:
- Or, having fworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If study's gain be this, and this be fo,
Study knows that, which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er fay, no.

King. These be the ftops, that hinder ftudy quite; And train our Intellects to vain delight.

}

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, authen To feek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falily blind the eye-fight of his look: Light, feeing light, doth light of light beguile;

That his own hand may strike his honour down;
That violates the smallest branch herein':
If you are arm'd to do, as fworn to do,

Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too.
Long. I am refolv'd; 'tis but a three years fast:
The mind fhall banquet tho' the body pine;
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankerout the wits.

Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortify'd:
The groffer manner of thefe world's delights
He throws upon the grofs world's bafer flavés :".
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philofophy".

Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over.
So much (dear liege) I have already fworn,
That is, to live and ftudy here three years
But there are other ftrict obfervances;
As, not to fee a woman in that term,
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there.
And one day in a week to touch no food, T
And but one meal on every day befide;
The which, I hope, is not enrolled there.
And then to fleep but three hours in the night,
And not be feen to wink of all the day;
(When I was wont to think no harm all night,
And make a dark night too of half the day ;)
Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there.
O, these are barren tafks, too hard to keep;
Not to fee ladies, study, fast, not sleep.

King, Your Oath is pafs'd to pafs away from thefe. Biron. Let me fay, no, liege, an' if you please; only fwore to study with your Grace,

And stay here in your Court for three years' space.

With all thefe living in philofophy.] The ftile of the rhym ing fcenes in this play is often entangled and obfcure. I know

not certainly to what all these is to be referred; I fuppofe he means that he finds love, pomp, and awealth in philofophy.

Long.