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LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.

(WRITTEN ABOUT 1590.)

INTRODUCTION.

This play is supposed to be wholly of Shakespeare's own invention, no source of the plot hav ing been discovered. It is precisely such a one as a clever young man might imagine, who had come lately from the country-with its "daisies pied and violets blue," its "merry larks," its maidens who "bleach their summer smocks," its pompous parish schoolmaster, and its dull constable (a great public official in his own eyes)-to the town, where he was surrounded by more brilliant unrealities, and affectation of dress, of manner, of language, and of ideas. Love's Labour's Lost is a dramatic plea on behalf of nature and common sense against all that is unreal and affected. It maintains, in a gay and witty fashion, the superiority of life, as a means of education, over books; the superiority of the large world into which we are born over any little world we can construct for ourselves, and into which we may hedge ourselves by rule; and, while maintaining this, it also asserts that we must not educate ourselves only by what is mirthful and pleasant in the world, but must recognize its sorrow, and that we cannot be rightly glad without being grave and earnest. Thus, with its ap parent lightness, there is a serious spirit underlying the play; but the surface is all jest, and stir, and sparkle. It is a comedy of dialogue rather than of incident, and in the persons of Don Adriano de Armado, a fantastical Spaniard, of Sir Nathaniel the curate, and of Holofernes the schoolmaster, are caricatured various Elizabethan absurdities of speech, pseudo-refinement, and pseudo-learning. The braggart soldier and the pedant are characters well known in Italian comedy, and perhaps it was from that quarter that the hint came to Shakespeare, which stirred his imagination to create these ridiculous figures. Holofernes, some persons have supposed to be a satirical sketch of John Florio, author of an Italian dictionary; but Shakespeare did not in any ascertained instances satirize individual persons, and there is little evidence in this case to warrant the supposition. The play con tains nothing which serves to indicate its precise date, but it certainly belongs to Shakespeare's earliest dramatic period. The first quarto edition was published in 1598, "as it was presented before her Highness [Queen Elizabeth] this last Christmas [probably the Christmas of 1598], Newly corrected and augmented." Two traces of the alterations from the original play may still be observed. In Act V. sc. II., the lines 827-832 ought not to appear, being almost certainly the fragment of the play in its first form which was afterwards marked out in the lines 833-879. Similarly, in Biron's great speech, Act IV. sc. III., the lines 296-317 contain passages which are repeated or altered in the lines which follow (318-354), and obviously some of the lines in the original version have here been retained through a mistake.

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The endeavor of this present breath may buy That honor which shall bate his scythe's keen edge

And make us heirs of all eternity.

Therefore, brave conquerors,-for so you are,
That war against your own affections
And the huge army of the world's desires,-10
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force :
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world;
Our court shall be a little Academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.
You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with

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Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense?

King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense.

Biron. Come on, then; I will swear to study so,

To know the thing I am forbid to know : 60 As thus, to study where I well may dine, When I to feast expressly am forbid;

Or study where to meet some mistress fine, When mistresses from common sense are hid;

Or, having sworn too hard a keeping oath,
Study to break it and not break my troth.
If study's gain be thus and this be so,
Study knows that which yet it doth not know:
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er say no.

King. These be the stops that hinder study quite 70

And train our intellects to vain delight. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain,

Which with pain purchased doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book

To seek the light of truth; while truth the

while

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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;

But like of each thing that in season grows. So you, to study now it is too late, Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. King. Well, sit you out: go home, Biron : adieu. 110

Biron. 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.

.

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!

Biron [reads]. Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court:' Hath this been proclaimed ?

Long. Four days ago.

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Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads] 'On pain of losing her tongue.' Who devised this penalty?

Long. Marry, that did I.

Biron. Sweet lord, and why?

Long. To fright them hence with that "dread penalty.

Biron. 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

A maid of grace and complete majesty— About surrender up of Aquitaine

To her decrepit, sick and bedrid father: Therefore this article is made in vain,

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Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was

quite forgot.

Biron. So study evermore is overshot: 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, 'Tis 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.

Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three

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160

Suggestions are to other as to me; But I believe, although I seem so loath, I am the last that will last keep his oath. But is there no quick recreation granted? King. Ay, that there is. Our court, you know, is haunted

With a refined traveller of Spain; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, That hath a mint of phrases in his brain; One whom the music of his own vain tongue Doth ravish like enchanting harmony; A man of complements, whom right and wrong Have chose as umpire of their mutiny: 170 This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

For interim to our studies shall relate In high-born words the worth of many a knight

From tawny Spain lost in the world's debate.

How you delight, my lords, I know not, I ;
But, I protest, I love to hear him lie
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And I will use him for my minstrelsy.

Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.

Long. Costard the swain and he shall be 180

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? Biron. This, fellow what wouldst ? 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. Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme-Arme commends you. There's villany abroad: this letter will tell you more. 190 Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me.

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear? or forbear laughing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both.

200

Biron. 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.

Biron. In what manner?

Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting 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 speak to a woman: for the form,in some form.

Biron. For the following, sir?

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Cost. Of other men's secrets, I beseech you.

King [reads]. So it is, besieged with sablecolored melancholy, I did commend the blackoppressing humor to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time when. About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper so much for the time when. Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon it is ycleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the eboncolored ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest; but to the place where; it standeth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curiousknotted garden there did I see that low-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,'Cost. Me?

King [reads]. that unlettered small-knowing soul,'Cost.

Me?

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'that shallow vassal,'Cost. Still me?

King [reads]. 'which, as I remember, hight Costard,

Cost. O, me !

260

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with the aforesaid swain,-I keep her as a vessel of the law's fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heartburning heat of duty. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO.' Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, what say you to this?

Cost. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation? Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench.

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Cost. I was taken with none, sir: I was taken with a damsel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed 'damsel.' Cost. This was no damsel, neither, sir; she was a virgin.

King. It is so varied, too; for it was proclaimed 'virgin.'

Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid.

[sir. King. This maid will not serve your turn. Cost. This maid will serve my turn, sir. King. Sir, I will pronounce your sentence: you shall fast a week with bran and water. Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.

My Lord Biron, see him deliver'd o'er:
And go we, lords, to put in practice that

Which each to other hath so strongly sworn.

[Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumain. Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat,

These oaths and laws will prove an idle

scorn.

Sirrah, come on.

Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir; for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl: and therefore welcome the sour cup of prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again; and till then, sit thee down, sorrow! [Exeunt.

SCENE II. The same.

Enter ARMADO and MOTH.

Arm. Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows melancholy?

Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad.

Arm. Why, sadness is one and the selfsame thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O Lord, sir, no. Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal?

Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior.

10

Arm. Why tough senior? why tough sen

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Arm. I love not to be crossed.

Moth. [Aside] He speaks the mere contrary crosses love not him.

Arm. I have promised to study three years with the duke

Moth. You may do it in an hour, sir.
Arm. Impossible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

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Arm. I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster.

Moth. You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir.

Arm. I confess both: they are both the varnish of a complete man.

Moth. Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to. Arm. It doth amount to one more than two. Moth. Which the base vulgar do call three. Arm. True.

Moth. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here is three studied, ere ye'll thrice wink and how easy it is to put 'years' to the word 'three,' and study three years in two words, the dancing horse will tell you. Arm. Á most fine figure! Moth. To prove you a cipher.

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Arm. I will hereupon confess I am in love : and as it is base for a soldier to love, so am I in love with a base wench. If drawing my sword against the humor of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take Desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new-devised courtesy. I think scorn to sigh: methinks I should outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: what great men have been in love?

Moth. Hercules, master.

Arm. Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage.

Moth. Samson, master: he was a man of

good carriage, great carriage, for he carried the town-gates on his back like a porter: and he was in love.

Arm. O well-knit Samson! strong-jointed Samson! I do excel thee in my rapier as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in love too Who was Samson's love, my dear Moth ? 80

Moth. A woman, master.

Arm. Of what complexion? Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four.

Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion. Moth. Of the sea-water green, sir. Arm. Is that one of the four complexions? Moth. As I have read, sir; and the best of them too.

Arm. Green indeed is the color of lovers; but to have a love of that color, methinks Samson had small reason for it. He surely affected her for her wit.

Moth. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit.

Arm. My love is most immaculate white and red.

Moth. Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under such colors.

Arm. Define, define, well-educated infant. Moth. My father's wit and my mother's tongue, assist me !

101 Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and pathetical!

Moth. If she be made of white and red,

Her faults will ne'er be known,

For blushing cheeks by faults are bred
And fears by pale white shown:
Then if she fear, or be to blame,

By this you shall not know,

For still her cheeks possess the same 110
Which native she doth owe.

A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of white and red.

Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar ?

Moth. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since: but I think now 'tis not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing nor the tune.

Arm. I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may example my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the park with the rational hind Costard: she deserves well.

Moth. [Aside] To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master.

Arm. Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love.

Moth. And that's great marvel, loving a light wench.

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Arm. I say, sing. Moth. Forbear till this company be past. Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA. Dull. Sir, the duke's pleasure is, that you keep Costard safe and you must suffer him to take no delight nor no penance; but a' must

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