For by this ring the Doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano, For that fame fcrubbed boy, the Doctor's clerk, Duf In lieu of this, last night did lie with me. Gra. Why, this is like the mending of high-ways In fummer, where the ways are fair enough: What are we cuckolds ere we have deferv'd it? Por. Speak not fo grofsly; you are all amaz'd: Here is a letter, read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you fhall find, that Portia was the Doctor; You fhall not know by what strange accident Ant. I am dumb. Baff. Were you the Doctor, and I knew you not? Gra. Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold? Ner. Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man. Baff. Sweet Doctor, you fhall be my bedfellow; When I am abfent, then lie with my wife. Ant. Sweet Lady, you have giv'n me life and living; For here I read for certain, that Are fafely come to road. Por. How now, Lorenzo? my ships My clerk hath fome good comforts too for you. There do I give to you and Jeffica, From the rich Jew, a fpecial deed of gift, Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people. Por. It is almost morning, And yet I'm fure you are not fatisfy'd Of Of these events at full. Let us go in, Gra. Let it be fo. The firft interr'gatory, LOVE'S 2 LOVE'S LABOUR's LOST* A DRAMATIS PERSONE. FERDINAND, King of Na- || varre. Biron, three Lords at Stending upon Longaville, the King in his the King in his Dumain, Boyet, Macard, retirement. Lords attending upon the Princefs of France. Don Adriana de Armada, a fantaftical Spaniard. Nathaniel, a curate. Dull, a conflable. Holofernes, a schoolmaster. Moth, page to Don Adria- Jaquenetta, a country wench. SCENE, the King of Navarre's palace, and the coun try near it. A C T I. 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 prefent breath may buy Therefore, brave conquerors! for fo you are, That war against your own affections, In this play are to be perceived several strokes of Shakespear's pen, but the whole ought by no means to pass for the work of it. brazen tombs; And then grace us in the difgrace of death; When, fpight of, &c. And And the huge army of the world's defires; Your oaths are pass'd, and now fubfcribe your names : 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 pass'd to pass away from these. I only I only fwore to ftudy with your Grace, King. Why, that to know, which elfe we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common fenfe. King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence. Study knows that which yet it doth not know: King. Thefe be the flops 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, To feek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falfely blind the eye-fight of his look: Light, feeking light, doth light of light beguile; Who dazzling fo, that eye fhall be his heed, Study is like the heaven's glorious fun, That will not be deep-fearch'd with fawcy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. Thefe earthly godfathers of heaven's lights That give a name to every fixed ftar, |