Dramatis Perfonæ.

FERDINAND, King of Navarre.

Biron,

Longaville, three Lords attending upon the King in his retirement.

Dumain,

Boyet,

Macard, S } Lords attending upon the Princess of France.

Don Adriana de Armado, a fantaftical Spaniard.

Nathaniel, a Curate.

Dull, a Conftable.

Holofernes, a Schoolmaster.

Coftard, a Clown.

Officers and others Attendants upon the King and Princefs.

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

LOVE'S LABOUR's Loft.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville and Dumain.

KING.

ET Fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live registred upon our brazen tombs; *
When spight of cormorant devouring time,
Th' endeavour of his prefent breath may buy
That honour which fhall bate his fythe'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 defires,
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force;
Navarre fhall be the wonder of the world,
Our court shall 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 ftatutes

That are recorded in this schedule here.

--brazen tombs;

And then grace us in the difgrace of death:
When fpight of &c.

Your

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names: 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 year's fast:
The mind shall banquet, tho' the body pine;
Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankrout quite the wits.

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

Biron. I can but say their proteftation over,
So much (dear liege) I have already sworn,
That is, to live and study here three years:
But there are other strict obfervances;
As not to see 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 seen 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 tasks, too hard to keep;
Not to fee ladies, study, fast, nor fleep.

King. Your oath is past to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me fay no, my liege, and if you please;

I only fwore to study 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 swore in jest.
What is the end of study? let me know?

King. Why that to know which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd (you mean) from common sense. King. Ay, that is ftudy's god-like recompence.

Biron. Come on then, I will fwear to study so,

To know the thing I am forbid to know;
As thus; to study where I well may dine,
When I to faft exprefly am forbid;
Or study where to meet fome mistress fine,
When mistreffes 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 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,
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 falfly blind the eye-fight of his look:

Light feeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.
Study me how to please the eye indeed,

By fixing it upon a fairer eye;
Who dazling fo, that eye fhall be his heed,
And give him light that it was blinded by.

3

m

Study

Study is like the Heaven's glorious Sun,

That will not be deep search'd with sawcy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save bafe authority from others books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights,

That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their fhining nights,

Than those that walk, and wot not what they are.
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.
Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding.
Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding.
Biron. The fpring is near, when green geefe are a breeding.
Dum. How follows that?

Biron. Fit in his place and time.

Dum. In reason nothing.

Biron. Something then in rhime.

Long. Biron is like an envious †fneaping froft,

That bites the first-born infants of the spring.

Biron. Well, fay I am; why fhould proud fummer boast, Before the birds have any cause to fing?

Why fhould I joy in an abortive birth?

At Christmas I no more defire a rofe,

Than with a fnow in May's new-fangled fhows:
But like of each thing that in feafon grows.
So you, to study now it is too late,

Climb o'er the houfe t'unlock the little gate.

King. Well fit you out. Go home, Biron: Adicu. Biron. No, my good lord, I've fworn to stay with you. And though I have for barbarism spoke more,

Than for that angel knowledge you can say,

†fneaping. checking.

Yet