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H:Gravelot in & del. Vol: 2.P.169.

GiVander Gucht soul.

2

LOVE'S LABOUR'S loft.

A

COMEDY.

VOL. II.

H

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Boyet, Lords, attending upon the Princess of France.

Macard,

Don Adriano de Armado, a fantastical Spaniard.

Nathaniel, a Curate.

Dull, a Constable.

Holofernes, a Schoolmaster.

Costard, a Clown.

Moth, Page to Don Adriano de Armado.

A Forester.

Princess of France.

Rosaline,

Maria,

Catharine,

}

Ladies, attending on the Princess.

Jaquenetta, a Country Wench.

Officers, and others, Attendants upon the King and Princess.

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

LOVE'S LABOUR's loft.

ACT I.

SCENE, The Palace.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville and Dumain.

KING.

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

Th' endeavour of this present breath may
buy

That honour 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 defires;
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force.
Navarre shall 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 sworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow Scholars; and to keep those Statutes,

H 2

That

That are recorded in this schedule here.

Your oaths are paft, and now fubfcribe 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 sworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too.
Long. I am refolv'd; 'tis but a three years faft:
The mind shall 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 these world's delights
He throws upon the gross world's baser slaves :
To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die;
With all these living in philosophy..

Biron. I can but say their protestation 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 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 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, faft, not fleep.

King. Your Oath is pass'd to pass away from these.
Biron. Let me say, no, my liege, an' if you please;
I only swore to study with your Grace,
And stay here in your Court for three years' space.
Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest.
Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I swore in jeft.
What is the end of study? let me know ?
King. Why, that to know, which else we should not

know.

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