Love's Labour's Lost (1925) Yale/Text/Act I

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ACT FIRST

Scene One

[The King of Navarre's Park]

Enter Ferdinand King of Navarre, Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine.


King. Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live register'd upon our brazen tombs,
And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
When, spite of cormorant devouring Time, 4
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, 8
That war against your own affections
And the huge army of the world's desires,—
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force:
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world; 12
Our court shall be a little academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.
You three, Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me, 16
My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes
That are recorded in this schedule here:
Your oaths are pass'd; and now subscribe your names,
That his own hand may strike his honour down 20
That violates the smallest branch herein.
If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep it too.

Long. I am resolv'd; 'tis but a three years' fast: 24
The mind shall banquet, though the body pine:
Fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits
Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits.

Dum. My loving lord, Dumaine is mortified: 28
The grosser 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. 32

Ber. 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 observances; 36
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 beside; 40
The which I hope is not enrolled there:
And then, to sleep 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 44
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 see ladies, study, fast, not sleep. 48

King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these.

Ber. 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. 52

Long. You swore to that, Berowne, and to the rest.

Ber. 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. 56

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

King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense.

Ber. 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; 64
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. 68
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.

Ber. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain 72
Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain:
As, painfully to pore upon a book,
To seek the light of truth; while truth the while
Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look: 76
Light seeking 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, 80
By fixing it upon a fairer eye,
Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,
And give him light that it was blinded by.
Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, 84
That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks:
Small have continual plodders ever won,
Save base authority from others' books.
These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, 88
That give a name to every fixed star,
Have no more profit of their shining nights
Than those that walk and wot not what they are.
Too much to know is to know nought but fame; 92
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. 96

Ber. The spring is near, when green geese are a-breeding.

Dum. How follows that?

Ber. Fit in his place and time.

Dum. In reason nothing.

Ber. Something, then, in rime.

King. Berowne is like an envious sneaping frost 100
That bites the first-born infants of the spring.

Ber. Well, say I am: why should proud summer boast
Before the birds have any cause to sing?
Why should I joy in any abortive birth? 104
At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows;
But like of each thing that in season grows.
So you, to study now it is too late, 108
Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate.

King. Well, sit you out: go home, Berowne: adieu!

Ber. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you:
And though I have for barbarism spoke more 112
Than for that angel knowledge you can say,
Yet confident I'll keep what I have sworn,
And bide the penance of each three years' day.
Give me the paper; let me read the same; 116
And to the strictest decrees I'll write my name.

King. How well this yielding rescues thee from shame!

Ber. 'Item. That no woman shall come with-
in a mile of my court.' Hath this been pro- 120
claimed?

Long. Four days ago.

Ber. Let's see the penalty. 'On pain of losing
her tongue.' Who devised this penalty? 124

Long. Marry, that did I.

Ber. Sweet lord, and why?

Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty.

[Ber.] A dangerous law against gentility!
'Item. If any man be seen to talk with a wo- 128
man 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; 132
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 136
To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father.
Therefore this article is made in vain,
Or vainly comes th' admired princess hither.

King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. 140

Ber. 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, 144
'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.

Ber. Necessity will make us all forsworn 148
Three thousand times within this three years' space:
For every man with his affects is born,
Not by might master'd, but by special grace.
If I break faith, this word shall speak for me: 152
I am forsworn 'on mere necessity.'
So to the laws at large I write my name: [Signs.]
And he that breaks them in the least degree
Stands in attainder of eternal shame. 156
Suggestions are to others 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? 160

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; 164
One who 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. 168
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. 172
How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;
But, I protest, I love to hear him lie,
And I will use him for my minstrelsy.

Ber. Armado is a most illustrious wight, 176
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.

Long. Costard the swain and he shall be our sport;
And, so to study, three years is but short.

Enter a Constable [Dull] with Costard with a Letter.

Const. Which is the duke's own person? 180

Ber. This, fellow. What wouldst?

Const. I myself reprehend his own person, for
I am his Grace's tharborough: but I would see
his own person in flesh and blood. 184

Ber. This is he.

Const. Signior Arm—Arm—commends you.
There's villainy abroad: this letter will tell you
more. 188

Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touch-
ing me.

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Ber. How low soever the matter, I hope in 192
God for high words.

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

Ber. To hear, or forbear laughing? 196

Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh
moderately, or to forbear both.

Ber. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us
cause to climb in the merriness. 200

Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning
Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken
with the manner.

Ber. In what manner? 204

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, 208
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.

Ber. For the following, sir? 212

Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and
God defend the right!

King. Will you hear this letter with attention?

Ber. As we would hear an oracle. 216

Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken
after the flesh.

King. [Reads.] 'Great deputy, the welkin's vice-
gerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's 220
earth's God, and body's fostering patron,—'

Cost. Not a word of Costard yet.

King. [Reads.] 'So it is—'

Cost. It may be so; but if he say it is so, he 224
is, in telling true, but so.—

King. Peace!

Cost. Be to me and every man that dares not
fight. 228

King. No words!

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

King. [Reads.] 'So it is, besieged with sable-col-
oured melancholy, I did commend the black-op- 232
pressing humour to the most wholesome physic of
thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentle-
man, betook myself to walk. The time when?
About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, 236
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 240
thy park. Then for the place where; where, I
mean, I did encounter that most obscene and
preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-
white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou 244
viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest. But to the
place where, it standeth north-north-east and
by east from the west corner of thy curious-
knotted garden. There did I see that low-spirited 248
swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,—'

Cost. Me?

King. [Reads.] 'that unlettered small-knowing
soul,—'

Cost. Me? 252

King. [Reads.] 'that shallow vessel,—'

Cost. Still me?

King. [Reads.] 'which, as I remember, hight
Costard,—' 256

Cost. O me!

King. [Reads.] 'sorted and consorted, contrary
to thy established proclaimed edict and continent
canon, with—with,—O! with—but with this I 260
passion to say wherewith,—'

Cost. With a wench.

King. [Reads.] 'with a child of our grandmother
Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet under- 264
standing, a woman. Him I,—as my ever-
esteemed duty pricks me on,—have sent to thee,
to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet
Grace's officer, Anthony Dull; a man of good 268
repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation.'

Dull. Me, an 't shall please you; I am Anthony
Dull.

King. [Reads.] 'For Jaquenetta,—so is the
weaker vessel called which I apprehended with the 272
aforesaid swain,—I keep her as a vessel of thy law's
fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice,
bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of
devoted and heart-burning heat of duty, 276
Don Adriano de Armado.'

Ber. 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? 280

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. 284

King. It was proclaimed a year's imprison-
ment to be taken with a wench.

Cost. I was taken with none, sir: I was taken
with a damsel. 288

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 pro-
claimed 'virgin.' 293

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

King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. 296

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 300
and porridge.

King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.
My Lord Berowne, see him deliver'd o'er:
And go we, lords, to put in practice that 304
Which each to other hath so strongly sworn.

[Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumaine.]

Ber. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat,
These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.
Sirrah, come on. 308

Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is
I was taken with Jaquenctta, and Jaquenetta is
a true girl; and therefore welcome the sour cup of
prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again; 312
and till then, sit thee down, sorrow! Exeunt.

Scene Two

[The Same]

Enter Armado and Moth his Page.


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

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

Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same 4
thing, dear imp.

Boy. No, no; O Lord, sir, no.

Arm. How canst thou part sadness and me-
lancholy, my tender juvenal? 8

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

Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior?

Boy. Why tender juvenal? why tender juve- 12
nal?

Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a con-
gruent epitheton appertaining to thy young
days, which we may nominate tender. 16

Boy. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent
title to your old time, which we may name tough.

Arm. Pretty, and apt.

Boy. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my 20
saying apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty?

Arm. Thou pretty, because little.

Boy. Little pretty, because little. Wherefore
apt? 24

Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.

Boy. Speak you this in my praise, master?

Arm. In thy condign praise.

Boy. I will praise an eel with the same 28
praise.

Arm. What! that an eel is ingenious?

Boy. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do say thou art quick in answers: 32
thou heat'st my blood.

Boy. I am answered, sir.

Arm. I love not to be crossed.

Boy. [Aside.] He speaks the mere contrary: 36
crosses love not him.

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

Boy. You may do it in an hour, sir. 40

Arm. Impossible.

Boy. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the
spirit of a tapster. 44

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

Arm. I confess both: they are both the var-
nish of a complete man. 48

Boy. 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.

Boy. Which the base vulgar do call three. 52

Arm. True.

Boy. 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 56
'three,' and study three years in two words, the
dancing horse will tell you.

Arm. A most fine figure!

Boy. To prove you a cipher. 60

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 humour of affection would deliver 64
me from the reprobate thought of it, I would
take Desire prisoner, and ransom him to any
French courtier for a new devised curtsy. I
think scorn to sigh: methinks I should out- 68
swear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: what great men
have been in love?

Boy. Hercules, master.

Arm. Most sweet Hercules! More authority, 72
dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let
them be men of good repute and carriage.

Boy. Samson, master: he was a man of good
carriage, great carriage, for he carried the town- 76
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 80
too. Who was Samson's love, my dear Moth?

Boy. A woman, master.

Arm. Of what complexion?

Boy. Of all the four, or the three, or the 84
two, or one of the four.

Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion.

Boy. Of the sea-water green, sir.

Arm. Is that one of the four complexions? 88

Boy. As I have read, sir; and the best of
them too.

Arm. Green indeed is the colour of lovers;
but to have a love of that colour, methinks 92
Samson had small reason for it. He surely
affected her for her wit.

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

Arm. My love is most immaculate white and 96
red.

Boy. Most maculate thoughts, master, are
masked under such colours.

Arm. Define, define, well-educated infant. 100

Boy. My father's wit, and my mother's
tongue, assist me!

Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty
and pathetical! 104

Boy. 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: 108
Then if she fear, or be to blame,
By this you shall not know,
For still her cheeks possess the same
Which native she doth owe. 112
A dangerous rime, master, against the reason of
white and red.

Arm. Is there not a ballet, boy, of the King
and the Beggar? 116

Boy. The world was very guilty of such a
ballet 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. 120

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 124
hind Costard: she deserves well.

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

Arm. Sing, boy: my spirit grows heavy in 128
love.

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

Arm. I say, sing. 132

Boy. Forbear till this company be past.

Enter Clown [Costard], Constable [Dull], and Wench [Jaquenetta].

Const. 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 fast three 136
days a week. For this damsel, I must keep her
at the park; she is allowed for the day-woman.
Fare you well.

Arm. I do betray myself with blushing. Maid! 140

Maid. [Jaq.] Man?

Arm. I will visit thee at the lodge.

Maid. That's hereby.

Arm. I know where it is situate. 144

Maid. Lord, how wise you are!

Arm. I will tell thee wonders.

Maid. With that face?

Arm. I love thee. 148

Maid. So I heard you say.

Arm. And so farewell.

Maid. Fair weather after you!

Const. Come, Jaquenetta, away! 152

Exeunt [Dull and Jaquenetta].

Arm. Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou be pardoned.

Clow. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall
do it on a full stomach. 156

Arm. Thou shalt be heavily punished.

Clow. I am more bound to you than your
fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded.

Arm. Take away this villain: shut him up. 160

Boy. Come, you transgressing slave: away!

Clow. Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast,
being loose.

Boy. No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou 164
shalt to prison.

Clow. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of
desolation that I have seen, some shall see—

Boy. What shall some see? 168

Clow. Nay, nothing, Master Moth, but what
they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be
too silent in their words; and therefore I will
say nothing: I thank God I have as little pa- 172
tience as another man, and therefore I can be
quiet. Exit [Costard; also Moth].

Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is
base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by 176
her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be
forsworn,—which is a great argument of false-
hood,—if I love. And how can that be true love
which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; 180
Love is a devil: there is no evil angel but Love.
Yet was Samson so tempted, and he had an
excellent strength; yet was Solomon so seduced,
and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft 184
is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too
much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first
and second cause will not serve my turn; the
passado he respects not, the duello he regards 188
not: his disgrace is to be called boy, but his
glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust,
rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in
love; yea, he loveth. Assist me some extemporal 192
god of rime, for I am sure I shall turn sonnet.
Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole
volumes in folio. Exit.

Footnotes to Act I


Scene One

4 cormorant: ravenous
6 bate: blunt
12 Navarre; cf. n.
13 academe: academy
14 living art: the art of living; cf. n.
19 subscribe: sign
22 arm'd: ready
26 pates: heads
27 wits: faculties of the mind
28 mortified: dead so far as pleasures and passions are concerned
32 all these: i.e. love, wealth, pomp
38 there: i.e. in the schedule
43 wink of: close the eyes during
47 barren: fruitless, futile
50 an if: if
54 By yea and nay: i.e. by the most positive oath of affirmation and denial
57 common sense: ordinary sight or perception
62 feast; cf. n.
67, 68 Cf. n.
73 Cf. n.
76 his: its
77 beguile: deprive
79 light: i.e. sight
80–83 Study me . . . blinded by; cf. n.
85 saucy: bold
86 Small: little
88–93 Cf. n.
91 wot: know
95 Proceeded; cf. n.
97 green geese: grass-fed goslings, i.e. simpletons
99 Cf. n.
100 sneaping: nipping
101 infants: buds or flowers
106 new-fangled shows; cf. n.
109 Cf. n.
110 sit you out: withdraw
114 confident: I am confident; cf. n.
115 each three years' day: each day for three years
119 Item: likewise
127 gentility: courtesy
147 lie: lodge
mere: absolute
150 affects: affections, passions
151 special grace: divine help
156 in attainder: convicted
157 Suggestions: temptations
160 quick: lively
165 who: whom
167 complements: accomplishments
169 hight: is called
171 high-born: lofty
172 debate: warfare
175 for my minstrelsy: as my minstrel
177 fire-new: brand-new
180 duke's: i.e. king's
182 reprehend: i.e. represent
183 tharborough: third borough (constable)
189 contempts: i.e. contents
191 magnificent: showy, vainglorious
194 low heaven: i.e. moderate pleasure
203 with the manner (mainour): in the act
207 form: bench
213 correction: punishment
240 ycleped: called
247 curious-knotted: fancifully laid out in intricate beds
258 sorted: associated
259 continent: i.e. containing a summary of offenses
261 passion: grieve
284 marking of: paying attention to
288 damsel: a young unmarried woman of good birth
300 mutton: slang for 'loose woman'
306 lay: wager


Scene Two

5 imp: child
14 congruent epitheton: suitable epithet
16 nominate: call
17 appertinent: appropriate
37 crosses: coins (which had crosses on them)
58 dancing horse; cf. n.
59 figure: illustration
64 humour of affection: caprice of being in love
68 think: think it
83 complexion: disposition; cf. n.
94 affected: liked
wit: understanding
95 green wit; cf. n.
104 pathetical: touching
112 native: naturally
owe: own, possess
115, 116 Cf. n.
115 ballet: ballad
118 ages: generations
122 digression: deviation from my nature, i.e. debasement
124 rational: reasoning, i.e. not stupid
127 love: lover
136 a': he
138 allowed: approved of
day-woman: dairy-woman
164 fast and loose: cheating game of a sharper
167 desolation; cf. n.
175 affect: love
178 argument: proof
180 familiar: familiar spirit, i.e. demon
184 butt-shaft: arrow, without barb, for shooting at butts (targets)
187 cause: cause of quarrel
188 passado: pass, or thrust, in fencing
duello: duel
191 manager: wielder of weapons
193 turn sonnet: grow into a sonnet (?), turn sonneteer (?)