LOVE's LABOUR's LOST.

VOL. II.

A

Perfons reprefented.

Ferdinand, King of Navarre.

Biron,

Longaville, Lords, attending on the King.
Dumain,

Mercade, Lords, attending on the Princess of France.
Don Adriano de Armado, a fantaftical Spaniard
Sir Nathaniel, a Curate.

Holofernes, a Schoolmaster.
Dull, a Conftable.

Coftard, a Clown.

Moth, Page to Armado.

Officers, and Others, attendants on the King and Princess.

SCENE, Navarre.

LOVE'S LABOUR's LOST.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Navarre. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN.

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, fpite of cormorant devouring time,
The endeavour of this prefent breath may buy
That honour, which shall bate his fcythe's keen edge,
And make us heirs of all eternity.

Therefore, brave conquerors!-for fo 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 fhall be a little Academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.

You three, Birón, Dumain, and Longaville,

Have fworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes,
That are recorded in this schedule here:

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names;

That his own hand may ftrike his honour down,

That violates the fmalleft branch herein :

If

you are arm'd to do, as fworn to do, Subscribe to your deep oath, and keep it too.

LONG. I am refolv'd: 'tis but a three years' faft; The mind fhall banquet, though the body pine: Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits Make rich the ribs, but bank'rout quite the wits. DUM. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified; The groffer manner of these world's delights He throws upon the grofs world's baser slaves : To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die; With all these living in philofophy.

years.

BIRON. I can but fay their proteftation over,
So much, dear liege, I have already fworn,
That is, To live and ftudy here three
But there are other ftrict 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, ftudy, faft, not sleep.

KING. Your oath is pafs'd to pass away from thefe.
BIRON. Let me fay, no, my liege, an if you please
I only fwore, to ftudy with your grace,
And stay here in your court for three years' space.