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HGravelot in &del.

Vol:2 P: 169.

G.VarGucht Sell

LOVE'S LABOUR'S Loft.

A

COME D Y.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

FERDINAND, King of Navarre.

Biron,

Longaville,

Dumain,

Boyet,

three Lords, attending upon the King in his

retirement.

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

Don Adriano de Armádo, a fantastical Spaniard.

Nathaniel, a Curate.

Dull, a Conftable.

Holofernes, a Schoolmaster.

Coftard, a Clown.

Moth, Page to Don Adriano de Armado.
A Forefter.

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Officers, and others, Attendants upon the King and

Princefs.

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

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LOVE'S LABOUR'S Loft.

A C T

I.

SCENE, The Palace.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville and Dumain

L

KING.

ET Fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live registred upon our brazen tombs;

And then grace us in the difgrace of death:
When, fpight of cormorant devouring time,
Th' endeavour of this 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 fo you are,
That war againft your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's defires;
Our late edict fhall ftrongly stand in force.
Navarre fhall be the wonder of the world;
Our court fhall 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-fcholars; and to keep those statutes,
That are recorded in this fchedule here.

Your oaths are

past, and now subscribe your names:

H 3

That

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,
Subfcribe to your deep oaths, and keep them too.
Long. I am refolv'd; 'tis but a three years fast:
The mind fhall 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 thefe 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 philofophy.

Biron. I can but fay their proteftation over, So much (dear Liege) I have already fworn, 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, (1) 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 pafs 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. Long. You fwore to that, Biron, and to the reft. Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I swore in jeft.

(1) When I was wont to think no harm all night,] i. e. When I was ufed to fleep all night long, without once waking. The Latines have a proverbial expreflion very nigh to the fenfe of our author's thought

here:

Qui bene dormit, nihil mali cogitat,

What

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