Description: Love''s Labor''s Lost ¥ I.1 Enter Ferdinand King of Navarre, Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine. king Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Live registered upon our brazen tombs 2 And then grace us in the disgrace of death, 3 When, spite of cormorant devouring Time, 4 Th'' endeavor of this present breath may buy 5 That honor which shall bate his scythe''s keen edge 6 And make us heirs of all eternity. Therefore, brave conquerors-for so you are That war against your own affections 9 And the huge army of the world''s desires- 10 Our late edict shall strongly stand in force: 11 Navarre shall be the wonder of the world; Our court shall be a little academe, 13 Still and contemplative in living art. 14 You three-Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville- Have sworn for three years'' term to live with me My fellow scholars, and to keep those statutes That are recorded in this schedule here. 18 Your oaths are passed; and now subscribe your names, 19 That his own hand may strike his honor down 20 That violates the smallest branch herein. 21 If you are armed to do as sworn to do, 22 Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep it too. longaville I am resolved. ''Tis but a three years'' fast. The mind shall banquet though the body pine. Fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits 26 Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits. dumaine My loving lord, Dumaine is mortified. 28 The grosser manner of these world''s delights He throws upon the gross world''s baser slaves. 30 To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die, With all these living in philosophy. 32 berowne I can but say their protestation over. 33 So much, dear liege, I have already sworn, 34 That is, to live and study here three years. But there are other strict observances: As not to see a woman in that term, Which I hope well is not enrolld there; 38 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 enrolld there; And then to sleep but three hours in the night, And not be seen to wink of all the day 43 (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 enrolld there. O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep- Not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep. king Your oath is passed to pass away from these. berowne Let me say no, my liege, an if you please. 50 I only swore to study with your grace And stay here in your court for three years'' space. longaville You swore to that, Berowne, and to the rest. berowne By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest. 54 What is the end of study, let me know? king Why, that to know which else we should not know. berowne Things hid and barred, you mean, from common sense? 57 king Ay, that is study''s godlike recompense. berowne Come on then, I will swear to study so, 59 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; 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, 70 And train our intellects to vain delight. 71 berowne Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain 72 Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain: 73 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 begui 77 So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes. 79 Study me how to please the eye indeed, 80 By fixing it upon a fairer eye, 81 Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, 82 And give him light that it was blinded by. 83 Study is like the heaven''s glorious sun, That will not be deep-searched with saucy looks: 85 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 fixd star, Have no more profit of their shining nights 90 Than those that walk and wot not what they are. 91 Too much to know is to know nought but fame; 92 And every godfather can give a name. 93 king How well he''s read to reason against reading! 94 dumaine Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! 95 longaville He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. 96 berowne The spring is near, when green geese are a-breeding. 97 dumaine How follows that? 98 berowne Fit in his place and time. dumaine In reason nothing. 99 berowne Something then in rhyme. king Berowne is like an envious sneaping frost 100 That bites the first-born infants of the spring. 101 berowne Well, say I am; why should proud summer boast 102 Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I joy in any abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in May''s newfangled shows, But like of each thing that in season grows. 107 So you, to study now it is too late, 108 Climb o''er the house to unlock the little gate. 109 king Well, sit you out. Go home, Berowne. Adieu. 110 berowne 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. 115 Give me the paper, let me read the same, And to the strict''st decrees I''ll write my name. king [Handing over the paper] How well this yielding rescues thee from shame! berowne [Reads.] "Item: that no woman shall come within a mile of my court-" Hath this been proclaimed? 120 longaville Four days ago. berowne Let''s see the penalty. "-on pain of losing her tongue." Who devised this penalty? longaville Marry, that did I. 124 berowne Sweet lord, and why? longaville To fright them hence with that dread penalty. berowne A dangerous law against gentility! 126 [Reads.] "Item: if any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possible devise." This article, my liege, yourself must break; 130 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 134 To her decrepit, sick, and bedrid father. Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes th'' admird princess hither. king What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. berowne So study evermore is overshot. While it doth study to have what it would,

Please Wait