Love's Labour's Lost: ACT I
Introduction ACT I SCENE I. The king of Navarre's park. SCENE II. The same. ACT II ACT III ACT IV ACT V About the Play Feedback			Search: All the plays Hamlet Coriolanus Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Richard II Richard III Titus Andronicus Antony and Cleopatra Timon of Athens Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry the Fifth Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry VIII King John Pericles Troilus and Cressida All's Well... As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline A Midsummer... Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives... Much Ado about Nothing The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The Taming of... The Tempest The Two Gentlemen... The Winter's Tale    for: SCENE II. The same. Enter DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO and MOTH DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit       grows melancholy? MOTH       A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp. MOTH 5     No, no; O Lord, sir, no. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my       tender juvenal? MOTH       By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Why tough senior? why tough senior? MOTH 10    Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton       appertaining to thy young days, which we may       nominate tender. MOTH       And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your 15    old time, which we may name tough. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Pretty and apt. MOTH       How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or       I apt, and my saying pretty? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Thou pretty, because little. MOTH 20    Little pretty, because little. Wherefore apt? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       And therefore apt, because quick. MOTH       Speak you this in my praise, master? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       In thy condign praise. MOTH       I will praise an eel with the same praise. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO 25    What, that an eel is ingenious? MOTH       That an eel is quick. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I do say thou art quick in answers: thou heatest my blood. MOTH       I am answered, sir. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I love not to be crossed. MOTH 30    (Aside) He speaks the mere contrary; crosses love not him. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I have promised to study three years with the duke. MOTH       You may do it in an hour, sir. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Impossible. MOTH       How many is one thrice told? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO 35    I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster. MOTH       You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I confess both: they are both the varnish of a       complete man. MOTH       Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum of 40    deuce-ace amounts to. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       It doth amount to one more than two. MOTH       Which the base vulgar do call three. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       True. MOTH       Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here 45    is three studied, ere ye'll thrice wink: and how       easy it is to put 'years' to the word 'three,' and       study three years in two words, the dancing horse       will tell you. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       A most fine figure! MOTH 50    To prove you a cipher. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       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 me from the reprobate 55    thought of it, I would take Desire prisoner, and       ransom him to any French courtier for a new-devised       courtesy. I think scorn to sigh: methinks I should       outswear Cupid. Comfort, me, boy: what great men       have been in love? MOTH 60    Hercules, master. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name       more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good       repute and carriage. MOTH       Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great 65    carriage, for he carried the town-gates on his back       like a porter: and he was in love. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       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 too. Who was Samson's 70    love, my dear Moth? MOTH       A woman, master. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Of what complexion? MOTH       Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Tell me precisely of what complexion. MOTH 75    Of the sea-water green, sir. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Is that one of the four complexions? MOTH       As I have read, sir; and the best of them too. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Green indeed is the colour of lovers; but to have a       love of that colour, methinks Samson had small reason 80    for it. He surely affected her for her wit. MOTH       It was so, sir; for she had a green wit. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       My love is most immaculate white and red. MOTH       Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under       such colours. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO 85    Define, define, well-educated infant. MOTH       My father's wit and my mother's tongue, assist me! DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and       pathetical! MOTH       If she be made of white and red, 90    Her faults will ne'er be known,       For blushing cheeks by faults are bred       And fears by pale white shown:       Then if she fear, or be to blame,       By this you shall not know, 95    For still her cheeks possess the same       Which native she doth owe.       A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of       white and red. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar? MOTH 100   The world was very guilty of such a ballad 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. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may 105   example my digression by some mighty precedent.       Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the       park with the rational hind Costard: she deserves well. MOTH       (Aside) To be whipped; and yet a better love than       my master. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO 110   Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love. MOTH       And that's great marvel, loving a light wench. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I say, sing. MOTH       Forbear till this company be past. Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA DULL       Sir, the duke's pleasure is, that you keep Costard 115   safe: and you must suffer him to take no delight       nor no penance; but a' must fast three days a week.       For this damsel, I must keep her at the park: she       is allowed for the day-woman. Fare you well. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I do betray myself with blushing. Maid! JAQUENETTA 120   Man? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I will visit thee at the lodge. JAQUENETTA       That's hereby. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I know where it is situate. JAQUENETTA       Lord, how wise you are! DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO 125   I will tell thee wonders. JAQUENETTA       With that face? DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I love thee. JAQUENETTA       So I heard you say. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       And so, farewell. JAQUENETTA 130   Fair weather after you! DULL       Come, Jaquenetta, away! Exeunt DULL and JAQUENETTA DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou       be pardoned. COSTARD       Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a 135   full stomach. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Thou shalt be heavily punished. COSTARD       I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they       are but lightly rewarded. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       Take away this villain; shut him up. MOTH 140   Come, you transgressing slave; away! COSTARD       Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast, being loose. MOTH       No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt to prison. COSTARD       Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation       that I have seen, some shall see. MOTH 145   What shall some see? COSTARD       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 patience as another man; and 150   therefore I can be quiet. Exeunt MOTH and COSTARD DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO       I do affect the very ground, which is base, where       her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which       is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, which       is a great argument of falsehood, if I love. And 155   how can that be true love which is falsely       attempted? Love is a familiar; 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. 160   Cupid's butt-shaft 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       not: his disgrace is to be called boy; but his 165   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 god of rhyme,       for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit;       write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. Exit Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene