LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST,

A

COMEDY.

BY

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.

ACCURATELY PRINTED

FROM THE TEXT OF

Mr. STEEVENS's LAST EDITION.

Drnamented with Plates.

London:

Printed by T. Bensley, Bolt Court, Fleet Street. PUBLISHED BY E. HARDING, NO. 98, PALL-MA J. WRIGHT, PICCADILLY; G. SAEL, STRAND; AND VERNOR AND HOOD, POULTRY.

OBSERVATIONS.

I HAVE not hitherto difcovered any novel on which this comedy appears to have been founded; and yet the ftory of it has most of the features of an ancient romance. STEEVENS.

I fufpect that there is an error in the title of this play, which, I believe, fhould be-" Love's Labours loft." M. MASON.

Love's Labour's loft I conjecture to have been written in 1594.

MALONE.

FERDINAND, King of Navarre.

BIRON,

LONGAVILLE,

} 20

Lords, attending on the King.

DUMAIN,

BOYET, } Lords, attending on the Princess of France.

MERCADE,

Don ADRIANO DE ARMADO, a fantastical Spaniard.
Sir NATHANIEL, a Curate.

HOLOFERNES, a Schoolmafter.
DULL, a Conftable.

COSTARD, 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.

L

King.

ET 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,
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 so you are,
That war against your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's defires,→
Our late edict fhall strongly stand in force :
Navarre fhall be the wonder of the world;
Our court shall be a little Academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.
You three, Birón, Dumain, 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 fchedule here:

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names;
That his own hand may strike his honour down,
That violates the smallest 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' fast;