Love's Labour's Lost

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Act II, Scene I
Enter the Princesse of France,
with three attending Ladies,
and three Lords.

Boyet.
Now Madam summon vp your dearest spirits,
Consider who the King your father sends:
To whom he sends, and what's his Embassie.
Your selfe, held precious in the worlds esteeme,
To parlee with the sole inheritour
Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchlesse Nauarre, the plea of no lesse weight
Then Aquitaine, a Dowrie for a Queene.
Be now as prodigall of all deare grace,
As Nature was in making Graces deare,
When she did starue the generall world beside,
And prodigally gaue them all to you.

Queen.
Good L. Boyet, my beauty though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by iudgement of the eye,
Not vttred by base sale of chapmens tongues:
I am lesse proud to heare you tell my worth,
Then you much wiling to be counted wise,
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to taske the tasker, good Boyet,
You are not ignorant all-telling fame
Doth noyse abroad Nauar hath made a vow,
Till painefull studie shall out-weare three yeares,
No woman may approach his silent Court:
Therefore to's seemeth it a needfull course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure, and in that behalfe
Bold of your worthinesse, we single you,
As our best mouing faire soliciter:
Tell him, the daughter of the King of France,
On serious businesse crauing quicke dispatch,
Importunes personall conference with his grace.
Haste, signifie so much while we attend,
Like humble visag'd suters his high will.

Boy.
Proud of imployment, willingly I goe. Exit.

Prin.
All pride is willing pride, and yours is so:
Who are the Votaries my louing Lords,
that are vow-fellowes with this vertuous Duke?

Lor.
Longauill is one.

Princ.
Know you the man?

1 Lady.
I know him Madame at a marriage feast,
Betweene L. Perigort and the beautious heire
Of Iaques Fauconbridge solemnized.
In Normandie saw I this Longauill,
A man of soueraigne parts he is esteem'd:
Well fitted in Arts, glorious in Armes:
Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.
The onely soyle of his faire vertues glosse,
If vertues glosse will staine with any soile,
Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a Will:
Whose edge hath power to cut whose will still wills,
It should none spare that come within his power.

Prin.
Some merry mocking Lord belike, ist so?

Lad. 1.
They say so most, that most his humors know.

Prin.
Such short liu'd wits do wither as they grow.
Who are the rest?

2. Lad.
The yong Dumaine, a well accomplisht youth,
Of all that Vertue loue, for Vertue loued.
Most power to doe most harme, least knowing ill:
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace though she had no wit.
I saw him at the Duke Alansoes once,
And much too little of that good I saw,
Is my report to his great worthinesse.

Rossa.
Another of these Students at that time,
Was there with him, as I haue heard a truth.
Berowne they call him, but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becomming mirth,
I neuer spent an houres talke withall.
His eye begets occasion for his wit,
For euery obiect that the one doth catch,
The other turnes to a mirth-mouing iest.
Which his faire tongue (conceits expositor)
Deliuers in such apt and gracious words,
That aged eares play treuant at his tales,
And yonger hearings are quite rauished.
So sweet and voluble is his discourse.

Prin.
God blesse my Ladies, are they all in loue?
That euery one her owne hath garnished,
With such bedecking ornaments of praise.

Ma.
Heere comes Boyet.
Enter Boyet.

Prin.
Now, what admittance Lord?

Boyet.
Nauar had notice of your faire approach,
And he and his competitors in oath,
Were all addrest to meete you gentle Lady
Before I came: Marrie thus much I haue learnt,
He rather meanes to lodge you in the field,
Like one that comes heere to besiege his Court,
Then seeke a dispensation for his oath:
To let you enter his vnpeopled house.
Heere comes Nauar.
Enter Nauar, Longauill, Dumaine, and Berowne.

Nau.
Faire Princesse, welcom to the Court of Nauar.

Prin.
Faire I giue you backe againe, and welcome I
haue not yet: the roofe of this Court is too high to bee
yours, and welcome to the wide fields, too base to be
mine.

Nau.
You shall be welcome Madam to my Court.

Prin.
I wil be welcome then, Conduct me thither.

Nau.
Heare me deare Lady, I haue sworne an oath.

Prin.
Our Lady helpe my Lord, he'll be forsworne.

Nau.
Not for the world faire Madam, by my will.

Prin.
Why, will shall breake it will, and nothing els.

Nau.
Your Ladiship is ignorant what it is.

Prin.
Were my Lord so, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge must proue ignorance.
I heare your grace hath sworne out Houseekeeping:
'Tis deadly sinne to keepe that oath my Lord,
And sinne to breake it:
But pardon me, I am too sodaine bold,
To teach a Teacher ill beseemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my comming,
And sodainly resolue me in my suite.

Nau.
Madam, I will, if sodainly I may.

Prin.
You will the sooner that I were away,
For you'll proue periur'd if you make me stay.

Boy.
Lady, I will commend you to my owne
heart.

La. Ro.
Pray you doe my commendations, / I would be
glad to see it.

Boy.
I would you heard it grone.

La. Ro.
Is the soule sicke?

Boy.
Sicke at the heart.

La. Ro.
Alacke, let it bloud.

Boy.
Would that doe it good?

La. Ro.
My Phisicke saies I.

Boy.
Will you prick't with your eye.

La. Ro.
No poynt, with my knife.

Boy.
Now God saue thy life.

La. Ro.
And yours from long liuing.

Ber.
I cannot stay thanks-giuing.
Exit.

Kin.
Madame, your father heere doth intimate,
The paiment of a hundred thousand Crownes,
Being but th'one halfe, of an intire summe,
Disbursed by my father in his warres.
But say that he, or we, as neither haue
Receiu'd that summe; yet there remaines vnpaid
A hundred thousand more: in surety of the which,
One part of Aquitaine is bound to vs,
Although not valued to the moneys worth.
If then the King your father will restore
But that one halfe which is vnsatisfied,
We will giue vp our right in Aquitaine,
And hold faire friendship with his Maiestie:
But that it seemes he little purposeth,
For here he doth demand to haue repaie,
An hundred thousand Crownes, and not demands
One paiment of a hundred thousand Crownes,
To haue his title liue in Aquitaine.
Which we much rather had depart withall,
And haue the money by our father lent,
Then Aquitane, so guelded as it is.
Deare Princesse, were not his requests so farre
From reasons yeelding, your faire selfe should make
A yeelding 'gainst some reason in my brest,
And goe well satisfied to France againe.

Prin.
You doe the King my Father too much wrong,
And wrong the reputation of your name,
In so vnseeming to confesse receyt
Of that which hath so faithfully beene paid.

Kin.
I doe protest I neuer heard of it,
And if you proue it, Ile repay it backe,
Or yeeld vp Aquitaine.

Prin.
We arrest your word:
Boyet, you can produce acquittances
For such a summe, from speciall Officers,
Of Charles his Father.

Kin.
Satisfie me so.

Boyet.
So please your Grace, the packet is not come
Where that and other specialties are bound,
To morrow you shall haue a sight of them.

Kin.
It shall suffice me; at which enterview,
All liberall reason would I yeeld vnto:
Meane time, receiue such welcome at my hand,
As honour, without breach of Honour may
Make tender of, to thy true worthinesse.
You may not come faire Princesse in my gates,
But heere without you shall be so receiu'd,
As you shall deeme your selfe lodg'd in my heart,
Though so deni'd farther harbour in my house:
Your owne good thoughts excuse me, and farewell,
To morrow we shall visit you againe.

Prin.
Sweet health & faire desires consort your grace.

Kin.
Thy own wish wish I thee, in euery place.
Exit.

Enter Dumane.

Dum.
Sir, I pray you a word: What Lady is that same?

Boy.
The heire of Alanson, Rosalin her name.

Dum.
A gallant Lady, Mounsier fare you well.

Long.
I beseech you a word: what is she in the white?

Boy.
A woman somtimes, if you saw her in the light.

Long.
Perchance light in the light: I desire her name.

Boy.
Shee hath but one for her selfe, / To desire that were a shame.

Long.
Pray you sir, whose daughter?

Boy.
Her Mothers, I haue heard.

Long.
Gods blessing a your beard.

Boy.
Good sir be not offended,
Shee is an heyre of Faulconbridge.

Long.
Nay, my choller is ended:
Shee is a most sweet Lady. Exit. Long.

Boy.
Not vnlike sir, that may be.
Enter Beroune.

Ber.
What's her name in the cap.

Boy.
Katherine by good hap.

Ber.
Is she wedded, or no.

Boy.
To her will sir, or so.

Ber.
You are welcome sir, adiew.

Boy.
Fare well to me sir, and welcome to you.
Exit.

La. Ma.
That last is Beroune, the mery mad-cap Lord.
Not a word with him, but a iest.

Boy.
And euery iest but a word.

Pri.
It was well done of you to take him at his word.

Boy.
I was as willing to grapple, as he was to boord.

La. Ma.
Two hot Sheepes marie:

Boy.
And wherefore not Ships?
No Sheepe (sweet Lamb) vnlesse we feed on your lips.

La.
You Sheepe & I pasture: shall that finish the iest?

Boy.
So you grant pasture for me.

La.
Not so gentle beast.
My lips are no Common, though seuerall they be.

Bo.
Belonging to whom?

La.
To my fortunes and me.

Prin.
Good wits wil be iangling, but gentles agree.
This ciuill warre of wits were much better vsed
On Nauar and his bookemen, for heere 'tis abus'd.

Bo.
If my obseruation (which very seldome lies
By the hearts still rhetoricke, disclosed with eyes)
Deceiue me not now, Nauar is infected.

Prin.
With what?

Bo.
With that which we Louers intitle affected.

Prin.
Your reason.

Bo.
Why all his behauiours doe make their retire,
To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire.
His hart like an Agot with your print impressed,
Proud with his forme, in his eie pride expressed.
His tongue all impatient to speake and not see,
Did stumble with haste in his eie-sight to be,
All sences to that sence did make their repaire,
To feele onely looking on fairest of faire:
Me thought all his sences were lockt in his eye,
As Iewels in Christall for some Prince to buy.
Who tendring their own worth from whence they were glast,
Did point out to buy them along as you past.
His faces owne margent did coate such amazes,
That all eyes saw his eies inchanted with gazes.
Ile giue you Aquitaine, and all that is his,
And you giue him for my sake, but one louing Kisse.

Prin.
Come to our Pauillion, Boyet is disposde.

Bro.
But to speak that in words, which his eie hath disclos'd.
I onelie haue made a mouth of his eie,
By adding a tongue, which I know will not lie.

Lad. Ro.
Thou art an old Loue-monger, and speakest skilfully.

Lad. Ma.
He is Cupids Grandfather, and learnes news of him.

Lad.2.
Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim.

Boy.
Do you heare my mad wenches?

La. 1.
No.

Boy.
What then, do you see?

Lad. 2.
I, our way to be gone.

Boy.
You are too hard for me.
Exeunt omnes.
Modern text
Act II, Scene I
Enter the Princess of France, Rosaline, Maria, and
Katharine, with Boyet and two more attendant
Lords

BOYET
Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits.
Consider who the King your father sends,
To whom he sends, and what's his embassy:
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem,
To parley with the sole inheritor
Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitaine, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace
As Nature was in making graces dear
When she did starve the general world beside,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

PRINCESS
Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise.
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,
Not uttered by base sale of chapmen's tongues.
I am less proud to hear you tell my worth
Than you much willing to be counted wise
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker. Good Boyet,
You are not ignorant all-telling fame
Doth noise abroad Navarre hath made a vow,
Till painful study shall outwear three years,
No woman may approach his silent court.
Therefore to's seemeth it a needful course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthiness, we single you
As our best-moving fair solicitor.
Tell him the daughter of the King of France,
On serious business craving quick dispatch,
Importunes personal conference with his grace.
Haste, signify so much, while we attend,
Like humble-visaged suitors, his high will.

BOYET
Proud of employment, willingly I go.

PRINCESS
All pride is willing pride, and yours is so.
Exit Boyet
Who are the votaries, my loving lords,
That are vow-fellows with this virtuous Duke?

FIRST LORD
Lord Longaville is one.

PRINCESS
Know you the man?

MARIA
I know him, madam. At a marriage feast
Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jacques Falconbridge, solemnized
In Normandy, saw I this Longaville.
A man of sovereign parts he is esteemed;
Well fitted in arts, glorious in arms.
Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.
The only soil of his fair virtue's gloss –
If virtue's gloss will stain with any soil –
Is a sharp wit matched with too blunt a will,
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
It should none spare that come within his power.

PRINCESS
Some merry mocking lord, belike – is't so?

MARIA
They say so most that most his humours know.

PRINCESS
Such short-lived wits do wither as they grow.
Who are the rest?

KATHARINE
The young Dumaine, a well-accomplished youth,
Of all that virtue love for virtue loved;
Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill,
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace though he had no wit.
I saw him at the Duke Alençon's once;
And much too little of that good I saw
Is my report to his great worthiness.

ROSALINE
Another of these students at that time
Was there with him, if I have heard a truth.
Berowne they call him – but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal.
His eye begets occasion for his wit,
For every object that the one doth catch
The other turns to a mirth-moving jest,
Which his fair tongue – conceit's expositor
Delivers in such apt and gracious words
That aged ears play truant at his tales
And younger hearings are quite ravished,
So sweet and voluble is his discourse.

PRINCESS
God bless my ladies! Are they all in love,
That every one her own hath garnished
With such bedecking ornaments of praise?

FIRST LORD
Here comes Boyet.
Enter Boyet

PRINCESS
Now, what admittance, lord?

BOYET
Navarre had notice of your fair approach,
And he and his competitors in oath
Were all addressed to meet you, gentle lady,
Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learned:
He rather means to lodge you in the field,
Like one that comes here to besiege his court,
Than seek a dispensation for his oath,
To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Here comes Navarre.
Enter the King, Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine

KING
Fair Princess, welcome to the court of Navarre.

PRINCESS
‘Fair' I give you back again, and ‘welcome' I
have not yet. The roof of this court is too high to be
yours, and welcome to the wide fields too base to be
mine.

KING
You shall be welcome, madam, to my court.

PRINCESS
I will be welcome, then. Conduct me thither.

KING
Hear me, dear lady. I have sworn an oath –

PRINCESS
Our Lady help my lord! He'll be forsworn.

KING
Not for the world, fair madam, by my will.

PRINCESS
Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing else.

KING
Your ladyship is ignorant what it is.

PRINCESS
Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.
I hear your grace hath sworn out housekeeping.
'Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,
And sin to break it.
But pardon me, I am too sudden-bold;
To teach a teacher ill beseemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,
And suddenly resolve me in my suit.
She offers the King a paper

KING
Madam, I will, if suddenly I may.

PRINCESS
You will the sooner that I were away,
For you'll prove perjured if you make me stay.
The King reads
Berowne and Rosaline converse apart

BEROWNE
Lady, I will commend you to my mine own
heart.

ROSALINE
Pray you, do my commendations; I would be
glad to see it.

BEROWNE
I would you heard it groan.

ROSALINE
Is the fool sick?

BEROWNE
Sick at the heart.

ROSALINE
Alack, let it blood.

BEROWNE
Would that do it good?

ROSALINE
My physic says ay.

BEROWNE
Will you prick't with your eye?

ROSALINE
Non point, with my knife.

BEROWNE
Now God save thy life.

ROSALINE
And yours from long living

BEROWNE
I cannot stay thanksgiving.
He leaves her

KING
Madam, your father here doth intimate
The payment of a hundred thousand crowns,
Being but the one half of an entire sum
Disbursed by my father in his wars.
But say that he, or we – as neither have –
Received that sum, yet there remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more, in surety of the which
One part of Aquitaine is bound to us,
Although not valued to the money's worth.
If then the King your father will restore
But that one half which is unsatisfied,
We will give up our right in Aquitaine
And hold fair friendship with his majesty.
But that, it seems, he little purposeth,
For here he doth demand to have repaid
A hundred thousand crowns, and not demands,
On payment of a hundred thousand crowns,
To have his title live in Aquitaine –
Which we much rather had depart withal,
And have the money by our father lent,
Than Aquitaine, so gelded as it is.
Dear Princess, were not his requests so far
From reason's yielding, your fair self should make
A yielding 'gainst some reason in my breast,
And go well satisfied to France again.

PRINCESS
You do the King my father too much wrong,
And wrong the reputation of your name,
In so unseeming to confess receipt
Of that which hath so faithfully been paid.

KING
I do protest I never heard of it;
And if you prove it, I'll repay it back
Or yield up Aquitaine.

PRINCESS
We arrest your word.
Boyet, you can produce acquittances
For such a sum from special officers
Of Charles his father.

KING
Satisfy me so.

BOYET
So please your grace, the packet is not come
Where that and other specialties are bound.
Tomorrow you shall have a sight of them.

KING
It shall suffice me; at which interview
All liberal reason I will yield unto.
Meantime, receive such welcome at my hand
As honour, without breach of honour, may
Make tender of to thy true worthiness.
You may not come, fair Princess, in my gates;
But here without you shall be so received
As you shall deem yourself lodged in my heart,
Though so denied fair harbour in my house.
Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewell.
Tomorrow shall we visit you again.

PRINCESS
Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace.

KING
Thy own wish wish I thee in every place.
Exeunt King, Berowne, Longaville,
and Dumaine
Enter Dumaine

DUMAINE
Sir, I pray you, a word. What lady is that same?

BOYET
The heir of Alençon, Katharine her name.

DUMAINE
A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well.
Exit
Enter Longaville

LONGAVILLE
I beseech you a word. What is she in the white?

BOYET
A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light.

LONGAVILLE
Perchance light in the light. I desire her name.

BOYET
She hath but one for herself – to desire that were a shame.

LONGAVILLE
Pray you, sir: whose daughter?

BOYET
Her mother's, I have heard.

LONGAVILLE
God's blessing on your beard!

BOYET
Good sir, be not offended.
She is an heir of Falconbridge.

LONGAVILLE
Nay, my choler is ended.
She is a most sweet lady.

BOYET
Not unlike, sir; that may be.
Exit Longaville
Enter Berowne

BEROWNE
What's her name in the cap?

BOYET
Rosaline, by good hap.

BEROWNE
Is she wedded or no?

BOYET
To her will, sir, or so.

BEROWNE
You are welcome, sir! Adieu.

BOYET
Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you.
Exit Berowne

MARIA
That last is Berowne, the merry madcap lord.
Not a word with him but a jest.

BOYET
And every jest but a word.

PRINCESS
It was well done of you to take him at his word.

BOYET
I was as willing to grapple as he was to board.

MARIA
Two hot sheeps, marry!

BOYET
And wherefore not ‘ ships ’?
No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips.

MARIA
You sheep, and I pasture. Shall that finish the jest?

BOYET
So you grant pasture for me.
He tries to kiss her

MARIA
Not so, gentle beast.
My lips are no common, though several they be.

BOYET
Belonging to whom?

MARIA
To my fortunes and me.

PRINCESS
Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles, agree.
This civil war of wits were much better used
On Navarre and his book-men, for here 'tis abused.

BOYET
If my observation, which very seldom lies,
By the heart's still rhetoric disclosed with eyes
Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected.

PRINCESS
With what?

BOYET
With that which we lovers entitle ‘ affected.’

PRINCESS
Your reason?

BOYET
Why, all his behaviours did make their retire
To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire.
His heart, like an agate with your print impressed.
Proud with his form, in his eye pride expressed.
His tongue, all impatient to speak and not see,
Did stumble with haste in his eyesight to be.
All senses to that sense did make their repair,
To feel only looking on fairest of fair.
Methought all his senses were locked in his eye,
As jewels in crystal for some prince to buy;
Who, tendering their own worth from where they were glassed,
Did point you to buy them along as you passed.
His face's own margin did quote such amazes
That all eyes saw his eyes enchanted with gazes.
I'll give you Aquitaine, and all that is his,
An you give him for my sake but one loving kiss.

PRINCESS
Come, to our pavilion. Boyet is disposed.

BOYET
But to speak that in words which his eye hath disclosed.
I only have made a mouth of his eye
By adding a tongue which I know will not lie.

MARIA
Thou art an old love-monger, and speakest skilfully.

KATHARINE
He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns news of him.

ROSALINE
Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim.

BOYET
Do you hear, my mad wenches?

MARIA
No.

BOYET
What then, do you see?

ROSALINE
Ay, our way to be gone.

BOYET
You are too hard for me.
Exeunt
x

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