luvz LABOURS LOST


ACT I



SCENE I      d king of Navarrez park.


[Enter FERDIN& king of Navarre, BIRON, LONGAVILLE
& DUMAIN]

FERDIN&      Let fame, th@ all hunt after in thr lives,
Live register'd upon r brazen tombs
& then grace us in d disgrace of death;
When, spite of cormorant devouring Time,
The endeavor of this present breath may buy
That honour which shl bate his scythez keen edge
& make us heirs of all eternity.
thr4e, brave conquerors,--4 so U are,
That war against Ur own affections
& d huge army of d worldz desires,--
Our late edict shl strongly st& in 4ce:
Navarre shl b d wonder of d world;
Our court shl b a little Academe,
Still & contemplative in living art.
U three, Biron, Dumain, & Longaville,
Have sworn 4 three years' term 2 live wiv me
My fellow-scholars, & 2 keep those statutes
That R recorded in this schedule here:
Ur oaths R pass'd; & now subscribe Ur names,
That his own h& may strike his honour down
That violates d smallest branch herein:
If U R arm'd 2 do as sworn 2 do,
Subscribe 2 Ur deep oaths, & keep it 2.

LONGAVILLE      I am resolved; 'tis bt a three years' fast:
The mind shl banquet, though d body pine:
Fat paunches hv lean pates, & dainty bits
Make rich d ribs, bt bankrupt quite d wits.

DUMAIN      My loving lord, Dumain is mortified:
The grosser manner of these worldz delights
He throws upon d gross worldz baser slaves:
To luv, 2 wealth, 2 pomp, I pine & die;
With all these living in philosophy.

BIRON      I can bt say thr protestation over;
So much, dear liege, I hv already sworn,
That is, 2 live & study here three years.
bt thr R other strict observances;
As, nt 2 C a woman in th@ term,
Which I hope well is nt enrolled thr;
& one day in a week 2 touch no food
& bt one meal on every day beside,
The which I hope is nt enrolled thr;
& then, 2 sleep bt three hours in d night,
& nt b Cn 2 wink of all d day--
When I was wont 2 think no harm all night
& make a dark night 2 of half d day--
Which I hope well is nt enrolled thr:
O, these R barren tasks, 2 hard 2 keep,
Not 2 C ladies, study, fast, nt sleep!

FERDIN&      Ur oath is pass'd 2 pass away frm these.

BIRON      Let me say no, my liege, an if U please:
I only swore 2 study wiv Ur grace
& stay here in Ur court 4 three years' space.

LONGAVILLE      U swore 2 that, Biron, & 2 d rest.

BIRON      By yea & nay, sir, then I swore in jest.
wot is d end of study? let me know.

FERDIN&      y, th@ 2 know, which else we shud nt know.

BIRON      Things hid & barr'd, U mean, frm common sense?

FERDIN&      Ay, th@ is studyz godlike recompense.

BIRON      Come on, then; I will swear 2 study so,
To know d thing I am 4bid 2 know:
As thus,--to study wr I well may dine,
When I 2 feast expressly am 4bid;
Or study wr 2 meet sum mistress fine,
When mistresses frm common sense R hid;
Or, having sworn 2 hard a keeping oath,
Study 2 break it & nt break my troth.
If studyz gain b thus & this b so,
Study knows th@ which yet it doth nt know:
Swear me 2 this, & I will ne'er say no.

FERDIN&      These b d stops th@ hinder study quite
& train r intellects 2 vain delight.

BIRON      y, all delights R vain; bt th@ most vain,
Which wiv pain purchased doth inherit pain:
As, painfully 2 pore upon a book
To Ck d light of truth; while truth d while