SCENE II. The same. Loves Labours Lost  Shakespeare homepage  |  Love's Labour's Lost  | Act 1, Scene 2 

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 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  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  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 

 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  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  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  [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  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 

 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 

 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  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 

 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  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 

 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 

 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  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 

 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  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, 

 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, 

 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  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 

 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  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 

 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  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  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  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 

 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  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  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 

 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 

 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. 

 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 

 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  LOVE'S LABOURS LOST 

 Shakespeare homepage  |  Love's Labour's Lost  | Act 1, Scene 2 

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