No Fear Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost: Act 3 Scene 1

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Love's Labour's Lost

William Shakespeare

Original Text

Modern Text

Concolinel

envoi

Original Text

Modern Text

Concolinel

envoi

Popular pages: Love's Labour's Lost

Character List CHARACTERS

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Original Text	Modern Text
Enter BRAGGART ARMADO and his BOY.	Enter BRAGGART ARMADO and his BOY.
ARMADO Warble, child, make passionate my sense of hearing.	ARMADO Warble, child, make passionate my sense of hearing.
BOY sings Concolinel.	BOY sings Concolinel This might be an Irish song with the lyrics "Can cailin gheal" or a French song that began "Quand Colinelle." Concolinel .
ARMADO Sweet air. Go, tenderness of years. He hands over a key. 5 Take this key, give enlargement to the swain, bring him festinately hither. I must employ him in a letter to my love.	ARMADO Sweet air. Go, tenderness of years. He hands over a key. Take this key, give enlargement to the swain, bring him festinately hither. I must employ him in a letter to my love.
BOY Master, will you win your love with a French brawl?	BOY Master, will you win your love with a French brawl?
ARMADO 10 How meanest thou? Brawling in French?	ARMADO How meanest thou? Brawling in French?
BOY No, my complete master, but to jig off a tune at the tongue’s end, canary to it with your feet, humor it with turning up your eyelids, sigh a note and sing a note, sometimes through the throat as if you 15 swallowed love with singing love, sometimes through the nose as if you snuffed up love by smelling love; with your hat penthouse-like o’er the shop of your eyes, with your arms crossed on your thin-belly doublet like a rabbit on a spit; or your 20 hands in your pocket like a man after the old painting; and keep not too long in one tune, but a snip and away. These are compliments, these are humors; these betray nice wenches that would be betrayed without these, and make them men of 25 note—do you note me?—that most are affected to these.	BOY No, my complete master, but to jig off a tune at the tongue’s end, canary to it with your feet, humor it with turning up your eyelids, sigh a note and sing a note, sometimes through the throat as if you swallowed love with singing love, sometimes through the nose as if you snuffed up love by smelling love; with your hat penthouse-like o’er the shop of your eyes, with your arms crossed on your thin-belly doublet like a rabbit on a spit; or your hands in your pocket like a man after the old painting; and keep not too long in one tune, but a snip and away. These are compliments, these are humors; these betray nice wenches that would be betrayed without these, and make them men of note—do you note me?—that most are affected to these.
ARMADO How hast thou purchased this experience?	ARMADO How hast thou purchased this experience?
BOY By my penny of observation.	BOY By my penny of observation.
ARMADO But O— but O—.	ARMADO But O— but O—.
BOY 30 “The hobby-horse is forgot.”	BOY “The hobby-horse is forgot.”
ARMADO Call’st thou my love “hobby-horse”?	ARMADO Call’st thou my love “hobby-horse”?
BOY No, master. The hobby-horse is but a colt, aside and your love perhaps a hackney.—But have you forgot your love?	BOY No, master. The hobby-horse is but a colt, aside and your love perhaps a hackney.—But have you forgot your love?
ARMADO 35 Almost I had.	ARMADO Almost I had.
BOY Negligent student, learn her by heart.	BOY Negligent student, learn her by heart.
ARMADO By heart and in heart, boy.	ARMADO By heart and in heart, boy.
BOY And out of heart, master. All those three I will prove.	BOY And out of heart, master. All those three I will prove.
ARMADO 40 What wilt thou prove?	ARMADO What wilt thou prove?
BOY A man, if I live; and this “by, in, and without,” upon the instant: “by” heart you love her, because your heart cannot come by her; “in” heart you love her, because your heart is in love with her; and 45 “out” of heart you love her, being out of heart that you cannot enjoy her.	BOY A man, if I live; and this “by, in, and without,” upon the instant: “by” heart you love her, because your heart cannot come by her; “in” heart you love her, because your heart is in love with her; and “out” of heart you love her, being out of heart that you cannot enjoy her.
ARMADO I am all these three.	ARMADO I am all these three.
BOY And three times as much more, aside and yet nothing at all.	BOY And three times as much more, aside and yet nothing at all.
ARMADO 50 Fetch hither the swain. He must carry me a letter.	ARMADO Fetch hither the swain. He must carry me a letter.
BOY A message well sympathized—a horse to be ambassador for an ass.	BOY A message well sympathized—a horse to be ambassador for an ass.
ARMADO Ha? Ha? What sayest thou?	ARMADO Ha? Ha? What sayest thou?
BOY 55 Marry, sir, you must send the ass upon the horse, for he is very slow-gaited. But I go.	BOY Marry, sir, you must send the ass upon the horse, for he is very slow-gaited. But I go.
ARMADO The way is but short. Away!	ARMADO The way is but short. Away!
BOY As swift as lead, sir.	BOY As swift as lead, sir.
ARMADO Thy meaning, pretty ingenious? 60 Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow?	ARMADO Thy meaning, pretty ingenious? Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow?
BOY Minime, honest master, or rather, master, no.	BOY Minime, honest master, or rather, master, no.
ARMADO I say lead is slow.	ARMADO I say lead is slow.
BOY You are too swift, sir, to say so. Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?	BOY You are too swift, sir, to say so. Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?
ARMADO 65 Sweet smoke of rhetoric! He reputes me a cannon, and the bullet, that’s he.— I shoot thee at the swain.	ARMADO Sweet smoke of rhetoric! He reputes me a cannon, and the bullet, that’s he.— I shoot thee at the swain.
BOY Thump, then, and I flee.	BOY Thump, then, and I flee.
He exits.	He exits.
ARMADO 70 A most acute juvenal, voluble and free of grace. By thy favor, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy face. Most rude melancholy, valor gives thee place. My herald is returned.	ARMADO A most acute juvenal, voluble and free of grace. By thy favor, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy face. Most rude melancholy, valor gives thee place. My herald is returned.
Enter BOY and Clown COSTARD.	Enter BOY and Clown COSTARD.
BOY A wonder, master! 75 Here’s a costard broken in a shin.	BOY A wonder, master! Here’s a costard broken in a shin.
ARMADO Some enigma, some riddle. Come, thy l’envoi begin.	ARMADO This is some kind of mystery, some kind of riddle. Come on, let your envoi Derived from the French word envoyer, which means to send or dispatch, “envoi” is the final stanza of a poem that explains or summarizes the moral of the poem. envoi begin .
COSTARD No egma, no riddle, no l’envoi, no salve in the mail, sir. O, sir, plantain, a plain plantain! No l’envoi, no l’envoi, no salve, sir, but a plantain.	COSTARD No egma, no riddle, no l’envoi, no salve in the mail, sir. O, sir, plantain, a plain plantain! No l’envoi, no l’envoi, no salve, sir, but a plantain.
ARMADO 80 By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy silly thought, my spleen. The heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling. O pardon me, my stars! Doth the inconsiderate take salve for l’envoi, and the word l’envoi for a salve?	ARMADO By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy silly thought, my spleen. The heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling. O pardon me, my stars! Doth the inconsiderate take salve for l’envoi, and the word l’envoi for a salve?
BOY 85 Do the wise think them other? Is not l’envoi a salve?	BOY Do the wise think them other? Is not l’envoi a salve?
ARMADO No, page, it is an epilogue or discourse to make plain Some obscure precedence that hath tofore been sain. I will example it: The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee 90 Were still at odds, being but three. There’s the moral. Now the l’envoi.	ARMADO No, page, it is an epilogue or discourse to make plain Some obscure precedence that hath tofore been sain. I will example it: The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee Were still at odds, being but three. There’s the moral. Now the l’envoi.
BOY I will add the l’envoi. Say the moral again.	BOY I will add the l’envoi. Say the moral again.
ARMADO The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee Were still at odds, being but three.	ARMADO The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee Were still at odds, being but three.
BOY 95 Until the goose came out of door And stayed the odds by adding four. Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow with my l’envoi. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee 100 Were still at odds, being but three.	BOY Until the goose came out of door And stayed the odds by adding four. Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow with my l’envoi. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee Were still at odds, being but three.
ARMADO Until the goose came out of door, Staying the odds by adding four.	ARMADO Until the goose came out of door, Staying the odds by adding four.
BOY A good l’envoi, ending in the goose. Would you desire more?	BOY A good l’envoi, ending in the goose. Would you desire more?
COSTARD 105 The boy hath sold him a bargain—a goose, that’s flat.— Sir, your pennyworth is good, an your goose be fat. To sell a bargain well is as cunning as fast and loose. 110 Let me see: a fat l’envoi—ay, that’s a fat goose.	COSTARD The boy hath sold him a bargain—a goose, that’s flat.— Sir, your pennyworth is good, an your goose be fat. To sell a bargain well is as cunning as fast and loose. Let me see: a fat l’envoi—ay, that’s a fat goose.
ARMADO Come hither, come hither. How did this argument begin?	ARMADO Come hither, come hither. How did this argument begin?
BOY By saying that a costard was broken in a shin. Then called you for the l’envoi.	BOY By saying that a costard was broken in a shin. Then called you for the l’envoi.
COSTARD 115 True, and I for a plantain. Thus came your argument in. Then the boy’s fat l’envoi, the goose that you bought; and he ended the market.	COSTARD True, and I for a plantain. Thus came your argument in. Then the boy’s fat l’envoi, the goose that you bought; and he ended the market.
ARMADO But tell me, how was there a costard broken in a shin?	ARMADO But tell me, how was there a costard broken in a shin?
BOY 120 I will tell you sensibly.	BOY I will tell you sensibly.
COSTARD Thou hast no feeling of it, Mote. I will speak that l’envoi. I, Costard, running out, that was safely within, Fell over the threshold and broke my shin.	COSTARD Thou hast no feeling of it, Mote. I will speak that l’envoi. I, Costard, running out, that was safely within, Fell over the threshold and broke my shin.
ARMADO 125 We will talk no more of this matter.	ARMADO We will talk no more of this matter.
COSTARD Till there be more matter in the shin.	COSTARD Till there be more matter in the shin.
ARMADO Sirrah Costard, I will enfranchise thee.	ARMADO Sirrah Costard, I will enfranchise thee.
COSTARD O, marry me to one Frances! I smell some l’envoi, some goose, in this.	COSTARD O, marry me to one Frances! I smell some l’envoi, some goose, in this.
ARMADO 130 By my sweet soul, I mean, setting thee at liberty, enfreedoming thy person. Thou wert immured, restrained, captivated, bound.	ARMADO By my sweet soul, I mean, setting thee at liberty, enfreedoming thy person. Thou wert immured, restrained, captivated, bound.
COSTARD True, true; and now you will be my purgation, and let me loose.	COSTARD True, true; and now you will be my purgation, and let me loose.
ARMADO 135 I give thee thy liberty, set thee from durance, and, in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing but this: bear this significant to the country maid Jaquenetta. (He gives him a paper.) There is remuneration (giving him a coin,) for the best ward of 140 mine honor is rewarding my dependents.—Mote, follow.	ARMADO I give thee thy liberty, set thee from durance, and, in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing but this: bear this significant to the country maid Jaquenetta. (He gives him a paper.) There is remuneration (giving him a coin,) for the best ward of mine honor is rewarding my dependents.—Mote, follow.
He exits.	He exits.
BOY Like the sequel, I. Signior Costard, adieu.	BOY Like the sequel, I. Signior Costard, adieu.
He exits.	He exits.
COSTARD My sweet ounce of man’s flesh, my incony Jew! Now will I look to his remuneration. He looks at the 145 coin. “Remuneration”! O, that’s the Latin word for three farthings. Three farthings— remuneration. “What’s the price of this inkle?” “One penny.” “No, I’ll give you a remuneration.” Why, it carries it! Remuneration. Why, it is a fairer name than “French 150 crown.” I will never buy and sell out of this word.	COSTARD My sweet ounce of man’s flesh, my incony Jew! Now will I look to his remuneration. He looks at the coin. “Remuneration”! O, that’s the Latin word for three farthings. Three farthings— remuneration. “What’s the price of this inkle?” “One penny.” “No, I’ll give you a remuneration.” Why, it carries it! Remuneration. Why, it is a fairer name than “French crown.” I will never buy and sell out of this word.
Enter BEROWNE.	Enter BEROWNE.
BEROWNE My good knave Costard, exceedingly well met.	BEROWNE My good knave Costard, exceedingly well met.
COSTARD Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man buy for a remuneration?	COSTARD Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man buy for a remuneration?
BEROWNE 155 What is a remuneration?	BEROWNE What is a remuneration?
COSTARD Marry, sir, halfpenny farthing.	COSTARD Marry, sir, halfpenny farthing.
BEROWNE Why then, three farthing worth of silk.	BEROWNE Why then, three farthing worth of silk.
COSTARD I thank your Worship. God be wi’ you.	COSTARD I thank your Worship. God be wi’ you.
He begins to exit.	He begins to exit.
BEROWNE Stay, slave, I must employ thee. 160 As thou wilt win my favor, good my knave, Do one thing for me that I shall entreat.	BEROWNE Stay, slave, I must employ thee. As thou wilt win my favor, good my knave, Do one thing for me that I shall entreat.
COSTARD When would you have it done, sir?	COSTARD When would you have it done, sir?
BEROWNE This afternoon.	BEROWNE This afternoon.
COSTARD Well, I will do it, sir. Fare you well.	COSTARD Well, I will do it, sir. Fare you well.
BEROWNE 165 Thou knowest not what it is.	BEROWNE Thou knowest not what it is.
COSTARD I shall know, sir, when I have done it.	COSTARD I shall know, sir, when I have done it.
BEROWNE Why, villain, thou must know first.	BEROWNE Why, villain, thou must know first.
COSTARD I will come to your Worship tomorrow morning.	COSTARD I will come to your Worship tomorrow morning.
BEROWNE 170 It must be done this afternoon. Hark, slave, it is but this: The Princess comes to hunt here in the park, And in her train there is a gentle lady. When tongues speak sweetly, then they name her 175 name, And Rosaline they call her. Ask for her, And to her white hand see thou do commend This sealed-up counsel. There’s thy guerdon. He gives him money. Go.	BEROWNE It must be done this afternoon. Hark, slave, it is but this: The Princess comes to hunt here in the park, And in her train there is a gentle lady. When tongues speak sweetly, then they name her name, And Rosaline they call her. Ask for her, And to her white hand see thou do commend This sealed-up counsel. There’s thy guerdon. He gives him money. Go.
COSTARD 180 Gardon. He looks at the money. O sweet gardon! Better than remuneration, a ’levenpence farthing better! Most sweet gardon. I will do it, sir, in print. Gardon! Remuneration!	COSTARD Gardon. He looks at the money. O sweet gardon! Better than remuneration, a ’levenpence farthing better! Most sweet gardon. I will do it, sir, in print. Gardon! Remuneration!
He exits.	He exits.
BEROWNE And I forsooth in love! I that have been love’s whip, 185 A very beadle to a humorous sigh, A critic, nay, a nightwatch constable, A domineering pedant o’er the boy, Than whom no mortal so magnificent. This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy, 190 This Signior Junior, giant dwarf, Dan Cupid, Regent of love rhymes, lord of folded arms, Th’ anointed sovereign of sighs and groans, Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces, 195 Sole imperator and great general Of trotting paritors—O my little heart! And I to be a corporal of his field And wear his colors like a tumbler’s hoop! What? I love, I sue, I seek a wife? 200 A woman, that is like a German clock, Still a-repairing, ever out of frame, And never going aright, being a watch, But being watched that it may still go right. Nay, to be perjured, which is worst of all. 205 And, among three, to love the worst of all, A whitely wanton with a velvet brow, With two pitch-balls stuck in her face for eyes. Ay, and by heaven, one that will do the deed Though Argus were her eunuch and her guard. 210 And I to sigh for her, to watch for her, To pray for her! Go to. It is a plague That Cupid will impose for my neglect Of his almighty dreadful little might. Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue, groan. 215 Some men must love my lady, and some Joan.	BEROWNE And I forsooth in love! I that have been love’s whip, A very beadle to a humorous sigh, A critic, nay, a nightwatch constable, A domineering pedant o’er the boy, Than whom no mortal so magnificent. This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy, This Signior Junior, giant dwarf, Dan Cupid, Regent of love rhymes, lord of folded arms, Th’ anointed sovereign of sighs and groans, Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces, Sole imperator and great general Of trotting paritors—O my little heart! And I to be a corporal of his field And wear his colors like a tumbler’s hoop! What? I love, I sue, I seek a wife? A woman, that is like a German clock, Still a-repairing, ever out of frame, And never going aright, being a watch, But being watched that it may still go right. Nay, to be perjured, which is worst of all. And, among three, to love the worst of all, A whitely wanton with a velvet brow, With two pitch-balls stuck in her face for eyes. Ay, and by heaven, one that will do the deed Though Argus were her eunuch and her guard. And I to sigh for her, to watch for her, To pray for her! Go to. It is a plague That Cupid will impose for my neglect Of his almighty dreadful little might. Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue, groan. Some men must love my lady, and some Joan.
He exits.	He exits.