Lost' the Comedy of Leisure. T is certain that in the commonwealth of King Ferdinand of Navarre we have "All men idle, all; And women too." But still all this idleness is too energetic to warrant us in calling this the Comedy of Leisure. Let us try again. Is it not the Comedy of Affectations? Molière, in his Précieuses Ridicules,' has admirably hit off one affectation that had found its way into the private life of his own times. In 'Love's Labour's Lost' Shakspere presents us almost every variety of affectation that is founded upon a misdirection of intellectual activity. We have here many of the forms in which cleverness is exhibited as opposed to wisdom, and false refinement as opposed to simplicity. The affected characters, even the most fantastical, are not fools; but, at the same time, the natural characters, who, in this play, are chiefly the women, have their intellectual foibles. All the modes of affectation are developed in one continued stream of fun and drollery;-every one is laughing at the folly of the other, and the laugh grows louder and louder as the more natural characters, one by one, trip up the heels of the more affected. The most affected at last join in the laugh with the most natural; and the whole comes down to "plain kersey yea and nay,”— from the syntax of Holofernes, and the "fire-new words " of Armado, to "greasy Joan" and "roasted crabs." PERSONS REPRESENTED. FERDINAND, King of Navarre. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 3. Act V. sc. 2. BIRON, a lord attending on the King. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 3. Act V. sc. 2. LONGAVILLE, a lord attending on the King. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 3. Act V. sc. 2. DUMAIN, a lord attending on the King. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 3. Act V. sc. 2. BOYET, a lord attending on the Princess of France. Appears, Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc 2. MERCADE, a lord attending on the Princess of France. Appears, Act V. sc. 2. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO, a fantastical Spaniard. SIR NATHANIEL, a curate. HOLOFERNES, a schoolmaster. DULL, a constable. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1. COSTARD, a clown. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. MOTн, page to Armado. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. PRINCESS OF FRANCE. Appears, Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 2. ROSALINE, a lady attending on the Princess of France. Appears, Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 2. MARIA, a lady attending on the Princess of France. Appears, Act II. sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 2. KATHARINE, a lady attending on the Princess of France. JAQUENETTA, a country wench. SCENE,-NAVARRE. LOVE'S LABOUR 'S LOST. SCENE I.-Navarre. ACT I. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. Th' endeavour of this present breath may buy That honour, which shall bate his scythe's keen edge, And make us heirs of all eternity. ; Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, That are recorded in this schedule here : Your oaths are pass'd, and now subscribe your names; If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do, Long. I am resolv'd: 't is but a three years' fast; The mind shall banquet, though the body pine: Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified. Biron. I can but say their protestation over, ladies,-study,-fast,-not sleep. And stay here in your court for three years' space. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense? • With all these. To love, to wealth, to pomp, Dumain is dead; but philosophy, in which he lives, includes them all. |