Drama  |  William Shakespeare  |  Love's Labours Lost  |  Scene 1.

Love's Labours Lost — Scene 1. (Part 3 of 5)

MOTH

The sheep: the other two concludes it, –o, u.

ADRIANO DE ARMADO

Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet
touch, a quick venue of wit! snip, snap, quick and
home! it rejoiceth my intellect: true wit!

MOTH

Offered by a child to an old man; which is wit-old.

HOLOFERNES

What is the figure? what is the figure?

MOTH

Horns.

HOLOFERNES

Thou disputest like an infant: go, whip thy gig.

MOTH

Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about
your infamy circum circa, –a gig of a cuckold's horn.

COSTARD

An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst
have it to buy gingerbread: hold, there is the very
remuneration I had of thy master, thou halfpenny
purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an
the heavens were so pleased that thou wert but my
bastard, what a joyful father wouldst thou make me!
Go to; thou hast it ad dunghill, at the fingers'
ends, as they say.

HOLOFERNES

O, I smell false Latin; dunghill for unguem.

ADRIANO DE ARMADO

Arts-man, preambulate, we will be singled from the
barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the
charge- house on the top of the mountain?

HOLOFERNES

Or mons, the hill.

ADRIANO DE ARMADO

At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.

HOLOFERNES

I do, sans question.