Title page LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, A COMEDY, by SHAKESPEARE. AN INTRODUCTION, AND NOTES CRITICAL and ILLUSTRATIVE, ARE ADDED, BY THE AUTHORS of the DRAMATIC CENSOR. LONDON: Printed for JOHN BELL, near Exeter-Exchange, in the Strand; and C. Etherington, at York. MDCCLXXIV.

INTRODUCTION.

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. Shakespeare never sported more with his desultory muse than in tacking together the scenes of this piece; he certainly wrote more to please himself, than to divert or inform his readers and auditors. The characters are by no means masterly, the language is cramp; the scenes possess a wearisome sameness, and the sentiments, except a few, appear at this day much laboured, though we believe, they flowed spontaneously from our Author's creative imagination. It must certainly be accounted one of Shakespeare's weakest compositions, and does no great credit to his muse.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. King of Navarre [Ferdinand]. Dumain, Lord attending the King. Biron [Berowne], Lord attending the King. Longaville, Lord attending the King. Boyet, Lord attending the Princess. Mercade, Lord attending the Princess. Don Adriano de Armado, a Fantastick. Sir Nathaniel, a Curate. Holofernes, a Schoolmaster. Dull, a Constable. Costard, a Clown. Moth, Page to Armado. A Forrester [Forester]. Princess of France. Maria, Lady attending the Princess. Catharine [Katharine], Lady attending the Princess. Rosaline, Lady attending the Princess. Jaquenetta, a country Wench. Divers other Attendants, Musicians, &c. [Lord 1] SCENE, Navarre.

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