Thu. How? Sil. What, angry, fir Thurio? do you change colour? Val. Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of cameleon. Thu. That hath more mind to feed on your blood, than live in your air. Val. You have faid, fir. Thu. Ay, fir, and done too, for this time. 5 Val. I know it well, fir; you always end ere 10 you begin. Sil. A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly fhot off. Val. "Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver. Val. Yourfelf, fweet lady; for you gave the fire; fir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyfhip's looks, and spends what he borrows, kindly in your company. 15 Thu. Sir, if you spend word for word with me, 120 fhall make your wit bankrupt. Val. I know it well, fir; you have an exchequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers; for it appears by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words. Sil. No more, gentlemen, no more; here comes my father. D Enter the Duke. Now, daughter Sylvia, you are hard befet. Val. My lord, I will be thankful To any happy meffenger from thence. 25 3 Duke. Know you Don Anthonio,your countryman? 35 And not without defert fo well reputed. Duke. Hath he not a fon? [ferves Val. Ay, my good lord; a fon, that well de-40 The honour and regard of fuch a father. Duke. You know him well? Val. I knew him, as myself; for from our infancy Duke. Befhrew me, fir, but if he make this good, Silvia, I fpeak to you; and you, fir Thurio :- Sil. Belike, that now fhe hath enfranchis'd them Val. Nay, fure, I think, the holds them pri- Sil. Nay, then he fhould be blind; and, being Val. Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes. Sil. Have done, have done; here comes the gen- Val. Welcome, dear Protheus!-Mistress, I befeech you, Confirm his welcome with fome special favour. Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither, Sil. Too low a mistress for fo high a fervant. Pro. No; that you are worthless. Ser. Madam, my lord your father would speak with you. Sil. I'll wait upon his pleasure. [Exit Serv.] Come, fir Thurio, Go with me:-Once more, new fervant, welcome: I'll leave you to confer of home-affairs; 45 When you have done, we look to hear from you. Pro. We'll both attend upon your ladyship. [Exeunt Silvia and Thuric. Val. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came? 50 Pro. Your friends are well, and have them much commended. Val. And how do yours? Pro. I left them all in health. Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your 55 love? Pro. My tales of love were wont to weary you; 60 Whofe high imperious thoughts have punish'd me And Nor, to his fervice, no fuch joy on earth! Pro. Enough; I read your fortune in your eye:] Val. Even the; and is the not a heavenly faint? Pro. I will not flatter her. Val. O flatter me; for love delights in praife. Pre. When I was fick, you gave me bitter pills; And I must minifter the like to you. Val. Then speak the truth by her; if not divine, Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth. Val. Sweet, except not any; Except thou wilt except against my love. Pro. Have I not reason to prefer mine own? Val. And I will help thee to prefer her too: She fhall be dignified with this high honour,To bear my lady's train; left the base earth Should from her vesture chance to steal a kifs, And, of to great a favour growing proud, Difdain to root the fummer-fwelling flower, And make rough winter everlastingly. Pro. Why, Valentine, what braggardifm is this? Val. Pardon me, Protheus: all I can, is nothing To her, whofe worth makes other worthies nothing; She is alone 2. Pro. Then let her alone. [own; Val. Not for the world; why, man, the is mine Pro. But the loves you? Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd; nay more, our With all the cunning manner of our flight, Val. Will you make haste? The first or principal of women. Or as one nail by strength drives out another, 20 And that hath dazzled fo my reafon's light: 25 V. A fireet. Enter Speed and Launce. Speed. Launce! by mine honefty, wel 30 Milan. [Exit. to Laun. Forfwear not thyself, fweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-that a man is never undone till he be hang'd; nor never welcome to a place, till fome certain shot be paid, 35 and the hoftefs fay, Welcome. Speed. Come on, you mad-cap, I'll to the alehoufe with you prefently; where, for one fhot of five pence, thou fhalt have five thousand welcomes. But, firrah, how did thy mafter part with madam 40 Julia? Laun. Marry, after they clos'd in earnest, they parted very fairly in jeft. Speed. But fhall she marry him? Speed. What thou say'st? Laun. Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my ftaff understands me. Speed. It ftands under thee, indeed. 160 Laun. Why, ftand-under and understand is all one. 2 That is, there is none to be compar'd to her. 3 This alludes to the figures made by witches, as representatives of those whom they defigned to torment or destroy. 4 With more prudence, with more difcretion. Speed. But tell me true, will 't be a match? Laun. Ask my dog; if he say ay, it will; if he fay, no, it will; if he shake his tail, and fay nothing, it will. Speed. The conclufion is then, that it will. Laun. Thou shalt never get fuch a fecret from me, but by a parable. Speed. 'Tis well that I get it fo. But, Launce, how fay'ft thou, that my master is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwife. Speed. Than how? Laun. A notable lubber, as thou reporteft him @o be. Without fome treachery us'd to Valentine :- 5 Now prefently I'll give her father notice For Thurio, he intends, fhall wed his daughter: 10 By fome fly trick, blunt Thurio's dull proceeding. Speed. Why, thou whorefon ass, thou mistakest me. 15 Laun. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy master. Speed. I tell thee, my mafter is become a hot lover. Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt go with me to 20 the alehouse, fo; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Christian. Speed. Why? Laun. Because thou haft not so much charity in thee, as to go to the alehouse with a Chriftian:25 wilt thou go? Speed. At thy fervice. SCENE VI. Enter Protbeus. [Exeunt. 30 Pro. To leave my Julia, fhall I be forfworn; But there I leave to love, where I should love. 35 Enter Julia and Lucetta. Jul. Counfel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me! And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,Who art the table wherein all my thoughts Are visibly character'd and engrav'd, To leffon me; and tell me fome good mean, How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Protheus. Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long. By longing for that food so long a time. Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire; Left it should burnabovethe bounds of reafon.[burns: 40 Jul. The more thou damm'st it up, the more it The current, that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'ft, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage: But, when his fair courfe is not hindered, He makes mufic with the enamel'd stones, 45 Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge He overtaketh in his pilgrimage; And make a pastime of each weary step, A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium. I to myself am dearer than a friend; For love is ftill more precious in itself; And Silvia, witness heaven, that made her fair! Shews Julia but a swarthy Ethiope. 55 I will forget that Julia is alive, Luc. But in what habit will you go along? Jul. Not like a woman; for I would prevent The loofe encounters of lascivious men : With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots: Of greater time than I shall shew to be. Luc. What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches? Jul. That fits as well, as" tell me, good my lord, "What compafs will you wear your farthingale?” Why, even that fashion thou best lik'st, Lucetta. Luc. You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam. Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill-favour'd. Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have Luc. If you think fo,then stay at home, and go not. Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go. 15 Jul.Now,as thou lov'ft me,do him not that wrong, And presently go with me to my chamber, My goods, my lands, my reputation; [Exeunt. Duke. 3 Sir Valentine her company, and my court: The Duke's palace in Milan. My duty pricks me on to utter that Which elfe no worldly good should draw from me. Duke. Protheus,I thank thee for thine honest care; The key whereof myself have ever kept; Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a mean 50 That my difcovery be not aimed at 4; For love of you, not hate unto my friend, Duke. Upon mine honour he shall never know 55 Pro. Adieu, my lord; fir Valentine is coming Enter Valentine. Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Val. Please it your grace, there is a messenger 60 That ftays to bear my letters to my friends, And I am going to deliver them. This interjection is ftill ufed in the North. means guess, in this inftance. That is, be not guessed. Presence implies defign. D 2 That is, wifh'd or defired journey. Duke. Be they of much import? Val. The tenor of them doth but fignify My health, and happy being at your court. Duke. Nay, then no matter; stay with me a while; I am to break with thee of fome affairs, That touch me near, wherein thou must be fecret. 'Tis not unknown to thee, that I have fought To match my friend, fir Thurio, to my daughter. Val. I know it well, my lord; and, fure, the match Were rich and honourable; besides, the gentleman Is full of virtue, bounty, worth, and qualities Befeeming such a wife as your fair daughter: Cannot your grace win her to fancy him? Duke. No, truft me; the is peevish, fullen, froward, Proud, difobedient, stubborn, lacking duty; Val. Win her with gifts, if the refpect not words; Val. Why, then, a ladder, quaintly made of cords, To caft up, with a pair of anchoring hooks, Would ferve to scale another Hero's tower, So bold Leander would adventure it. 5 Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Advise me where I may have such a ladder. Val. When would you use it? pray, fir, tell me that. Duke. This very night; for love is like a child, That longs for every thing that he can come by. 10 Val. By feven o'clock I'll get you such a ladder. Duke. But hark thee; I will go to her alone; How fhall I best convey the ladder thither? Val. It will be light, my lord, that you may bear it Under a cloak, that is of any length. 20 Duke. A cloak as long as thine will ferve the turn? Duke. Then let me fee thy cloak; I'll get me one of such another length. Val. Why, any cloak will ferve the turn, my lord, Duke. How fhall I fashion me to wear a cloak?I pray thee, let me feel thy cloak upon me.. What letter is this fame? what's here?-To Silvia? And here an engine fit for my proceeding! I'll be fo bold to break the feal for once. [Duke reads. 25 My thoughts do barbour with my Silvia nightly; And flaves they are to me, that fend them flying: Ob, could their mafter come and go as lightly, Himfelf would lodge, where jenfelefs they are lying. My berald thoughts in thy pure bofom reft them; 30 While I, their king, that thither them importune, Do curfe the grace that with fuch grace bath bless'd them, Becaufe myfelf do want my fervant's fortune: 35 [her: 40 If the do chide, 'tis not to have you gone; Val. Why then I would refort to her by night. Duke.Ay,but the doors be lock'd,and keys kept safe, That no man hath recourse to her by night. I curfe myself, for they are fent by me, That they should barbour where their lord would be. 45 Thank me for this, more than for all the favours, Will give thee time to leave our royal court, [Exit. 55 Val.And why not death, rather than living torment? To die, is to be banish'd from myself! And Silvia is myfelf: banifh'd from her, Is felf from felf; a deadly banishment! What light is light, if Silvia be not feen? What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by? Unless it be, to think that she is by, And feed upon the shadow of perfection, Val.What lets, but one may enter at her window? Duke. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground; 60 And built fo fhelving, that one cannot climb it Without apparent hazard of his life. |