cious: well, I'll have her: and if it be a match, as By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, Speed. What then? Laun. Why, then I will tell thee,-that thy It follows not that she will love sir Thurio. master stays for thee at the north gate. Speed. For me? Thu. Therefore, as you unwind her love from him, Laun. For thee? ay; wno art thou? he hath Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, staid for a better man than thee. Speed. And must I go to him? Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast staid so long, that going will scarce serve the turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? 'pox of your love-letters! You must provide to bottom it on me: Exit. Because we know, on Valentine's report, Laua. Now will he be swinged for reading any You are already love's firm votary, letter: an unmannerly slave, that will thrust him-And cannot soon revolt and change your mind, self into secrets!-I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's Upon this warrant shall you have access, correction. [Exil. Where you with Silvia may confer at large; For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy, Where you may temper her, by your persuasion, And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you; To hate young Valentine, and love my friend. Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect:But you, sir Thurio, are not sharp enough; SCENE II.-The same. A room in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke and Thurio; Proteus be hind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love You must lay lime, to tangle her desires, you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most, Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes Duke. Ay, much the force of heaven-bred poesy. For Orphens' lute was strung with poet's sinews; Visit by night your lady's chamber-window Dake. My daughter takes his going grievously. Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace, Duke. Thou know'st, how willingly I would effect The match between sir Thurio and my daughter. Pro. I do, my lord. Duke. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Pro. The best way is to slander Valentine Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Dike. Then you must undertake to slander him. Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage Your slander never can endamage him; Being entreated to it by your friend. Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it, (2) Cut. Out. That's not so, sir; we are your enemies. 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him. 3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; For he's a proper' man. Love thee as our commander, and our king. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; On silly women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to lose; Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, A man I am, cross'd with adversity: My riches are these poor habiliments, Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you? Val. To Verona. 1 Out. Whence came you? Val. From Milan. 3 Out. Have you long sojourn'd there? And show thee all the treasure we have got; [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Milan. Court of the palace. En ter Proteus. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. Val. Some sixteen months; and longer might Under the colour of commending him, have staid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. 2 Out. For what offence? Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse: 1 Oul. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done so: But were you banish'd for so small a fault? Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom. 1 Out. Have you the tongues?2 I have access my own love to prefer; Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy; And give some evening music to her car. Or else I often had been miserable. 3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 1 Out. We'll have him: sirs, a word. Speed. Master, be one of them; It is an honourable kind of thievery. Val. Peace, villain! Out. Tell us this: have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentle men, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thrust from the company of awful' men: 2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, these. But to the purpose-(for we cite our faults, With goodly shape; and by your own report 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, To make a virtue of necessity, And live, as we do, in this wilderness? Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consort? Enter Thurio, and musicians. 5 Thu. How now, sir Proteus ? are you crept before us Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love Who is Silvia? What is she, That all our swains commend her? The heavens such grace did lend her, (5) Passionate reproaches. Is she kind, as she is fair? To help him of his blindness; Then to Silvia let us sing, Host. How now? are you sadder than you were How do you, man? the music likes you not. Jul. You mistake; the musician likes me not. Jul. He plays false, father. Host. How? out of tune on the strings? And by and by intend to chide myself, Jul. [Aside. Sil. Say, that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd: And art thou not asham'd Pro. I likewise hear, that Valentine is dead. Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. [Aside. Pro. Madam, if your heart be so obdúrate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, Jul. Not so; but yet so false that he grieves my The picture that is hanging in your chamber; very heart-strings. Host. You have a quick ear. Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have a slow heart. Host. I perceive, you delight not in music. Jul. I would always have one play but one But, host, doth this sir Proteus, that we talk on, Host. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me, he loved her out of all nick.' Jul. Where is Launce? Host. Gone to seek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a present to his lady. Jul. Peace! stand aside! the company parts. Pro. At saint Gregory's well. [Exeunt Thurio and Musicians. Silvia appears above, at her window. Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship. Sil. I thank you for your music, gentlemen: Who is that, that spake? Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice. Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant. Pro. That I may compass yours. That hast deceiv'd so many with thy vows? (1) Beyond all reckoning. To that I'll speak, to that I'll sigh and weep; And to your shadow I will make true love. And make it but a shadow, as I am. [Aside. Sil. I am very loth to be your idol, sir; Pro. As wretches have o'er-night, That wait for execution in the morn. [Exeunt Proteus; and Silvia, from above. Jul. Host, will you go? 2 Host. By my halidom, I was fast asleep. Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night [Exeunt. row. Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself. Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman (3) Injunction, command. (4) Pitiful. Upon whose grave thou vow'dst pure chastity. Which heaven and fortune still reward with I do desire thee, even from a heart As full of sorrows as the sea of sands, To bear me company, and go with me: Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; Sil. This evening coming. At friar Patrick's cell, Egl. Where shall I meet you? Sil. Good-morrow, kind sir Eglamour. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-The same. Enter Launce, with his dog. served me, when I took my leave of madam Silvia did not I bid thee still mark me, and do as I do When didst thou see me heave up my leg, and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? didst thou ever see me do such a trick? Enter Proteus and Julia. Pro. Sebastian is thy name? I like thee well, And will employ thee in some service presently. Jul. In what you please;-I will do what I can. Pro. I hope, thou wilt.-How now, you whoreson peasant? ¡To Launce. Where have you been these two days loitering? Laun. Marry, sir, I carried mistress Silvia the dog you bade me. Pro. And what says she, to my little jewel? Laun. Marry, she says, your dog was a eur; and tells you, currish thanks is good enough for such a present. Pro. But she received my dog? Laun. No, indeed, she did not: here have I brought him back again. Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me? Laun. Ay, sir; the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman's boys in the marketplace: and then I offer'd her mine own; who is a dog as big as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater. Pro. Go, get thee hence, and find my dog again, Or ne'er return again unto my sight. Away, I say: Stay'st thou to vex me here? A slave, that, still an end, turns me to shame. [Exit Launce. Sebastian, I have entertained thee, When a man's servant shall play the cur with Partly, that I have need of such a youth, him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up For 'tis no trusting to yon foolish lowt: That can with some discretion do my business, of a puppy; one that I saved from drowning, when But chiefly, for thy face, and thy behaviour; three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went Which (if my augury deceive me not) to it! I have taught him-even as one would say Witness good bringing up, fortune, and truth: precisely, Thus I would teach a dog. I was sent Therefore know thou, for this I entertain thee. to deliver him, as a present to mistress Silvia, from Go presently, and take this ring with thee, my master; and I came no sooner into the dining- Deliver it to madam Silvia: chamber, but he steps me to her treacher, and She loved me well, delivered it to me. steals her capon's leg. O'tis a foul thing, when Jul. It seems you loved her not, to leave her Pro. token: Jul. Alas! Not so; I think, she lives. Pro. Why dost thy cry, alas! a cur cannot keep himself in all companies! I would have, as one should say, one that takes upon She's dead, belike. him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily hel had been hanged for't; sure as I live, he had suffered for't: you shall judge. He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentlemenlike dogs, under the duke's table: he had not been there (bless the mark) a pissing while; but all the chamber smelt him. Out with the dog, says one; What cur is that? says another; Whip him out, says the third; Hang him up, says the duke. having been acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab; and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs: Friend, quoth I, you mean to whip the dog? Ay, marry, do I, quoth he. do him the more wrong, quoth I; 'twas I did the thing you wot of. He makes me no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How many masters would do this for their servant? Nay, I' be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed: have stood on the pillory for geese he hath killed. otherwise he had suffered for't: thou think'st not of this now!-Nay, I remember the trick you You (1) Caring. (2) Restrain. (3) In the end. This letter;-that's her chamber.-Tell my lady, I [Exit Proteus. Jul. How many women would do such a message? Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd This ring I gave him, when he parted from me, To plead for that, which I would not obtain ; Enter Silvia, attended. Gentlewoman, good day! I pray you, be my mean Jul. From my master, sir Proteus, madam. Su. Ursula, bring my picture there. [Picture brought. Go, give your master this: tell him from me, One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget, Would better fit his chamber, than this shadow. Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.Pardon me, madam; I have unadvis'd Delivered you a paper that I should not; This is the letter to your ladyship. Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again. I will not look upon your master's lines: Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. Sil. What say'st thou ? Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her:) Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much. Sil. Dost thou know her? Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself: Sil. Belike, she thinks that Proteus hath forsook her. Jul. I think she doth, and that's her cause of sorrow. Sil. Is she not passing fair? Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is: When she did think my master lov'd her well, She, in my judgment, was as fair as you; But since she did neglect her looking-glass, And threw her sun-expelling mask away, The air hath starv'd the roses in her checks, And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face, That now she is become as black as I. Sil. How tall was she? Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost,! When all our pageants of delight were play'd, Our youth got me to play the woman's part, And I was trimm'd in madam Julia's gown, Which served me as fit by all men's judgment, (1) Whitsuntide. (2) In good earnest. As if the garment had been made for me: I Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth!Alas, poor lady! desolate and left!weep myself, to think upon thy words. Here, youth, there is my purse; I give thee this For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lov'st her. Farewell. [Exit Silvia. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know her. A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful. If this fond love were not a blinded god? I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes, See, where she comes: Lady, a happy evening! Egl. Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we are sure enough. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. An apartment in the. Duke's palace. Enter Thurio, Proteus, and Julia. Thu. Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit? (3) Head-dress. (4) Respectable. (5) Safe. |