Attends the Emperor in his royal court. (6)

Ant. I know.it well.

Pant. 'Twere good, I think, your lordship fent him thither;

There shall he practise tilts and tournaments,

Hear fweet difcourfe, converfe with noblemen
And be in eye of every exercise,

Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth.

Ant. I like thy counfel; well haft thou advis'd: And that thou may'ft perceive how well I like it, The execution of it fhall make known;

Ev'n with the fpeediest expedition

I will dispatch him to the Emperor's court.

Pant. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Alphonfo, With other gentlemen of good esteem,

Are journeying to falute the Emperor;

And to commend their fervice to his will.

:

Ant. Good company with them fhall Protheus go. And, in good time, now will we break with him.

Enter Protheus.

Pro. Sweet love, fweet lines, sweet life!
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;
Here is her oath for love, her honour's pawn.
Oh! that our fathers would applaud our loves,
To feal our happiness with their consents!
Oh heav'nly Julia!

Ant. How now? what letter are you reading there?
Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or two

(6) Attends the Emperor in his Royal Court] The Emperor's Royal Court is properly at Vienna, but Valentine, 'tis plain, is at Milan; where, in most other Paffages, 'tis faid he is attending the Duke, who makes one of the Characters in the Drama. This feems to convict the Author of a Forgetfulnefs and Contradiction; but, perhaps, it may be folved thus, and Milan be called the Emperor's Court; as, fince the Reign of Charlemaigne, this Dukedom and its Territories have belonged to the Emperors. I wish, I could as eafily folve another Abfurdity, which encounters us; of Valentine's going from Verona to Milan, both Inland Places, by Sca.

Of commendation fent from Valentine ;
Deliver'd by a friend that came from him.

Ant. Lend me the letter; let me fee what news.
Pro. There is no news, my lord, but that he writes
How happily he lives, how well belov'd,
And daily graced by the Emperor;

Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.
Ant. And how ftand you affected to his with?
Pro. As one relying on your lordship's will,
And not depending on his friendly with.

Ant. My will is fomething forted with his wish:
Mufe not that I thus fuddenly proceed;

For what I will, I will; and there's an end.
I am refolv'd, that thou fhalt spend fome time
With Valentino in the Emp'ror's court:
What maintenance he from his friends receives,
Like exhibition thou fhalt have from me:

To-morrow be in readiness to go.

Excufe it not, for I am peremptory.

Pro. My lord, I cannot be fo foon provided ;

Please to deliberate a day or two.

Ant. Look, what thou want'ft, fhall be fent after thee: No more of ftay; to-morrow thou must go.

Come on, Panthion; you fhall be employ'd

To haften on his expedition.

[Exe. Ant. and Pant,

Pro. Thus have I fhun'd the fire, for fear of burning; And drench'd me in the fea, where I am drown'd:

I fear'd to fhew my father Julia's letter,

Left he fhould take exceptions to my love;
And with the vantage of mine own excuse,
Hath he excepted moft against my love.
Oh, how this fpring of love refembleth (7)
Th' uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now fhews all the beauty of the fun,
And by and by, a cloud takes all away!

Enter

(7) Oh, bow this Spring of Love refembleth well] This Monofyllable was foifted in by Mr. Pope, to fupport, as he thought, the Verfification in the Clofe. But it was done for want of obferving Shakespeare's Licences in his Measures which 'tis pro

per,

Enter Panthion.

Pant. Sir Protheus, your father calls for you;
He is in hafte, therefore, I pray you, go.
"Pro. Why, this it is, my heart accords thereto :
And yet a thousand times it answers, no.

[Exeunt.

A C T II.

SCENE changes to Milan.

An Apartment in the Duke's Palace..

Enter Valentine and Speed.

IR, your glove

STR

SPEED.

Val, Not mine; my gloves are on.

Speed. Why then this may be yours, for this is but one. Val. Ha! let me fee: ay, give it me, it's mine :

Sweet ornament, that decks a thing divine!

Ah Silvia! Silvia!

Speed. Madam Silvia! Madam Silvia ! ;
Val. How now, Sirrah?

Speed. She is not within hearing, Sir.
Val. Why, Sir, who bad you call her?
Speed. Your worship, Sir, or else I mistook.

Val. Well, you'll still be too forward.

Speed. And yet I was last chidden for being too flow. Val. Go to, Sir; tell me, do you know Madam Silvia ? Speed. She, that your worship loves?

Val. Why, how know you that I am in love?

per, once for all, to take notice of. Refembleth, he defigned here fhould in Pronunciation make four Syllables; as Witnelle, afterwards in this Play, and as Fidler, (in the Taming a Shrew) and Angry, (twice in Timon of Athens) are made Trifyllables; and as Fire and Hour are almoft for ever protracted by him to two Syllables,

Speed.

Speed. Marry, by these fpecial marks; first, you have learn'd, like Sir Protheus, to wreath your arms like a male-content; to relish a love-fong, like a Robin-redbreaft; to walk alone, like one that had the peftilence; to figh like a fchool-boy that had loft his A. B. C to weep, like a young wench that had buried her grandam; to faft, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing; to fpeak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas. You were wont, when you laugh'd, to crow like a cock; when you walk'd, to walk like one of the lions; when you fafted, it was prefently after dinner; when you look'd fadly, it was for want of money and now you are metamorphos'd with a mif trefs, that, when I look on you, I can hardly think you my master.

:

Val. Are all these things perceiv'd in me ?

Speed. They are all perceiv'd without ye.
Val. Without me? they cannot.

Speed. Without you? nay, that's certain; for with out you were fo fimple, none else would: But you are fo without these follies, that thefe follies are within you, and fhine through you like the water in an urinal; that not an eye that fees you, but is a phyfician to comment on your malady.

Val. But tell me, doft thou know my lady Silvia.
Speed. She, that you gaze on fo as the fits at fupper?
Val. Haft thou observ'd that? ev'n fhe I mean.
Speed. Why, Sir, I know her not.

Val. Doft thou know her by my gazing on her, and yet know'ft her not?

Speed. Is fhe not hard-favour'd, Sir?

Val. Not fo fair, boy, as well-favour'd.
Speed. Sir, I know that well enough.
Val. What doft thou know ?

Speed. That he is not fo fair, as of you
Val. I mean that her beauty is exquifite,

But her favour infinite.

well-favour'd. ·

Speed. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count.

Val. How painted? and how out of count?

Speed.

Speed. Marry, Sir, fo painted to make her fair, that no man counts of her beauty.

Val. How efteem'st thou me ? I account of her beauty.

Speed. You never faw her fince he was deform'd.
Val. How long hath the been deform'd ?
Speed. Ever fince you lov'd her.

Val. I have lov'd her, ever fince. I faw her.
And ftill I fee her beautiful.

Speed. If you love her, you cannot fee her.
Val. Why?

3 1

n

Speed Because love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes, or your own eyes had the lights they were wont to have, when you chid at Sir Protheus for going un garter'd!

Val. What should I fee then ?

Speed. Your own prefent folly, and her paffing deformity: For he, being in love, could not fee to garter his hofe; and you, being in love, cannot fee to put on your hofe..

Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love: for laft morning you could not fee to wipe my fhoes,

Speed, True, Sir, I was in love with my bed; I thank you, you fwing'd me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours.

Val. In conclufion, I ftand affected to her.

Speed. I would you were fet, fo your affection would

cease.

Val. Last night she injoin'd me to write fome lines to one fhe loves.

Speed. And have you?

Val. I have.

Speed. Are they not lamely writ ?

Fal. No, boy, but as well I can do them;

Peace, here he comes.

Enter Silvia.

Speed. Oh excellent motion ! Oh exceeding puppet! Now will he interpret to her.

Val. Madam and mistress, a thousand good-morrows.

Speed.