Besides, her intercession chaf’d him so,
When she for thy repeal was suppliant,
That to close prison he commanded her,
With many bitter threats of biding there.

Val. No more, unless the next word that thou speak'st
Have some malignant power upon my life:
If so, I pray thee, breathe it in mine ear,
As ending anthem of my endless dolour.

Pro. Čease to lament for that thou canst not help,
And study help for that which thou lament'st.
Time is the nurse and breeder of all good :
Here if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love;
Besides, thy staying will abridge thy life.
Hope is a lover's staff; walk hence with that,
And manage it against despairing thoughts.
Thy letters

may be here, though thou art hence,
Which, being writ to me, shall be deliver’d
Ev’n in the milk-white bofom of thy love.
The time now serves not to expoftulate;
Come, I'll convey thee through the city-gate,
And, ere I part with thee, confer at large
Of all that may concern thy love-affairs :
As thou lov'st Silvia, though not for thyself,
Regard thy danger, and along with me.

Val. I pray thee, Launce, and if thou seeft my boy,
Bid him make haste, and meet me at the north-gate.

Pro. Go, sirrah, find him out: come, Valentine.
Val. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine ! [Exeunt.

Laun. I am but a fool, look you, and yet I have the wit to think

my

master is a kind of a knave : but that's all one, if he be but one kind of knave. · He lives not now that knows me to be in love; yet I am in love; but a team of horse shall not pluck that from me; nor who ’tis I love; and yet ’tis a woman; but

what woman I will not tell myself; and yet ’tis a milkmaid; yet ’tis not a maid, for she hath had gossips ; - yet ’tis a maid, for she is her master's maid; and serves for wages: she hath more qualities than a water-spaniel, which is much in a bare christian. Here is the cat-log (pulling out a paper] of her conditions ; imprimis, she can fetch and carry; why, a horse can do no more; nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry; therefore is she better than a jade. Item, she can milk; look you, a sweet virtue in a maid with clean hands.

Enter Speed. Speed. How now, signior Launce? what news with your mastership?

Laun. With my master's ship? why, it is at sea.

Speed. Well, your old vice still; mistake the word : what news then in your paper ?

Laun. The blackeît news that ever thou heard'ft.
Speed. Why, man, how black ?
Laun. Why, as black as ink.
Speed. Let me read them.
Laun. Fie on thee, jolthead, thou can'ít not read.
Speed. Thou liest, I can.
Laun. I will try thee; tell me this, who begot thee?
Speed. Marry, the son of my grand-father.

Laun. O illiterate loiterer, it was the son of thy grandmother; this proves that thou canst not read.

Speed. Come, fool, come; try me in thy paper.
Laun. There, and St Nicholas be thy speed !
Speed. Imprimis, she can milk.
Laun. Ay, that she can.
Speed. Item, she brews good ale.

Laun. And thereof comes the proverb, Blessing of your heart, you brew good ale.

Speed. Item, she can sow.
Laun. That's as much as to say, can be fo?
Speed. Item, she can knit.

Laun.

.

Laun. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, when she can knit him a stock !

Speed. Item, she can wash and scour.

Laun. A special virtue, for then she need not to be wash'd and fcour'd.

Speed. Item, she can spin.

Laun. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can fpin for her living.

Speed. Item, she hath many nameless virtues.

Laun. That's as much as to say, bastard virtues, that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names.

Speed. Here follow her vices.
Laun. Close at the heels of her virtues.
Speed. Item, she is not to be kiss’d fasting,in respect of her breath.
Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: read on.
Speed. Item, she hath a sweet mouth.
Laun. That makes amends for her four breath.
Speed. Item, she doth talk in her sleep.
Laun. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk.
Speed. Item, she is slow in words.

Laun. O villain ! that set down among her vices ! to be slow in words is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with’t, and place it for her chief virtue.

Speed. Item, she is proud.

Laun. Out with that too: it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta’en from her.

Speed. Item, she hath no teeth.
Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts.
Speed. Item, she is curft.

Laun. Well, the best is, she hath no teeth to bite.
speed. Item, she will often praise her liquor.

Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall; if she will not, I will, for good things should be praised. Speed. Item, she is too liberal.

La un. Of her tongue she cannot, for that's writ down she is flow of; of her purse The shall not, for that I'll keep shut; now, Voc. I.

of

A a

of another thing she may, and that cannot I help. Well, proceed.

Speed. Item, she hath more hairs than wit, and more faults. than hairs, and more wealth than faults.

Laun. Stop there; I'll have her ; she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that article. Rehearse that once more.

Speed. Item, she hath more hair than wit.

Laun. More hair than wit; it may be, I'll prove it: the cover of the salt hides the salt, and therefore it is more than the falt; the hair that covers the wit is more than the wit; for the greater hides the less. What's next?

Speed. And more faults than hairs.
Laun. That's monstrous: o that that were out!
Speed. And more wealth than faults.

Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gracious : well, i'll have her; and if it be a match, as nothing is impossible –

Speed. What then?

Laun. Why, then will I tell thee, that thy master stays for thee at the north-gate.

Speed. For me?

Laun. For thee? ay; who art thou ? he hath stay'd for a better man than thee.

Speed. And must I go to him?

Laun. Thou must run to him ; for thou hast stay'd so long that going will scarce serve the turn.

Speed. Why didft not tell me sooner? pox on your love-letters!

Laun. Now will he be swing’d for reading my letter: an unmannerly Nave, that will thrust himself into fecrets. I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction.

[Exeunt.

Enter Duke and Thurio.
Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you,
Now Valentine is banish'd from her fight.

Thu. Since his exile she hath despis’d me most,
Forsworn my company, and rail'd at me,

That

That I am desperate of obtaining her.

Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure
Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat
Diffolves to water, and doth lose his form.
A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
And worthless Valentine shall be forgot.

Enter Protheus.
How now, fir Protheus ? is

für Protheus? is your countryman,
According to our proclamation, gone ?

Pro. Gone, my good lord.
Duke. My daughter takes his going heavily.
Pro. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief.

Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not so.
Protheus, the good conceit I hold of thee,
(For thou hast shown some sign of good desert)
Makes me the better to confer with thee.

Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace,
Let me not live to look upon 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 do think, thou art not ignorant
How she opposes her against my will

.
Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.

Duke. Ay, and perversely she persevers fo.
What might we do to make the girl forget
The love of Valentine, and love fir Thurio ?

Pro. The best way is to Nander Valentine
With falfhood, cowardice, and poor

descent:
Three things that women highly hold in hate.

Duke. Ay, but she'll think that it is spoke in hate.

Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it :
Therefore it must with circumstance be spoken
By one whom she esteemeth as his friend.
Duke. Then you must undertake to Nander him.

A a 2

Pro.