Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to bite. Speed. Item, She will often praise her liquor. Laun. If the liquor be good, she shall: if she will not, I will; for good things should be praised. Speed. Item, She is too liberal. Laun. Of her tongue she cannot; for that's writ down she is slow of: of her purse she shall not; for that I'll keep shut: now, of another thing she may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed. Speed. Item, She hath more hair 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 last 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 salt; 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? : Duke. Thou know'st now willingly I would effect The match between sir Thurio and my daughter. Duke. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant, Pro. The best way is to slander Valentine Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage Being entreated to it by your friend. Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it, By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, Laun. Why, then I will tell thee, that thy She shall not long continue love to him. master stays for thee at the north-gate. Speed. For me? Laun. For thee? ay: who art thou? he hath staid for a better man than thee. Speed. And must I go to him? Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast SCENE II. THE SAME. A ROOM IN THE DUKE'S Enter Duke and Thurio; Proteus behind. love you, Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most. Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figur Pro. Gone, my good lord. Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace, But say, this weed her love from Valentine, Thu. Therefore as you unwind her love from Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect:- Duke. Ay, much the force of heaven-bred poesy. For Orpheus' lute was strung with poet's sinews: [practice : Duke. About it, gentlemen. Duke. This discipline shows thou hast been in | To give the onset to thy good advice. To sort some gentlemen well skill'd in music: SCENE I. A FOREST, NEAR MANTUA. Enter certain Outlaws. ACT 1 Out. Fellows, stand fast: I see a passenger. 2 Out. If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em. Enter Valentine and Speed. [per : Pro. We'll wait upon your grace till after sup. And afterward determine our proceedings. Duke. Even now about it: I will pardon you. [exeunt. IV. 2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart. 1 Out. And I, for such like petty crimes as these, 3 Out. Stand, sir, and throw us that you have With goodly shape: and by your own report about you; If not, we'll make you sit, and rifle you. have staid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. 2 Out. For what offence? Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse; I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; But yet I slew him manfully in fight, Without false vantage, or base treachery. 1 Out. 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 in such a doom. 1 Out. Have you the tongues? Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy; Or else I often had been miserable. [friar, 3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat 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. 2 Out. Tell us this: have you any thing to Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentleSuch as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thrust from the company of awful men: Myself was from Verona banished, For practising to steal away a lady, An heir, and near allied unto the duke. [men, A linguist; and a man of such perfection, 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: Are you content to be our general? To make a virtue of necessity, And live, as we do, in this wilderness? 3 Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our Say, ay, and be the captain of us all: [consórt? We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee, Love thee as our commander, and our king. 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided that you do no outrages On silly women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And show thee all the treasure we have got; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. [exeunt. SCENE II. MILAN. COURT OF THE PALACE. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine. I have access my own love to prefer; She twits me with my falsehood to my friend Thu. How now, sir Proteus? are you crept [love before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know that Will creep in service where it cannot go. Thu. Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here. Thu. I thank you for your own.-Now, gentleLet's tune, and to it lustily a-while. [men, · Enter Host, at a distance; and Julia, in boy's clothes. Host. Now, my young guest! methinks you're ycholly; I pray you, why is it? [merry. Jul. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be Host. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you shall hear music, and see the genLeman that you asked for. Jul. But shall I hear him speak? Jul. That will be music. Host. Hark! hark! Jul. Is he among these? Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady; and your servant Pro. That I may compass yours. Sil. You have your wish; my will is even this Host. Ay, but peace, let's hear 'em. SONG. Who is Silvia? what is she, That all our swains commend her? The heavens such grace did lend her, Is she kind, as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness: To help him of his blindness; Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling; She excels each mortal thing, Upon the dull earth dwelling: Host. How now? are you sadder than you were before? How do you, man? the music likes you not. Host. How? out of tune on the strings? Host. You have a quick ear. [a slow heart. 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 preant to his lady. Jul. Peace! stand aside; the company parts. Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you! I will so plead, shall say, my cunning drift excels. That you Thu. Where meet we? Pro. At Saint Gregory's well. Thu. Farewell. [exeunt Thurio and Musicians. [truth, Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice. Sil. Sir Proteus, as I take it. Jul. 'Twere false, if I should speak it; [aside. Sil. Say, that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, 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 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, [ereunt Proteus; and Silvia, from Host. By my halidom, I was fast asleep. Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night SCENE III. THE SAME. Enter Eglamour. [exeunt Egl. This is the hour that madam Silvia Silvia appears above, at her window. Egl. Your servant, and your friend; Sil. Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good-mor- Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman, Nor how my father would enforce me marry To Mantua, where, I hear, he makes abode; Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; Which since I know they virtuously are plac'd, I give consent to go along with you; As much I wish all good befortune you. Sil. This evening coming. Egl. Where shall I meet you? Sil. At friar Patrick's cell, Where I intend holy confession. Egl. I will not fail your ladyship: Good-morrow, gentle lady. Sil. Good-morrow, kind Sir Eglamour. SCENE IV. THE SAME. [ereunt. Enter Launce, with his dog. Laun. When a man's servant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy; one that I saved from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it! I have taught him-even as one would say precisely, Thus I would teach a dog. I was sent to deliver him, as a present to mistress Silvia, from my master; and I came no sooner into the dining-chamber, but he steps me to her trencher, and steals her capon's leg. O, 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies! I would have, as one should say, one that takes upon 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 he 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 gentleman-like 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. I, 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. You 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'll be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed: I 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 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 cur; 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 1 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 offered 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, Sebastian, I have entertained thee, She loved me well, deliver'd it to me. Pro. Not so; I think, she lives. Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas? She dreams on him, that has forgot her love; Pro. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal This letter;-that's her chamber.-Tell my lady, I claim the promise for her heavenly picture. Your message done, hie home unto my chamber, Where thou shalt find me sad and solitary. [exit Pro. Jul. How many women would do such a message! Alas! poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd To plead for that, which I would not obtain ; Gentlewoman, good day! I pray you, be my mean Jul. From my master, Sir Proteus, madam. Sil. 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.- Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again. I will not look upon your master's lines: 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: To think upon her woes, I do protest, That I have wept an hundred several times. Sil. Belike, she thinks that Proteus hath for[sorrow. Jul. I think she doth, and that's her cause of Sil. Is she not passing fair? sook her. 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 cheeks, 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 serv'd me as fit, by all men's judgment, As if the garment had been made for me; Therefore, I know she is about my height. And, at that time, I made her weep a-good, For I did play a lamentable part; Madam, 'twas Ariadne, passioning For Theseus' perjury, and unjust flight; Which I so lively acted with my tears, That my poor mistress, moved therewithal, Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead, If I in thought felt not her very sorrow! Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth!-Alas, poor lady! desolate and left !— I weep myself, to think upon thy words. Farewell. [exit Silvia. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know her. A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful. |