Pant. Come; come, away, man: I was sent to call thee. Launce. Sir, call me what thou dar'st. Pant. Wilt thou go? Launce. Well, I will go. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Milan. A Room in the DUKE's Palace. Enter VALENTINE, SILVIA, THURIO, and SPEED. Sil. Servant. Val. Mistress. Speed. Master, sir Thurio frowns on you. Val. Ay, boy, it's for love. Speed. Not of you. Val. Your folly. Thu. And how quote you my folly? Val. I quote it in your jerkin. Thu. My jerkin is a doublet. Val. Well, then, I'll double your folly. Thu. How? Sil. What, angry, sir 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. 8 how QUOTE you my folly?] To "quote" is to note or observe. See Vol. iv. p. 568; Vol. v. p. 116, &c. Valentine in his answer plays upon the word, which was then pronounced coat. 9 I'LL double your folly.] The reading of the corr. fo. 1632 is "Twill double your folly," but we may doubt how far it is to be adopted. Val. You have said, sir. Thu. Ay, sir, and done too, for this time. Val. I know it well, sir: you always end ere you begin. Sil. Who is that, servant? Sir Val. Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship's looks, and spends what he borrows kindly in your company. Thu. Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt. Val. I know it well, sir: 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. Enter the Duke. Duke. Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset. Val. My lord, I will be thankful To any happy messenger from thence. Duke. Know you Don Antonio, your countryman? 1 To be of WEALTH and worthy estimation,] The folios have worth for "wealth;" but worth is mere tautology, for how could Don Antonio be "And not without desert so well reputed," if he were not of worth? Valentine first refers to Antonio's "wealth" and then "You have given me here a treasure to enrich me, The Rev. Mr. Dyce allows worthiest to remain in the text, instead of "wealthiest," Val. Ay, my good lord; a son, that well deserves The honour and regard of such a father. Duke. You know him well ? Val. I knew him, as myself; for from our infancy To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection, Duke. Beshrew me, sir, but, if he make this good, Val. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he. [Exit DUKE. Val. This is the gentleman, I told your ladyship, Sil. Belike, that now she hath enfranchis'd them, Val. Nay, sure, I think, she holds them prisoners still. How could he see his way to seek out you? Val. Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes. Upon a homely object love can wink. 2 26 I need not CITE] i. e. Incite. In " Henry VI., Part III.," A. ii. sc. 1, Vol. iv. p. 136, cites " brother, to the field." may rather be thought to mean calls-"It cites us, Enter PROTEUS. Sil. Have done, have done. Here comes the gentleman. Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither, Sil. Too low a mistress for so high a servant. Val. Leave off discourse of disability.- That you are worthless. Re-enter THURIO3. Thu. Madam, my lord, your father, would speak with you. Sil. I wait upon his pleasure: come, sir Thurio, [Exeunt SILVIA, THURIO, and SPEED. Val. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came? 3 Re-enter Thurio.] All editors, from Theobald downwards, make "a Servant" enter here, and not Thurio, to whom the old copies assign the sentence, "Madam, my lord, your father, would speak with you." They say also that the commencement of Silvia's answer is "addressed to two persons." This is by no means clear: "I wait upon his pleasure: come, sir Thurio, go with me," is spoken to Thurio with more propriety than to two distinct persons. It is much more likely that Thurio went out on the entrance of Proteus, and returned with the message of the Duke to his daughter: the economy of our old stage, with many characters and with few performers, did not allow the waste of an actor in the part of a mere message-carrier. The great probability, therefore, is that the folios are right, and that Thurio is employed from the Duke. VOL. I. Pro. Your friends are well, and have them much com mended. Val. And how do your's? Pro. I left them all in health. Val. How does your lady, and how thrives your love? I know, you joy not in a love-discourse. Val. Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter'd now: Love hath chas'd sleep from my enthralled eyes, And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow. Oh, gentle Proteus! love's a mighty lord, And hath so humbled me, as, I confess, There is no woe to his correction, Nor, to his service, no such joy on earth! Now, no discourse, except it be of love; Now can I break my fast, dine, sup, and sleep, Pro. Enough; I read your fortune in your eye. Was this the idol that you worship so? Val. Even she; and is she not a heavenly saint? Val. Call her divine. Pro. I will not flatter her. Val. Oh! flatter me, for love delights in praises. Pro. When I was sick you gave me bitter pills, And I must minister the like to you. Val. Then speak the truth by her: if not divine, Yet let her be a principality, Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth. Pro. Except my mistress. 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 shall be dignified with this high honour,To bear my lady's train, lest the base earth Should from her vesture chance to steal a kiss, And, of so great a favour growing proud, |