Even in the milk-white bosom of thy love. Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my boy, Bid him make haste, and meet me at the north-gate. Pro. Go, sirrah, find him out.-Come, Valentine. Val. Oh my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine! 10 [Exeunt VALENTINE and PROTEUS. Launce. 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 knave 1o. 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 milk-maid; yet 'tis not a maid, for she hath had gossips1: 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? Launce. 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? 10 Launce. The blackest news that ever thou heard'st. but ONE knave.] i. e. Not a double knave, says Johnson: perhaps Launce was thinking of the four knaves of a pack of cards. 1 she hath had GOSSIPS :] The meaning seems to be that she has had old women attending her at her lying in. Gossip generally means a sponsor at baptism, and Launce may intend to say, that the progeny of the girl had required gossips, or that gossips had imputed crime to her. 2 of her CONDITIONS.] Condition is in the singular in the folios, but pro perly amended to the plural in the corr. fo. 1632. Launce. Why, as black as ink. Speed. Let me read them. Launce. Fie on thee, jolt-head! thou canst not read. Launce. I will try thee. Tell me this: who begot thee? Speed. Marry, the son of my grandfather. Launce. Oh, 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. Launce. There, and saint Nicholas be thy speed"! Speed. Imprimis, "She can milk.” Launce. Ay, that she can. Speed. Item, "She brews good ale.” [Giving it. Launce. And thereof comes the proverb,-blessing of your heart, you brew good ale. Speed. Item, "She can sew." Launce. That's as much as to say, Can she so? Speed. Item, "She can knit.” Launce. 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." Launce. A special virtue; for then she need not be wash'd and scour❜d. Speed. Item, "She can spin." Launce. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. Speed. Item, "She hath many nameless virtues." Launce. 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. Launce. Close at the heels of her virtues. Speed. Item, "She is not to be kissed fasting, in respect of her breath." Launce. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast. Read on. 6 Speed. Item, "She hath a sweet mouth "." 3 and saint Nicholas be thy speed !] Saint Nicholas was the patron saint of clerks, boys, and thieves; and therein consists the joke. 4 5 · knit him a STOCK?] i. e. A stocking. The joke is obvious. "She is not to be KISSED fasting,] The old copy reads,-" She is not to be fasting," &c. The word "kissed" was added by Rowe, and the emendation is borne out by the corr. fo. 1632: such, no doubt, was the old recitation. a sweet MOUTH."] A "sweet mouth" formerly meant a sweet tooth, Launce. That makes amends for her sour breath. Speed. Item, "She doth talk in her sleep." Launce. It's no matter for that, so she slip not in her talk". Speed. Item, "She is slow in words." Launce. Oh villain, that set this down among her vices! To be slow in words is a woman's only virtue: I out with't, and place it for her chief virtue. Speed. Item, "She is proud." pray thee, Launce. Out with that too: it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her. Speed. Item, "She hath no teeth." Launce. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts. Speed. Item, "She is curst." Launce. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to bite. 8 99 Speed. Item, "She will often praise her liquor 3. Launce. 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." Launce. 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 cannot I help. Well, proceed. Speed. Item, "She hath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults." Launce. 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," Launce. More hair than wit,-it may be; I'll prove it: the cover of the salt hides the salt, and therefore it is more which is here reckoned among the lady's vices; but Launce turns it to account by understanding the words in their literal sense, and setting her "sweet mouth" against her "sour breath." 7 - so she SLIP not in her talk.] Launce, according to the corr. fo. 1632, understands Speed's sleep as "slip," in the same way that we have before had a joke upon the similarity in sound of "sheep" and ship. The text has hitherto been, "It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk," by which the joke, such as it is, has been entirely lost. 8 - 9 praise her liquor."] i. e. By often taking occasion to taste it. the COVER of the salt hides the salt,] Malone observes, "The ancient English salt cellar was very different from the modern, being a large piece of plate generally much ornamented, with a cover to keep the salt clean. There was but one salt cellar on the dinner table, which was placed near the top of the table; and those who sat below the salt were, for the most part, of an inferior condition to those who sat above it." 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,". Launce. That's monstrous: oh, that that were out! Launce. 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? Launce. Why, then will I tell thee,—that thy master stays for thee at the north-gate. Speed. For me? Launce. For thee? ay; who art thou? he hath stay'd for a better man than thee. Speed. And must I go to him? Launce. Thou must run to him, for thou hast stay'd so long, that going will scarce serve the turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? pox of your loveletters! [Exit running. Launce. Now will he be swing'd for reading my letter. An unmannerly slave, that will thrust himself into secrets.I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exit. SCENE II. The Same. An Apartment in the DUKE's Palace. Enter DUKE and THURIO; PROTEUS following. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not but that she will love Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most; Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure you, Pro. Gone, my good lord. Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Pro. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief. Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not so. Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee, (For thou hast shown some sign of good desert1) 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 think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will. 2 Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Pro. The best way is, to slander Valentine Therefore, it must, with circumstance, be spoken Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Especially, against his very friend. Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage him, Your slander never can endamage him: Therefore, the office is indifferent, 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, (For thou hast shown some sign of good desert)] We do not alter the text here from " some to sure, as in the corr. fo. 1632, because " some may be right; although it seems much more likely, after the disclosure that Proteus had made, that the Duke should have said "For thou hast shown sure sign of good desert" than merely "For thou hast shown some sign of good desert." The reader can take which word he may think best entitled to the place. 2 she PERSEVERS so.] This was the old mode of accenting the word, as many instances might be produced to establish. Milton was one of the first to write, and to pronounce it, persevere. |
