Luc. Jul. Say, say; who gave it thee? Luc. Sir Valentine's page; and sent, I think, from Proteus: Jul. You, minion, are too saucy. That the contents will shew. And mar the concord with too harsh a descan? He would have given it you, but I, being in the way, Luc. To plead for love deserves more fee than hate. That you may ruminate. [Exit. Go, get you gone; and let the papers lie: To be so anger'd with another letter. [Exit. I throw thy name against the bruising stones, Which they would have the profferer construe, Ay. Poor wounded name! my bosom as a bed, Jul. Nothing. What is't you took up Why didst thou stoop then? Luc. Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme. Jul. As little by such toys as may be possible: Jul. And why not you? I cannot reach so high. Luc. No, madam; it is too sharp. 5 Matchmaker. Shall lodge thee, till thy wound be throughly heal'd: Luc. Madam, dinner's ready, and your father Luc. What, shall these papers lie like tell-tales Jul. If you respect them, best to take them up. 8 The tenor in musick. 1 Bustle, stir. 3 Little consequence. Put forth their sons to seek preferment out: He said, that Proteus, your son, was meet; Ant. Nor need'st thou much impórtune me to that And perfected by the swift course of time: Ant. I know it well. Pant. 'Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither: There shall he practise tilts and tournaments, Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth. Ant. I like thy counsel; well hast thou advis'd: And that thou may'st perceive how well I like it, The execution of it shall make known; Even with the speediest execution I will dispatch him to the emperor's court. Of commendation sent from Valentine, Ant. Lend me the letter; let me see what news. Ant. My will is something sorted with his wish: I am resolv'd, that thou shalt spend some time Pro. My lord, I cannot be so soon provided; Ant. Look, what thou want'st shall be sent after No more of stay; to-morrow thou must go.- [Exeunt ANT. and PANT. Pro. Thus have I shunn'd the fire, for fear of burning; Pant. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Al- And drench'd me in the sea, where I am drown'd: Val. Why, sir, who bade you call her? Speed. And yet I was last chidden for being too slow. 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? Speed. Marry, by these special marks: First, you have learned, like sir Proteus; to wreath your arms like a male-content; to relish a love-song, like a robin-red-breast; to walk alone, like one that had the pestilence; to sigh, like a school-boy that had lost his A, B, C; to weep, like a girl that had buried her grandam; to fast, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing; to speak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas, 9 You were wont, when you laughed, to crow like a cock; when you walked, to walk like one of the lions; when you fasted, it was presently after dinner; when you looked sadly, it was for want of money: and now you are metamorphosed with a mistress, that, when I look on you, I can hardly think you my master. Val. Are all these things perceived in me? Speed. They are all perceived without you. Val. Without me? They cannot. Speed. Without you? nay, that's certain, for without you were so simple, none else would: but you are so without these follies, that these follies are within you. Val. But, tell me, dost thou know my lady Silvia? Speed. She, that you gaze on so, as she sits at supper? Val. Hast thou observed that? even she I mean. Speed. Why, sir, I know her not. Val. Dost thou know her by my gazing on her, and yet know'st her not? Speed. Is she not hard favoured, sir? Speed. That she is not so fair, as (of you) well favoured. Val. I mean, that her beauty is exquisite, but her favour infinite. Speed. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count. Val. How painted? and how out of count? Speed. Marry, sir, so painted, to make her fair, that no man counts of her beauty. Val. How esteemest thou me? I account of her beauty. Speed. You never saw her since she was deformed. Val. I have loved her ever since I saw her; and still I see her beautiful. Speed. If you love her, you cannot see her. Speed. Because love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes; or your own had the lights they were wont to have, when you chid at sir Proteus for going ungartered. Val. What should I see then? Speed. Your own present folly, and her passing deformity: for he, being in love, could not see to garter his hose; and you, being in love, cannot see to put on your hose. Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love; for last morning you could not see to wipe my shoes. Speed. True, sir; I was in love with my bed: I thank you, you swinged me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours. Val. Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to one she loves. Enter SILVIA. Speed. O excellent motion! O exceeding puppet! now will he interpret to her. Val. Madam and mistress, a thousand good-morrows. Speed. O, give you good even! here's a million of manners. [Aside. Sil. Sir Valentine and servant, to you two thousand. Speed. He should give her interest; and she gives it him. Val. As you enjoin'd me, I have writ your letter, Unto the secret nameless friend of yours; Which I was much unwilling to proceed in, But for my duty to your ladyship. Sil. I thank you, gentle servant; 'tis very clerkly 3 done. Val. Now trust me, madam, it came hardly off; For being ignorant to whom it goes, I writ at random, very doubtfully. Sil. Perchance you think too much of so much pains? Val. No, madam; so it stead you, I will write, Please you command, a thousand times as much : And yet, Sil. A pretty period! Well, I guess the sequel; And yet I will not name it : and yet I care not; And yet take this again; and yet I thank you; Meaning henceforth to trouble you no more. Speed. And yet you will; and yet another yet. [Aside. Val. What means your ladyship? do you not like it? Sil. Yes, yes; the lines are very quaintly writ But since unwillingly, take them again; Nay, take them. Val. Madam, they are for you. Sil. Ay, ay; you writ them, sir, at my request: But I will none of them; they are for you: I would have had them writ more movingly. Val. Please you, I'll write your ladyship another. Sil. And, when it's writ, for my sake read it over : And, if it please you, so; if not, why, so. Val. If it please me, madam! what then? My master sues to her; and she hath taught her suitor, Val. How now, sir? what are you reasoning with yourself? Speed. Nay, I was rhyming; 'tis you that have the reason. Val. To do what? Speed. To be a spokesman from madam Silvia. Val. To whom? Speed. To yourself: why, she wooes you by a figure? Val. What figure? Speed. By a letter, I should say. Val. Why, she hath not writ to me. Speed. What need she, when she hath made you write to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the jest? cur shed one tear: he is a stone, stone, and has no more pity in him Jew would have wept to have see why, my grandam having no eyes, herself blind at my parting. Nay, the manner of it: This shoe is m SCENE III. The same. A Street. Enter LAUNCE, leading a dog. Laun. Nay, it will be this hour ere I have done weeping; all the kind of the Launces have this very fault: I have received my proportion, like the prodigious son, and am going with sir Proteus to the Imperial's court. I think, Crab my dog be the sourest-natured dog that lives: my mother weeping, my father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our house 1 no, n is my mother; nay, that cannot b yes, it is so, it is so; it hath the wor shoe is my mother, and this my f geance on't! there 'tis: now, sir, t sister; for, look you, she is as w and as small as a wand: this ha maid; I am the dog-no, the and I am the dog;- O, the dog is myself; ay, so, so. Now come I Father, your blessing; now should no a word for weeping; now should I 1 well, he weeps on:-now come I to that she could speak now!) like a wo well, I kiss her; why there 'ti mother's breath up and down; now sister; mark the moan she makes; this while sheds not a tear, nor speak see how I lay the dust with my tears Pant. Launce, away, away, aboar is shipped, and thou art to post af What's the matter? why weepest thou ass; you will lose the tide, if you tar Laun. It is no matter if the ty'd it is the unkindest ty'd that ever man Pant. What's the unkindest tide? Laun. Why, he that's ty'd here; Pant. Tut, man, I mean thou'lt and, in losing the flood, lose thy vo losing thy voyage, lose thy master; thy master, lose thy service; and, service, Laun. Lose the tide, and the vo master, and the service? The tide ! the river were dry, I am able to fi tears; if the wind were down, I co boat with my sighs. Pant. Come, come away, man; call thee. Laun. Sir, call me what thou dare Laun. Well, I will go. SCENE IV. - Milan. An Apartmen Speed. Master, sir Thurio frowns o Val. Of my mistress then. Thu. So do counterfeits. Thu. What seem I that I am not? Thu. What instance of the contrary? Thu. And how quote 7 you my folly? Val. Well, then, I'll double your folly. 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. 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. A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly shot off. Val. 'Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver. Val. Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire: sir 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 DUKE. Duke. Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset. Sir Valentine, your father's in good health : What say you to a letter from your friends Of much good news? Val. My lord, I will be thankful To any happy messenger from thence. Duke. Know you Don Antonio, your countryman? Val. Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman To be of worth, and worthy estimation, And not without desert so well reputed. Duke. Hath he not a son? 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 We have conversed and spent our hours together; And though myself have been an idle truant, Omitting the sweet benefit of time, To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection; And here he means to spend his time a-while : I think, 'tis no unwelcome news to you. Val. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he. Duke. Welcome him then according to his worth: Silvia, I speak to you; and you, sir Thurio:For Valentine, I need not 'cite 8 him to it: I'll send him hither to you presently. [Erit DUKE. Val. This is the gentleman, I told your ladyship, Had come along with me, but that his mistress Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks. Sil. Belike that now she hath enfranchis'd them Upon some other pawn for fealty. Val. Nay, sure, I think she holds them prisoners still. Sil. Nay, then he should be blind; and being blind, How could he see his way to seek out you? Val. Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes. Thu. They say that love hath not an eye at all. Val. To see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself; Upon a homely object love can wink. Enter PROTEUS. Sil. Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman. Val. Welcome, dear Proteus! - Mistress, I bcseech you, Confirm his welcome with some special favour. Sil. Too low a mistress for so high a servant. No; that you are worthless. Enter Servant. Ser. Madam, my lord your father would speak with you. Sil. I'll wait upon his pleasure. [Exit Servant. Go with me: Once more, new servant, welcome: came? Pro. Your friends are well, and have them much commended. Val. And how do yours? Pro. I left them all in health. Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your love? Pro. My tales of love were wont to weary you; Duke. Beshrew me, sir, but, if he make this good, I know you joy not in a love-discourse. He is as worthy for an empress' love, With commendation from great potentates; 7 Note, observe. Val. Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter'd now; I have done penance for contemning love; Whose high imperious thoughts have punish'd me With bitter fasts, with penitential groans, 8 Incite. |