Thu. My jerkin is a doublet.

Val. Well, then, I'll double your folly.
Thu. How?

20

Sil. What, angry, Sir Thurio! do you change colour?

Val. Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of chameleon. 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.

26

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.
Sil. Who is that, servant?

Val. Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship's looks, spends what he borrows kindly in your company.

31

Sir and

36

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.

42

Sil. No more, gentlemen, no more :-here comes my father.

Enter DUKE.

Duke. Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset. 45 Sir Valentine, your father's in good health:

21 I'll] Ile Ff. 'twill Collier MS.

22 How?] How! Capell (Errata). 34-36 Yourself...company.] As in Pope.

As three lines of verse in Ff.

39-42 I know...words.] As in Pope. VOL. I.

As four lines of verse in Ff.

45 SCENE V. Pope.

Enter Duke.] Enter the Duke. Rowe. Enter Duke, attended. Capell. om. Ff.

9

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 ye Don Antonio, your countryman? 50

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 55

The honour and regard of such a father.

Duke. You know him well?

Val. I know 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,
Yet hath Sir Proteus, for that's his name,
Made use and fair advantage of his days;
His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgement ripe;
And, in a word, for far behind his worth
Comes all the praises that I now bestow,
He is complete in feature and in mind
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

Duke. Beshrew me, sir, but if he make this good,

He is as worthy for an empress' love
As meet to be an emperor's counsellor.
Well, sir, this gentleman is come to me,
With commendation from great potentates;

60

65

70

75

And here he means to spend his time awhile :
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 him to it:
I will send him hither to you presently.

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 enfranchised them,
Upon some other pawn for fealty.

80

[Exit.

85

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.

90

Sil. Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman. 95

Enter PROTEUS.

Val. Welcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you, Confirm his welcome with some special favour.

Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither,

If this be he you oft have wish'd to hear from.
Val. Mistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him

77 unwelcome] vn-welcome F1. welcome F2F3F4

78 he] this Taylor conj. MS.

81 cite] 'cite Malone.

82 I will I'll Pope.

[Exit.] Rowe.

95 SCENE VI. Pope.

100

To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.

Sil. Too low a mistress for so high a servant.
Pro. Not so, sweet lady: but too mean a servant

To have a look of such a worthy mistress.
Val. Leave off discourse of disability:
Sweet lady, entertain him for your servant.
Pro. My duty will I boast of; nothing else.
Sil. And duty never yet did want his meed :
Servant, you are welcome to a worthless mistress.
Pro. I'll die on him that says so but yourself.
Sil. That you are welcome?
Pro.

That you are worthless.

105

110

Enter SERVANT.

Serv. Madam, my lord your father would speak with

you.

Sil. I wait upon his pleasure. [Exit Serv.] Come, Sir Thurio, Go with me. Once more, new servant, welcome: I'll leave you to confer of home affairs; When you have done, we look to hear from you. Pro. We'll both attend upon your ladyship.

115

[Exeunt Silvia and Thurio.

Val. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came? Pro. Your friends are well, and have them much comVal. And how do yours?

Pro.

I left them all in health. 120 Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your love? Pro. My tales of love were wont to weary you; I know you joy not in a love-discourse.

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,
With nightly tears, and daily heart-sore sighs;
For, in revenge of my contempt of love,

125

Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes,
And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow.

130

O 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.

135

Now no discourse, except it be of love;
Now can I break my fast, dine, sup and sleep,

Upon the very naked name of love.

Pro. Enough; I read your fortune in your eye.

Was this the idol that you worship so?

140

Val. Even she; and is she not a heavenly saint?
Pro. No; but she is an earthly paragon.

Val. Call her divine.

Pro.

I will not flatter her.

Val. O, flatter me; for love delights in praises.

Pro. When I was sick, you gave me bitter pills; 145

And I must minister the like to you.