SCENE VI. The same. An apartment in the But qualify the fire's extreme rage, Luc. I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire; palace. Enter Proteus. Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason. Jul. The more thou dam'st it up, the more it burns; To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn; The current, that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage; Pro. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn; To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn; Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken; SCENE VII.-Verona. A room in Julia's Jul. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me! Luc. Alas! the way is wearisome and long. Luc. Better forbear, till Proteus make return. Pity the dearth that I have pined in, (1) Tempting. (2) Confederate. (3) Intended. But, when his fair course is not hindered, Luc. But in what habit will you go along? Luc. Why then your ladyship must cut your hair. Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in silken strings, Luc. What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches? Jul. That fits as well, as 'tell me, good my Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on. Luc. If you think so, then stay at home, and go not. Jul. Nay, that I will not. Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go. Jul. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear: Luc. All these are servants to deceitful men. But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth; Jul. Now, as thou lov'st me, do him not that To bear a hard opinion of his truth: Enter Valentine. Only deserve my love, by loving him ; [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-Milan, An anti-room in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke, Thurio, and Proteus. Duke. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have some secrets to confer about. [Exit Thurio. Now, tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me? Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would dis cover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal: But, when I call to mind your gracious favours My duty pricks me on to utter that Which else no worldly good should draw from me. I know you have determin'd to bestow her Duke, Proteus, I thank thee for thine honest care; I am to break with thee of some affairs, Val. I know it well, my lord; and, sure, the man Were rich and honourable; besides, the gentle- ward, Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty; Val. What would your grace have me to do in this? Duke. There is a lady, sir, in Milan, here, Val. Win her with gifts, if she respect not words; her. Val. A woman sometimes scorns what best con- Send her another; never give her o'er; If she do chide, 'tis not to have you gone; Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a For why, the fools a e mad, if left alone. mean How he her chamber-window will ascend, Duke. Upon mine honour, he shall never know Pro, Adieu, my lord; sir Valentine is coming. [Exit. (1) Langed for. (2) Guess. (3) Tempted, Take no repulse, whatever she doth say; Duke. But she, I mean, is promis'd by her friends That no man hath recourse to her by night. Val. What lets, but one may enter at her win- To die, is to be banish'd from myself, And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her, Is self from self; a deadly banishment! What light is light, if Silvia be not seen? Val. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made of What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by ? cords, To cast up with a pair of anchoring hooks, Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Advise me where I may have such a ladder. Val. When would you use it? pray, sir, tell me that. My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly; And slaves they are to me, that send them flying: O, could their master come and go as lightly, Himself would lodge, where senseless they are lying. My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them, While I, their king, that hither them importune, Do curse the grace that with such grace hath bless'd them, Because myself do want my servants' fortune : I curse myself, for they are sent by me, That they should harbour where their lord should Unless it be to think that she is by, Enter Proteus and Launce. Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. Laun. So-ho! so-ho! Pro. What seest thou? Laun. Him we go to find; there's not a hair on's head, but 'tis a Valentine. Pro. Valentine? Val. No. Pro. Who then? his spirit? Val. Neither. Pro. What then? Val. Nothing. Laun. Can nothing speak? master, shall I strike Pro. Villain, forbear. Laun. Why, sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you, Pro. Sirrah, I say, forbear; friend Valentine, a word. Val. My ears are stopp'd, and cannot hear good news So much of bad already hath possess'd them. Pro. No, Valentine. Val. No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia! Hath she forsworn me? Pro. No, Valentine. be. What's here? Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee : Val. No Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn me! 'Tis so: and here's the ladder for the purpose. - What is your news? From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend, Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the doom news; them, As if but now they waxed pale for wo Besides, her intercession chaf'd him so, With many b tter threats of 'biding there. grandmother: this proves, that thou canst not read. Speed. Come, fool, come: try me in thy paper. Laun. There; and Saint Nicholas be thy speed! Val. No more; unless the next word that thou Speed. Item, She brews good ale. speak'st, Have some malignant power upon my life: If so, I pray thee, breathe it in mine ear, As ending anthem of my endless dolour. Laun. And thereof comes the proverb,-Bless ing of your heart, you brew good ale. Speed. Item, She can sew. Laun. That's as much as to say, Can she so? Pro. Cease to lament for that thou canst not Speed. Item, She can knit. help, And study help for that which thou lament'st. Here if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love; Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my boy, Bid him make haste, and meet me at the north gate. [Ereunt Valentine and Proteus. Laun. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, when she can knit him a stock? Laun. A special virtue; for theu she need not be washed and scoured. Speed. Item, She can spin. Laun. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. Speed. Item, She hath many nameless virtues. Laun. That's as much as to say, bastan! virtues; that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names. Speed. Here follow her vices. Laun. Close at the heels of her virtues. respect of her breath. Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: read on. Speed. Item, She hath a sweet mouth. Laun. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk. Speed. Item, She is slow in words. Laun. O villain, that set this down among her vices! To be slow in words, is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and place it tor her chief virtue. Speed. Item, She is proud. Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her. Laun. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think, my master is a kind of knave: but that's all one, if he be but one knave. 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 that woman, I will not tell myself; and yet 'tis a milk-maid: yet 'tis not a maid, for she hath had gossips: 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 car- bite. rv; therefore, is she better than a jade. Item, She can milk; look you, a sweet virtue in a maid with clean hands. Speed. Item, She hath no teeth. Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts. Speed. Item, She is curst. Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to Speed. Item, She will often praise her liquor. Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall: it 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 wil, 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; Iווי 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! Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gra (3) Licentious in language. cious: well, I'll have her: and if it be a match, as By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, nothing is impossible, Laun. Why, then I will tell thee, that thy It follows not that she will love sir Thurio. master stays for thee at the north gate. She shall not long continue love to him. Speed. What then? But say, this weed her love from Valentine, Thu. Therefore, as you unwind her love from Speed. For me? him, You must provide to bottom it on me: Laun. For thee? ay; wno art thou? he hath Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, staid for a better man than thee. Speed. And must I go to him? Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast staid so long, that going will scarce serve the turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? 'pox of your love-letters! [Exit. Because we know, on Valentine's report, Laun. Now will he be swinged for reading iny You are already love's firm votary, letter: an unmannerly slave, that will thrust him- And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. self into secrets!-I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's Upon this warrant shall you have access, correction. SCENE II. The same. A room in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke and Thurio; Proteus behind. [Exit. Where you with Silvia may confer at large; For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy, And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you; Where you may temper her, by your persuasion, To hate young Valentine, and love my friend. Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect :But you, sir Thurio, are not sharp enough; Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love You must lay lime, to tangle her desires, By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. Should be full fraught with serviceable vows. you, Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most, Duke. Ay, much the force of heaven-bred poesy. Forsworn my company, and rail'd at me, Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure Pro. Gone, my good lord. Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to 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 Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Duke. Ay, but she'll think, that it is spoke in Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Dike. Then you must undertake to slander him. 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, Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. ance. This, or else nothing, will inherit her. Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in prac- Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver, Duke. About it, gentlemen. Pro. We'll wait upon your grace till after supper, And afterward determine our proceedings. Duke. Even now about it; I will pardon you. [Exeunt. Enter |