Or as one nail by strength drives out another, SCENE V.-The same. A Street. Enter SPEED and LAUNCE. Speed. Launce! by mine honesty, welcome to Milan. Laun. Forswear not thyself, sweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-that a man is never undone till he be hanged; nor never welcome to a place till some certain shot be paid, and the hostess say, Welcome. Speed. Come on, you mad-cap, I'll to the ale house with you presently; where, for one shot of five-pence, thou shalt have five thousand welcomes. But, sirrah, how did thy master part with madam Julia? Laun. Marry, after they closed in earnest, they parted very fairly in jest. Speed. But shall she marry him? Laun. No. Speed. How then? shall he marry her? Speed. What, are they broken? Laun. No, they are both as whole as a fish. Speed. Why, then, how stands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus; when it stands well with him, it stands well with her. Speed. What an ass art thou! I understand thee not. Laun. What a block art thou, that thou canst not! My staff understands me. Speed. What thou say'st? Laun. Ay, and what I do, too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me. Speed. It stands under thee, indeed. Laun. Why, stand under and understand is all one. Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match? Laun. Ask my dog: if he say ay, it will; if he say no, it will; if he shake his tail, and say nothing, it will. Speed. The conclusion is then, that it will. Laun. Thou shalt never get such a secret from me but by a parable. Speed. 'Tis well that I get it so. But, Launce, how say'st thou, that my master is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwise. Speed. Than how? Laun. A notable lubber, as thou reportest him to be. Speed. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mistakest me. Laun. Why, fool, I meant not thee, I meant thy master. Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover. Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt, go with me to the ale-house; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Christian. Speed. Why? Laun. Because thou hast not so much charity in thee as to go to the ale with a Christian. Wilt thou go? Speed. At thy service. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter PROTEUS. Pro. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn ; To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn; To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn; And even that power, which gave me first my oath, Provokes me to this threefold perjury. Love bade me swear, and love bids me forswear: But now I worship a celestial sun. Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken; But there I leave to love, where I should love. If I keep them, I needs must lose myself; Shows Julia but a swarthy Ethiope. - I will forget that Julia is alive, [Exit. SCENE VII.-Verona. A room in Julia's House. Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. Jul. Counsel, Lucetta! gentle girl, assist me! And even in kind love I do conjure thee,Who art the table wherein all my thoughts Are visibly character'd and engraved,— To lesson me; and tell me some good mean, How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Proteus. Luc. Alas! the way is wearisome and long. ful. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps; Much less shall she, that hath love's wings to fly; And when the flight is made to one so dear, Of such divine perfection, as sir Proteus. Luc. Better forbear, till Proteus make return. Jul. O, know'st thou not his looks are my soul's food? Pity the dearth that I have pinèd in, By longing for that food so long a time. But qualify the fire's extreme rage, Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason. Jul. The more thou damm'st it up, the more it burns; The current that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage; |