Pro. I left them all in health. Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your love? Val. Ay, Protheus, but that life is alter'd now; And made them watchers of mine own heart's-forrow. And hath fo humbled me, as, I confefs There is no wo to his correction; Nor, to his fervice, any joy on earth. Now, no discourse, except it be of love; Now can I break my faft, dine, fup, and fleep, Pro. Enough: I read your fortune in your eye. Val. Even fhe; and is she not a heav'nly faint? Pro. I will not flatter her. Val. O, flatter me; for love delights in praise. Pro. When I was fick, you gave me bitter pills, And I must minifter the like to you. Val. Then speak the truth by her: if not divine, Yet let her be a principality, Sov'reign to all the creatures on the earth. Pro. Except my mistress. Val. Sweet, except not any, Except thou wilt except against my love. Pro. Have I not reason to prefer mine own? She She fhall be dignify'd with this high honour, Pro. Why, Valentine, what bragadifm is this? Pro. Why, then let her alone. Val. Not for the world: why, man, fhe is mine own. As twenty feas, if all their fand were pearl, Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd; nay more, our marriage, Pro. Go on before; I fhall enquire you forth. Pro. I will. [Exit Val. Or as one nail by strength drives out another; SCENE [Exit. VIII. Enter Speed and Launce. Speed. Launce, by mine honefty, welcome to Milan. Laun. Forfwear not thyfelf, fweet youth; for I am not welcome: I reckon this always, that a man is never undone 'till he be hang'd, nor never welcome to a place 'till fome certain shot be pay'd, and the hoftefs fay, 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, firrah, how did thy master part with madam Julia? Laun. Marry, after they clos'd in earnest, they parted very fairly in jeft. Speed. Speed. But fhall she marry him? Laun. No. Speed. How then? shall he marry her? Laun. No, neither. Speed. What, are they broken? Laun. No, they are both as whole as a fish. Speed. Why then, how ftands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus; when it stands well with him, it stands well with her." Speed. But, tell me true, will't be a match? Laun. Afk my dog: if he fay, ay, it will; if he fay, no, it will; if he shake his tail, and fay nothing, it will. Speed. The conclufion is then, that it will. Laun. Thou shalt never get fuch a fecret from me, but by a parable. Speed. 'Tis well, that I get it fo: but, Launce, how fay'st thou, that my mafter is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwise. Speed. Than how? Laun. A notable lubber, as thou reporteft him to be. Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love: if thou wilt go with me to the ale-house, fo; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Chriftian. Speed. Why? Laun. Because thou haft not so much charity in thee as to go to the ale-house with a Chriftian: wilt thou go? Speed. At thy fervice. My ftaff understands me. Speed. What thou fay'ft? Laun. Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me. Speed. It ftands under thee, indeed. Laun. Why, ftand-under, and understand, is all one. Speed. But tell me true, &c. [Exeunt. Y 2 SCENE Pro. To leave my Julia, fhall I be forfworn: To love fair Silvia, fhall I be forfworn: To wrong my friend, I fhall be much forfworn: Love bad me fwear, and love bids me forfwear: Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken; If I keep them, I needs must lose myself : And Silvia (witness heav'n, that made her fair!) I will forget that Julia is alive, Remembring that my love to her is dead: Aiming at Silvia as a fweeter friend. Without some treachery us'd to Valentine : |