Come all the praises, that I now bestow;)

He is compleat in feature and in mind,
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

DUKE. Beshrew me, Sir, but if he makes this good,
He is as worthy for an emprefs' love.

As meet to be an emperor's counsellor.
Well, Sir, this gentleman is come to me,
With commendations from great potentates;
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 him to it:
I'll fend him hither to you, presently.

[Exit Duke.

VAL. This is the gentleman, I told your ladyship,
Had come along with me, but that his mistress
Did hold his eyes lockt in her crystal looks.

SIL. Belike, that now fhe hath enfranchis'd them
Upon fome other pawn for fealty.

VAL. Nay, fure, I think, fhe holds them pris'ners still. SIL. Nay, then he should be blind: and, being blind, How could he fee his way to feek out you?

VAL. Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes. THU. They fay, that love hath not an eye at all. VAL. To fee fuch lovers, Thurio, as yourself: Upon a homely object love can wink.

SCENE VI.

Enter Protheus.

SIL. Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman.

VAL. Welcome, dear Protheus: 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
To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.

SIL. Too low a mistress for so high a servant.
PRO. Not fo, fweet lady; but too mean a fervant,
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're welcome to a worthless mistress.
PRO. I'll die on him that says fo, but yourself.
SIL. That you are welcome?

PRO. No. That you are worthless.

Enter fervant.

SER. Madam, my lord

your

father would fpeak with you.

SIL. I'll wait upon his pleasure: [Exit ferv.] Come, Sir

Thurio,

Go with me. And once more, new fervant, welcome:

I'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.

[Exit Sil. and Thu.

SCENE VII.

VAL. Now tell me,

how do all from whence you came?

PRO. Your friends are well, and have them much com

mended.

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?
I know, you joy not in a love-difcourfe.

VAL. Ay, Protheus, 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 fighs.
For, in revenge of my contempt of love,
Love hath chac'd fleep from my enthralled eyes,
And made them watchers of mine own heart's forrow.
O gentle Protheus, love's a mighty lords

And hath so humbled me, as, I confess,

There is no woe to his correction,
Nor to his service, no fuch joy on earth.

Now no difcourse, except it be of love;

Now can I break my faft, dine, fup, and fleep
Upon the very naked name of love.

PRO. Enough: I read your fortune in your eye.

Was this the idol, that you worship so?

VAL. Even she; and is the not an heav'nly faint?
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 praife.
PRO. When I was fick, you gave me bitter pills:

And I must minister 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?
VAL. And I will help thee to prefer her too :
She fhall be dignified with this high honour,
To bear my lady's train, left the base earth
Should from her vesture chance to fteal a kifs;
And, of fo great a favour growing proud,
Difdain to root the fummer-fwelling flower;
And make rough winter everlastingly.

PRO. Why, Valentine, what bragadism is this?
VAL. Pardon me, Protheus; all I can, is nothing
To her, whofe worth makes other worthies nothing;
She is alone.

PRO. Then let her alone.

VAL. Not for the world: why, man, she is mine own : And I as rich in having fuch a jewel,

As twenty feas, if all their fand were pearl,
The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.
Forgive me, that I do not dream on thee,
Because thou feeft me doat upon my love.
My foolish rival, that her father likes,
Only for his poffeffions are fo huge,

Is

gone with her along, and I must after; For love thou know'ft is full of jealousy.

PRO. But he loves you

VAL. Ay, and we are betroth'd; nay more, our marriage

hour,

With all the cunning manner of our flight,

Determin'd of; how I must climb her window,
The ladder made of cords; and all the means

Plotted and 'greed on for my happiness.

Good Protheus, go with me to my chamber,
In these affairs to aid me with thy counsel.

PRO. Go on before; I fhall enquire you forth.
I must unto the road, to difembark

Some neceffaries that I needs must use;

And then I'll presently attend you.

VAL. Will you make haste ?

PRO. I will.

Ev'n as one heat another heat expels,

Or as one nail by strength drives out another;
So the remembrance of my former love
Is by a newer object quite forgotten.
Is it mine eye, or Valentino's praise,
Her true perfection, or my falfe tranfgreffion,
That makes me, reafonless, to reason thus ?
She's fair, and fo is Julia, that I love;
That I did love, for now my love is thaw'd;
Which, like a waxen image 'gainst a fire,
Bears no impreffion of the thing it was.
Methinks, my zeal to Valentine is cold,
And that I love him not, as I was wont.
O! but I love his lady too, too much :
And that's the reason, I love him so little.
How fhall I doat on her with more advice,
That thus without advice begin to love her?
'Tis but her picture I have yet beheld,
And that had dazeled my reason's light :
But when I look on her perfections,
There is no reason, but I fhall be blind.
If I can check my erring love, I will;
If not, to compass her I'll use my skill.

[Exit Val.

[Exit.