For undertaking so unstaid a journey? Sir Valentine her company, and my court: go not. Jul. Nay, that I will not. Lue. Then never dream on infamy, but go. If Proteus like your journey, when you come, No matter who's displeas'd, when you are gone: 1 fear me, he will scarce be pleas'd withal. Luc. All these are servants to deceitful men. Jul. Base men, that use them to so base effect! But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth: Luc. Pray heaven, he prove so, when you come to him! Jul. Now, as thou lov'st me, do him not that me? Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would discover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal : Being unprevented, to your timeless grave. care; Which to requite, command me while I live. This love of theirs myself have often seen, Haply, when they have judged me fast asleep; And oftentimes have purpos'd to forbid * Longed for. (A rashness that I ever yet have shunn'd,) Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a mean How he her chamber-window will ascend, Enter VALENTINE. Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Val. Please it your grace there is a messenger That stays to bear my letters to my friends, And I am going to deliver them. Duke. Be they of much import? Vul. The tenor of them doth but signify My health, and happy being at your court. Duke. Nay, then no matter; stay with me a while; I am to break with thee of some affairs, Tis not unknown to thee, that I have sought Duke. No, trust me; she is peevish, sullen, froward, Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty; I now am full resolved to take a wife, Duke. There is a lady, Sir, in Milan here, Dumb jewels often in their silent kind, Duke. But she did scorn a present that I sent Val. A woman sometimes scorns what best Send her another; never give her o'er; graces; Though ne'er so black, say, they have angels' That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no man, Unto a youthful gentleman of worth; Duke. Ay, but the doors be lock'd, and keys That no man hath recourse to her by night. Val. What lets, but one may enter at her window? Duke. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground; And built so shelving that one cannot climb it Val. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made of To cast up with a pair of anchoring hooks, Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, me that. Duke. This very night; for love is like a child, That longs for every thing that he can come by. Val. By seven o'clock I'll get you such a ladder. Duke. But, hark thee; I will go to her alone; How shall I best convey the ladder thither? Val. It will be light, my lord, that you may bear it Under a cloak, that is of any length. Duke. A cloak as long as thine will serve the turn? Val. Ay, my good lord. Duke. Then let me see thy cloak; I'll get me one of such another length. Val. Why, any cloak will serve the turn, my lord. Duke. How shall I fashion me to wear a cloak? I pray thee, let me feel thy cloak upon me.- Silvia? And here an engine fit for my proceeding! [Reads. My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly ; * Hinders. My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them; While I, their king, that thither them importune, Do curse the grace that with such grace hath Because myself do want my servants' fortune: Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee: thee? Go, base intruder! overweening slave! To die, is to be banish'd from myself; Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE. Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. 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? Pro. What then? Val. Nothing. Laun. Can nothing speak? master, snailI strike? Pro. Whom would'st thou strike? Pro. Villain, forbear. Laun. Why, Sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you, Pro. Sirrah, I say, forbear: Friend Valen- Val. My ears are stopp'd, and cannot hear (Which, unrevers'd, stands in effectual force,) A sea of melting pearl, which some call tears: Those at her father's churlish feet she tender'd; With them, upon her knees, her humble self; Wringing her hands, whose whiteness so became them, As if but now they waxed pale for woe: Could penetrate her uncompassionate sire; Val. No more; unless the next word that thou speak'st, Have some malignant power upon my life: Pro. Cease to lament for that thou canst not help, And study help for that which thou lament'st. Val. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine! [Exeunt VALENTINE and PROteus. Laun. I am but a fool, look you; and yet have the wit to think, my master is a kind of a 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 a cat-log [Pulling out a pa * Grief. Speed. Come, fool, come; try me in thy paper. Laun. There; and saint Nicholas be thy speed! Speed. Impritnis, She can milk. Laun. Ay, that she can. Speed. Item, She brews good ale. Laun. And therefore comes the proverb,Blessing of your heart, you brew good ale. Speed. Itein, She can sew. Laun. That's as inuch as to say, Can she so? Speed. Item, She can knit. Laun. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, when she can knit him a stock. Speed. Item, She can wash and scour. Laun. A special virtue; for then 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, bastard 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. Speed. Item, She is not to be kissed fasting, in respect of her breath. Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: Read on. Speed. Item, She hath a sweet mouth. Laun. That makes amends for her sour beach. Speed. Item, She doth talk in her sleep Laun. It's no matter for that, so she she not in her talk. Speed. Item, She is slow in words. Laun. O villain, that set this down ang her vices! To be slow in words, is a wm's only virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and sce it for her chief virtue. Speed. Item, She is proud. Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's lesy, and cannot be ta'en from her. 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 bite. *St. Nicholas precided over young sel obe Speed. Item, She will often praise her liquor. Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall: if 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 wit, 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; I'll 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! Speed. And more wealth than faults. Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gracious: Well, I'll have her and if it be a match, as nothing is impossible,→ Speed. What then? Pro. I do, my lord. Duke. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will. Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Duke. Ay, and perversely she persévers so. What might we do, to make the girl forget The love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio? Pro. The best way is to slander Valentine With falsehood, cowardice, and poor descent. Three things that women highly hold in hate. Duke. Ay, but she'll think, that it is spoke in hate. Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Therefore it must, with circumstance, be spoken By one, whom she esteemeth as his friend. Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Pro. And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do. 'Tis an ill office for a gentleman; Especially, against his very friend. Duke. Where your good word cannot advan tage him, Your slander never can endamage him; Pro. You have prevailed, my lord: if I can do it, By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, Laun. Why, then I will tell thee,-that thy She shall not long continue love to him. master stays for thee at the north-gate. Speed. For me? Laun. For thee? ay; who art thou? he hath 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. Laun. Now will he be swinged for reading my letter: An unmannerly slave, that will thrust himself into secrets!-I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exit. SCENE II.-The same.-A Room in the DUKE'S Paluce. Enter DUKE and THURIO; PROTEUS behind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most, Forsworn my company, and rail'd at me, That I am desperate of obtaining her. Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure Trenched in ice; which with an hour's heat Dissolves to water, and doth lose his form. A little time will melt her frozen thoughts, And worthless Valentine shall be forgot.How now, Sir Proteus? Is your countryman, According to our proclamation, gone? Pro. Gone, my good lord. Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Pro. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief. Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not But say, this weed her love from Valentine, It follows not that she will love Sir Thurio. Thu. Therefore, as you unwind her love from him, Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect :But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough; You must lay lime, to tangle her desires, By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes Should be full fraught with serviceable vows. Duke. Ay, much the force of heaven-bred poesy. Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart: Write till your ink be dry; and with your tears Moist it again; and frame some feeling line, That may discover such integrity :— For Orpheus' lute was strung with poet's sinews; [stones Whose golden touch could soften steel and Make tigers tame, and huge leviathans Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. After your dire-lamenting elegies, Visit by night your lady's chamber-window Will well become such sweet complaining Enter VALENTINE and SPEED. 3 Out. Stand, Sir, and throw us that you have about you; If not, we'll make you sit, and rifle you. That all the travellers do fear so much. 1 Out. That's not so, Sir; we are your enemies. 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him. 3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; For he's a propert man. [lose; Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to A man I am, cross'd with adversity: My riches are these poor habiliments, Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you? Val. To Verona. 1 Out. Whence came you? Val. From Milan. 3 Out. Have you long sojourned there? If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. 2 Out. For what offence? Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse: But were you banish'd for so small a fault? Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom. 1 Out. Have you the tongues?‡ Val. My youthful travel therein made me Or else I often had been miserable. [happy; 3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 1 Out. We'll have him: Sirs, a word. Speed. Master, be one of them; It is an honourable kind of thievery. 2 Out. Tell us this: Have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth, Choose out + Well-looking. + Languages. But to the purpose,-(for we cite our faults, 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: 3 Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consórt? Say, ay, and be the captain of us all: We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee, Love thee as our commander, and our king. 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with Provided that you do no outrages [you; On silly women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And show thee all the treasure we have got; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Milan.-Court of the Palace. Enter PROTEUS. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, Under the colour of commending him, And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. I have access my own love to prefer; But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, To be corrupted with my worthless gifts. When I protest true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend. When to her beauty I commend my vows, She bids me think, how I have been forsworn In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd: And, notwithstanding all her sudden quips,‡ The least whereof would quell a lover's hope, Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love, The more it grows and fawneth on her still. But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window, And give some evening music to her ear. Enter THURIO, and Musicians. Thu. How now, Sir Proteus? are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love Will creep in service where it cannot go. here. Pro. Sir, but I do; or else I would be hence. Thu. Whom? Silvia? Pro. Ay, Silvia,-for your sake. Thu. I thank you for your own. Now, genLet's tune, and to it lustily a while. [tlemen, Lawful. Anger, resentment. Passionate reproaches |