Val. Pro. And how do yours? 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-discourse. Val. Ay, Proteus, 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 sighs; For in revenge of my contempt of love, Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow. O gentle Proteus, Love's a mighty lord And hath so humbled me as I confess There is no woe to his correction 140 Nor to his service no such joy on earth. Pro. No; but she is an earthly paragon. I will not flatter her. Pro. Val. O, flatter me; for love delights in praises. Pro. When I was sick, you gave me bitter pills, And I must minister the like to you. 150 Val. Then speak the truth by her; if not divine, Yet let her be a principality, Sweet, except not any; Val. Not for the world: why, man, she is mine own, And I as rich in having such a jewel 170 Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd: nay, more, our marriage-hour, 180 With all the cunning manner of our flight, Pro. Go on before; I shall inquire you forth: 190 200 [Exit Valentine. Even 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, or Valentine's praise, Her true perfection, or my false transgression, That makes me reasonless to reason thus? She is fair; and so 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 impression 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 shall I dote on her with more advice, That thus without advice begin to love her! 'Tis but her picture I have yet beheld, And that hath dazzled my reason's light; But when I look on her perfections, There is no reason but I shall be blind. If I can check my erring love, I will; If not, to compass her I'll use my skill. SCENE V. The same. A street. 210 [Exit. 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 madcap, I'll to the alehouse with you presently; where, for one shot of five pence, thou shalt have five thousand welcones. But, sirrah, how did thy master part with Madam Julia? Lawnce. Marry, after they closed in earnest, they parted very fairly in jest. Speed. But shall she marry him? Speed. How then? shall he marry her? Speed. What, are they broken? Launce. No, they are both as whole as a fish. Speed. Why, then, how stands the matter with them? Launce. Marry, thus; when it stands well with him, it stands well with her. Speed. What an ass art thou! I understand thee not. Launce. What a block art thou, that thou canst not! My staff understands me. Speed. What thou sayest? Launce. Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me. Speed. It stands under thee, indeed. Launce. Why, stand-under and under-stand is all one. Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match? Launce. 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. Laune. Thou shalt never get such a secret from me but by a parable. Speed. Tis well that I get it so. But, Launce, how sayest thou, that my master is become a notable lover? Launce. I never knew him otherwise. Launce. A notable lubber, as thou reportest him to be. Laune. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy master. Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover. Launce. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt, go with me to the alehouse; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Christian. Speed. Why? Launce. Because thou hast not so much chaty in thee as to go to the ale with a Christian. Wilt thou go? Speed. At thy service. SCENE VI. The same. [Exeunt. The DUKE's palace. Enter PROTEUS. Pra. 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; lave bade me swear and Love bids me forswear. | O sweet-suggesting Love, if thou hast sinn'd, 20 30 But there I leave to love where I should love. SCENE VIL Verona. JULIA's house. 40 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 pined in, But qualify the fire's extreme rage, Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason. Jul. The more thou damm'st it :p, the more it burns. The current that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth All that is mine I leave at thy dispose, 30 He makes sweet music with the enamell'd stones, Luc. But in what habit will you go along? Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in silken strings With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots. To be fantastic may become a youth Of greater time than I shall show to be. Luc. What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches? Jul. That fits as well as 'Tell me, good my lord, What compass will you wear your farthingale?' Why even what fashion thou best likest, Lucetta. Luc. You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam. Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be illfavour'd. Luc. A round hose, madam, now's not worth a pin, Unless you have a codpiece to stick pins on. Jul. Lucetta, as thou lovest me, let me have What thou thinkest meet and is most mannerly. But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me For undertaking so unstaid a journey? I fear me, it will make me scandalized. 60 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. If Proteus like your journey when you come, No matter who's displeased when you are gone: I fear me, he will scarce be pleased withal. Jul. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear: A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears And instances of infinite of love Warrant me welcome to my Proteus. 70 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; His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles, His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate, His tears pure messengers sent from his heart, His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth. Luc. Pray heaven he prove so, when you come to him! Jul. Now, as thou lovest me, do him not that wrong To bear a hard opinion of his truth: My goods, my lands, my reputation; ACT III. [Exeunt. SCENE I. Milan. 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 Thu. Now, tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me? Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would discover The law of friendship bids me to conceal; I know you have determined to bestow her care; 21 30 Which to requite, command me while I live. mean 40 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 Duke. Be they of much import? Val. The tenour of them doth but signify My health and happy being at your court. Duke. Nay then, no matter; stay with me I am to break with thee of some affairs Were rich and honourable; besides, the gentle man Is full of virtue, bounty, worth and qualities Duke. No, trust me; she is peevish, sullen, 70 Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty, I now am full resolved to take a wife Duke. There is a lady in Verona here 80 Val. Win her with gifts, if she respect not words: Dumb jewels often in their silent kind 9 More than quick words do move a woman's mind. Dake. But she did scorn a present that I sent her. Val. A woman sometimes-scorns what best contents her. Send her another; never give her o'er; Unto a youthful gentleman of worth, Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Duke. This very night; for Love is like a That longs for every thing that he can come by. Duke. But, hark thee; I will go to her alone: bear it 1 And here an engine fit for my proceeding. My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them; Because myself do want my servants' fortune: be. What's here? 150 'Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee.' Val. Why, then, I would resort to her by night. But if thou linger in my territories 160 32 Longer than swiftest expedition Will give thee time to leave our royal court, Be gone! I will not hear thy vain excuse; torment? To die is to be banish'd from myself; Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE. Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. 170 180 190 Launce Him we go to find: there's not a hair on's head but 'tis a Valentine. Pro. Valentine? Launce. Can nothing speak? Master, shall I strike? Pro. Who wouldst thou strike? Pro. Villain, forbear. 200 Launce. Why, sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you, Pro. Sirrah, I say, forbear. Friend Valentine, a word. Val. My ears are stopt and cannot hear good news, So much of bad already hath possess'd them. Pro. No, Valentine. 210 Val. No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia. Hath she forsworn me? Pro. No, Valentine. Val. No Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn me. What is your news? Launce. Sir, there is a proclamation that you are vanished. Pro. That thou art banished-O, that's the news! From hence, from Silvia and from me thy friend. 220 Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the doom Which, unreversed, stands in effectual force- 231 As if but now they waxed pale for woe: With many bitter threats of biding there. Val. No more; unless the next word that Have some malignant power upon my life: 240 Pro. Cease to lament for that thou canst not help, And study help for that which thou lament'st. 250 Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my boy, Bid him make haste and meet me at the Northgate. Pro. Go, sirrah, find him out. Come, Valentine. Val. O my dear Silvia! Hapless Valentine! 265 [Exeunt Val, and Pro. Launce. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I 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 what woman, I will not tell myself; and yet 'tis a milkmaid; 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. [Pulling out a paper. Here is the cate-log of her condition. Why, a Imprimis: She can fetch and carry.' horse can do no more: nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry; therefore is she better than a jade. Item: She can milk;' look you, a sweet virtue in a maid with clean hands. |