Diftingiufh him from others, he did keep Could belt exprefs how flow his foul fail'd on, Imo. Thou fhouldft have made him As little as a crow, or lefs, ere left Pif. Madam, so I did.. Imo Iwould have broke mine eye-ftrings: crack'd To look upon him; 'till the diminution ['em but Of space had pointed him fharp as my needle; Nay, followed him, till he had melted from The finallness of a gnat, to air; and then Have turned mine eye and wept.-But, good Pisa-When fhall we hear from him?. Pif. Be affured, Madam, With his next vantage.. [nio, Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had Moft pretty things to fay: ere I could tell him How I would think on him at certain hours, Such thoughts, and fuch; or, I could make him The She's of Italy fhould not betray [fwear Mine interest, and his honour; or have charged him, ty fpeaking points to the part fpoken of. Se Polonius in Hamlet: Take this from this, if this be otherwife: i e take my head from my neck; both which Polonius points to while he speaks. so lector to Æneas in Virgil: si Pergama dex râ Defendi prent, etiàm bác defenfa fuiffent. And fo in Terence; Sof. Satin' hic certum eft? Eneid 11. Adelph: And a multitude of inftances might be quoted to Ge. Certum; hifce oculis exomet vidi, Softrata. A. 3. S. prove this ufage. At the fixth hour of morn, or noon, at midnight, I am in heaven for him;) or ere I could Enter a Lady. Lady. The Queen, Madam, Defires your Highnefs' company. Imo. Thofe things I bid you do, get them dif 1 will attend the Queen. Pif. Madam, I thall. SCENE changes to Rome. [patch'd. [Exeunt. Enter PHILARIO, IACHIMO, and a Frenchman. Iach. Believe it, Sir, I have feen him in Britain; he was then of a crefcent note; expected to prove fo worthy as fince he has been allowed the name of. But I could then have looked on him with out the help of admiration, though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his fide, and I to perufe them by items. Phil. You fpeak of him when he was lefs furnifhed than now he is, with that which makes him both without and within. French. I have seen him in France; we had very many there could behold the fun with as firm as he. eyes lach. This matter of marrying his King's daughter, (wherein he must be weighed rather by her value than his own) words him, I doubt not, a great deal from the matter. French. And then his banishment Iach. Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this lamentable divorce under her colours, are wonderfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgment, which elfe an eafy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without more quality. But how comes it he is to fojourn with you? how creeps acquaintance? Phil His father and I were foldiers together, to whom I have been often bound for no lefs than my life. Enter POSTHUMUS. Here comes the Briton. Let him be fo entertained amongst you as fuits with gentlemen of your knowing, to a ftranger of his quality. I beseech you all, be better known to this gentleman; whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine. How worthy he is, I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than ftory him in his own hearing. French. Sir, we have been known together in Orleans. Poft. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtefies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay ftill. French. Sir, you over-rate my poor kindness: k was glad I did atone my countryman and you; it had been pity you fhould have been put together with fo mortal a purpofe as then each bore, upon importance of fo flight and trivial a nature. Poft. By your pardon, Sir, I was then a young traveller; rather fhunned to go even with what I heard, than in my every action to be guided by others experiences; but upon my mended judgment, (if I offend not to fay it is mended) my quarrel was not altogether flight. French. Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of fwords; and by fuch two, that would by all likelihood have confounded one the other, or have fallen both. Iach. Can we with manners afk, what was the difference? French. Safely, I think; 'twas a contention in public, which may without contradiction fuffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praife of our country mistreffes: this gentleman at that time vouching, (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation) his to be more fair, virtuous, wife, châste, conftant, qualified, and lefs attemptable than any of the rareft of our ladies in France Iach. That lady is not now living; or this gentle man's opinion, by this, worn out. Poft. She holds her virtue ftill, and i my mind. lach. You must not fo far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy. Poft. Being fo far provoked, as I was in France, I would abate her nothing; though I profefs myfelf her adorer, not her friend. lach. As fair, and as good, a kind of hand-inhand comparifon, had been fomething too fair and too good for any Lady in Britany. If he went before others I have feen, as that diamond of yours out-luftres many I have beheld, I could not believe fhe excelled many; but I have not feen the most precious diamond that is, nor you the Lady. Poft. I praised her as I rated her, fo do Imy ftone. Iach. What do you esteem it at? Poft. More than the world enjoys. Tach. Either your unparagoned miftrefs is dead, or fhe's out-prized by a trifle. Poft. You are mistaken; the one may be fold or given, if there were wealth enough for the purchafe, or merit for the gift. The other is not a thing for fale, and only the gift of the Gods. Jach. Which the Gods have given you:Poft. Which by their graces I will keep. Iach. You may wear her in title yours; but you know ftrange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your ring may be ftolen too; so of your brace of unprizeable eftimations, the one is but frail, and the other cafual. A cunning thief, or a that-wayaccomplished courtier, would hazard the winning both of first and last. Poft. Your Italy contains none fo accomplished a courtier to convince the honour of my mistress; if in the holding or loss of that you term her frail. I do nothing doubt you have store of thieves, notwithstanding I fear not my ring. Phil. Let us leave here, gentlemen. Poft. Sir, with all my heart. This worthy Signior, I thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar at first. Iach. With five times fo much converfation, I fhould get ground of your fair miftrefs; make her go back even to the yielding, had I admittance and opportunity to friend. Poft. No, no Lach. I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my eftate to your ring, which in my opinion o'er-values it fomething: but I make my wager rather against your confidence, than her reputation: and to bar your offence herein too, I durft attempt it against any lady in the world. Poft. You are a great deal abused in too bold a perfuafion; and I doubt not you'd fuftain what you're worthy of, by your attempt. Jach. What's that? |