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Enter Protheus.

Pro. Sweet love, fweet lines, fweet life!
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;
Here is her oath for love, her honour's pawn.
Oh! that our fathers would applaud our loves,
To feal our happiness with their confents!
Oh heav'nly Julia!

Ant. How now? what letter are you reading there? Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or two Of commendation fent from Valentine;

Deliver'd by a friend that came from him.

Ant. Lend me the letter; let me fee what news.
Pro. There is no news, my lord, but that he writes
How happily he lives, how well belov'd
And daily graced by the Emperor;

Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.
Ant. And how stand you affected to his wifh?
Pro. As one relying on your lordship's will,
And not depending on his friendly with.

Ant. My will is fomething forted with his wish:
Muse not that I thus fuddenly proceed;

For what I will, I will; and there's an end.
I am refolv'd, that thou fhalt spend some time
With Valentino in the Emp'ror's court:
What maintenance he from his friends receives,
Like exhibition thou fhalt have from me:

To morrow be in readiness to go.

Excufe it not, for I am peremptory.

Pro. My lord, I cannot be fo foon provided;

Please you to deliberate a day or two.

Ant. Look, what thou want'ft, fhall be sent after thee:

No more of stay; to morrow thou must

go.

Come on, Panthion; you shall be employ'd

To haften on his expedition. [Exe. Ant. and Pant. Pro. Thus have I fhun'd the fire, for fear of burning; And drench'd me in the Sea, where I am drown'd: VOL. I.

I fear'd

I fear'd to fhew my father Julia's letter,
Left he should take exceptions to my love;
And with the vantage of mine own excufe,
Hath he excepted most against my love.
Oh, how this fpring of love refembleth

8

Th' uncertain glory of an April day; Which now fhews all the beauty of the fun, And by and by, a cloud takes all away!

Enter Panthion.

Pant. Sir Protheus, your father calls for you; He is in hafle, therefore, I pray you, go.

Pro. Why, this it is! my heart accords thereto : And yet a thousand times it anfwers, no.

8 At the end of this verfe there is wanting a fyllable, for the fpeech apparently ends in a quatrain. I find nothing that will rhyme to fun, and therefore fhall leave it to fome happier critick. But I fufpe&t that the Authour might write thus,

Oh, how this Spring of love re

fembleth right, Th uncertain glory of an April day;

[Exeunt.

Which now shows all the glory of the light, And, by and by, a cloud takes all away.

or affectation changed to fun, Light was either by negligence which, confidered without the rhyme, is indeed better. The next tranfcriber finding that the word right did not rhyme to fun, fuppofed it erroneously written, and left it out.

АСТ

ACT II. SCENE I.

Changes to Milan.

An Apartment in the Duke's Palace.

Enter Valentine and Speed.

IR, your glove

SPEED.

ST Val. Not mine; my gloves are on.

Speed. Why then this may be yours, for this is but

one.

Val. Ha! let me fee: ay, give it me, it's mine: Sweet ornament, that decks a thing divine!

Ah Silvia! Silvia!

Speed. Madam Silvia! Madam Silvia!
Val. How now, Sirrah?

Speed. She is not within hearing, Sir.

Val. Why, Sir, who bad you call her?
Speed. Your worship, Sir, or elfe I mistook.

Val. Well, you'll still be too forward.

Speed. And yet I was last chidden for being too flow. Val. Go to, Sir; tell me, do you know Madam Silvia? Speed. She, that your worship loves?

Val. Why, how know you that I am in love? Speed. Marry, by thefe fpecial marks; first, you have learn'd, like Sir Protheus, to wreath your arms like a male-content; to relish a love-fong, like a Robin-red-breaft; to walk alone, like one that had the peftilence; to figh like a school-boy that had loft his A. B. C; to weep like a young wench that had buried her grandam; to faft, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing; to speak pulO 2

ing,

ing, like a beggar at Hallowmas. You were wont, when you laugh'd, to crow like a cock; when you walk'd, to walk like one of the lions; when you fafted, it was prefently after dinner; when you look'd fadly, it was for want of money and now you are metamorphos'd with a mistress, that, when I look on you, I can hardly think you my matter.

Val. Are all thefe things perceiv'd in me?
Speed. They are all perceiv'd without ye.
Val. Without me? they cannot.

Speed. Without you? nay, that's certain; for without you were fo fimple, none else would: But you are fo without thefe follies, that thefe follies are within you, and shine through you like the water in an urinal; that not an eye that fees you, but is a phyfician to comment on your malady.

Val. But tell me, doft thou know my lady Silvia? Speed. She, that you gaze on fo as fhe fits at fupper? Val. Haft thou obferv'd that? ev'n fhe I mean. Speed. Why, Sir, I know her not.

Val. Doft thou know her by my gazing on her, and yet know'ft her not?

Speed. Is he not hard-favour'd, Sir?

Val. Not fo fair, boy, as well-favour'd.
Speed. Sir, I know that well enough.
Val. What doft thou know?

Speed. That he is not fo fair, as of you well-favour'd,
Val. I mean that her beauty is exquifite,

But her favour infinite.

Speed. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count.

Val. How painted? and how out of count?

Speed. Marry, Sir, fo painted to make her fair, that no man counts of her beauty.

9 Hallowmas.] That is, about the feat of All Saints, when vinter begins, and the life of a

vagrant becomes lefs comfortable.

None else would.] None else would be fo fimple.

Val. How efteem'ft thou me? I account of her

beauty.

Speed. You never faw her fince fhe was deform'd,
Val. How long hath fhe been deform'd?

Speed. Ever fince you lov'd her.

Val. I have lov'd her, ever fince I faw her.
And ftill I fee her beautiful.

Speed. If you love her, you cannot see her.
Val. Why?

Speed. Becaufe love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes, or your own eyes had the lights they were wont to have, when you chid at Sir Protheus for going ungarter'd!

Val. What should I fee then?

Speed Your own prefent folly, and her paffing de-formity: For he, being in love, could not fee to garter his hofe; and you, being in love, cannot fee to put on your hose.

Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love for last morning you could not fee to wipe my fhoes.

Speed. True, Sir, I was in love with my bed; I thank you, you fwing'd me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours.

Val. In conclufion, I ftand affected to her.

Speed. I would you were fet, fo your affection would cease.

Val. Laft night fhe injoin'd me to write fome lines. to one she loves.

Speed. And have you ?

Val. I have.

Speed. Are they not lamely writ?

Val. No, boy, but as well as I can do them;
Peace, here fhe comes.

Enter Silvia.

Speed. Oh excellent motion! Oh exceeding puppet! Now will he interpret to her.

Val. Madam and miftrefs, a thoufand good morrows.

03

Speed.

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