With nightly tears, and daily heart-sore sighs; Love hath chac'd sleep from my enthralled eyes, And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow. O, gentle Proteus, love's a mighty lord; Nor, to his service, no such joy on earth! Pro. Enough; I read your fortune in your eye: Was this the idol that you worship so? Val. Even she; and is she not a heavenly saint? Val. Call her divine. Pro. I will not flatter her. 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. Val. Then speak the truth by her; if not divine, Yet let her be a principality, 5 Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth. Pro. Have I not reason to prefer mine own? no woe to his correction,] No misery that can be compared to the punishment inflicted by love. 5 — a principality,] the old writers use state. The first or principal of women. So "She is a lady, a great state." And, of so great a favour growing proud, Pro. Why, Valentine, what braggardism is this? Val. Pardon me, Proteus: all I can, is nothing To her, whose 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 such a jewel, As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl, Val. Ay, we are betroth'd; Nay, more, our marriage hour, With all the cunning manner of our flight, 8 Some necessaries that I needs must use; summer-swelling flower,] i. e. the flower which swells in summer, till it expands itself into bloom. 7 She is alone.] She stands by herself; is incomparable. the road,] The haven, where ships ride at anchor. 11 Val. Will you make haste? Even as one heat another heat expels, [Exit VAL. Or as one nail by strength drives out another, [Exit. 9a waxen image 'gainst a fire,] Alluding to the figures made by witches, as representatives of those whom they designed to torment or destroy. with more advice,] With more advice, is on further knowledge, on better consideration. The word, as Mr. Malone observes, is still current among mercantile people, whose constant language is, "we are advised by letters from abroad,” meaning informed. So, in bills of exchange, the conclusion always is"Without further advice." 'Tis but her picture-] Proteus means, that, as yet, he had seen only her outward form, without having known her long enough to have any acquaintance with her mind. 3 And that hath dazzled my reason's light; But when I look, &c.] Our author uses dazzled as a trisyllable. SCENE V. The same. A street. Enter SPEED and LAUNCE. Speed. Launce! by mine honesty, welcome to Milan.4 Laun. Forswear not thyself, sweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-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 mad-cap, I'll to the alehouse with you presently; where, for one shot of five-pence, thou shalt have five thousand welcomes. But, sirrah, how did thy master part with madam Julia? Laun. Marry, after they closed in earnest, they parted very fairly in jest. Speed. But shall she marry him? Laun. No. Speed. How then? shall he marry her? Laun. No, neither. Speed. What, are they broken? Laun. No, they are both as whole as a fish. Speed. Why then, how stands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus; when it stands well with him, it stands well with her. Speed. What an ass art thou? I understand thee not. Laun. What a block art thou, that thou can'st not? My staff understands me. Speed. What thou say'st? to Milan.] It is Padua in the former editions. Laun. Ay, and what I do, too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me. Speed. It stands under thee, indeed. Laun. Why, stand under and understand is all one. Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match? Laun. 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. Laun. Thou shalt never get such a secret from me, but by a parable. Speed. 'Tis well that I get it so. But, Launce, how say'st thou, that my master is become a notable lover5 Laun. I never knew him otherwise. Speed. Than how? Laun. A notable lover, as thou reportest him to be. Speed. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mistakest me. Laun. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy master. Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover. Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt go with me to the ale-house, so; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Christian. Speed. Why? Laun. Because thou hast not so much charity in thee, as to go to the ale with a Christian: Wilt thou go? Speed. At thy service. [Exeunt. how say'st thou, that my master is become a notable lover?] i. e. What say'st thou to this circumstance,—namely, that my master is become a notable lover? the ale] Ales were merry meetings instituted in country places. |