Except I be by Silvia in the night, Entr Protheus and Launce. Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. Pro. What seest thou? But Valentine, if he be ta'en, must die. 5 With many bitter threats of 'biding there. [speak'st, 10 Laun. Him we go to find: there's not an hair 15 Hope is a lover's staff; walk hence with that, on's head, but 'tis a Valentine. And manage it against despairing thoughts. 25 30 Val.I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest myboy, Bid him make haste,and meet me at the north-gate. Pro.Go, sirrah, find him out. Come, Valentine. Val. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine! [Exeunt Valentine and Protheus. Laun. 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 Val. No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia!-35 am in love: but a team of horse shall not pluck Hath she forsworn me? Pro. No, Valentine. Val.No Valentine, if Silvia bave forsworn me!- [vanish'd. Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the doom, 40 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 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 christan. Here is the cat-log [pulling out a paper] of her conditions.-Imprimis, She can fetch and carry. Why, a horse 45 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 Ja maid with clean hands. The phrase of, to fly his doom used here for by flying, or in flying, is a gallicism. The sense is, By avoiding the execution of his sentence I shall not 2 death. escape Before the meaning of this address of letters to the bosom of a mistress can be understood, it should be known that women antiently had a pocket in the fore part of their stays, in which they not only carried love-letters and love-tokens, but even their money and materials for needle-work. In many parts of England the country girls still observe the same practice. One knave may signify a knave on one occasion, a single knave. We still use a double villain for a villain beyond the common rate of guilt. Gossips, not only signify those who are sponsors for a child in baptism, but the tattling women who attend lyings-in. bure has two senses; mere and naked. Launce uses it in both, and opposes the naked female to the waterspaniel cover'd with hairs of remarkable thickness. D 2 5 Speed. Speed. Why, man, how black? Laun. Why, as black as ink. [read. Laun. Fie on thee, jolt-head; thou can'st not [thee? 5 Laun. I will try thee: Tell me this: Whobegot Speed. Marry, the son of my grandfather. Laun. O illiterate loiterer! it was the son of thy grandmother': this proves, that thou can't not read. Speed. Come, fool, come; try me in thy paper. Speed. Tiem, She brews good ale. Laun. And therefore comes the proverb,- Laun. That's as much as to say, Can she so? Laun. What need a man care for a stock with a wench,, when she can knit him a stock?? Speed. Item, She can spin. Laun. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. 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 10morefultsthanhairs, and more wealththanfaults. 15 20 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: Oh, that that were out! Speed. And more wealth than faults. Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gra25cious: Well, I'll have her: And if it be a match, as nothing is impossible,— Speed. Item, She hath many nameless virives. Laun. That's as much as to say, bastard vir- 30 tues; 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 kiss'd fusting, 35 in respect of her breath. Luun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast; Read on. Speed. Item, She hath a sweet mouth'. in her talk. Speed. Item, She is slow in words. Laun. O villain! that set down among her 45 vices? To be slow in words, is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and place it for her chief virtue. Speed. Item, She is proud. Speed. What then? Laun. Why, then will I tell thee,-that thy 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 thy turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? pox on your love-letters! Laun. Now will he be swing'd for reading my letter; an unmannerly slave, that will thrust himself into secrets!-I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Enter Duke and Thurio, and Protheus behind. love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight, Thu. Since his exile she hath despised me most, Forsworn my company, and rail'd at me, Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, 50 That I am desperate of obtaining her. and cannot be taken 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. Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure It is undoubtedly true that the mother only knows the legitimacy of the child. Launce probably infers, that if he could read, he must have read this well-known observation. 2 St. Nicholas presided over scholars, who were therefore call'd St. Nicholas's clerks. That is, a stocking. * Dr. Johnson is of opinion that sweet mouth implies the same with what is now vulgarly called a sweet tooth, a luxurious desire of dainties and sweetmeats; while Mr. Steevens believes, that by a sweet mouth is meant that she sings sweetly. Liberal, is licentious and gross in language. Gracious, in old language, means graceful. That is, cut, carv'd in ice. 7 Pro. Pro. Gone, my good lord. Duke. My daughter takes his going heavily. Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace, Duke. And also, I do think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will. 10 Duke. And, Protheus, we dare trust you in this And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. 15 Pro. The best way is, to slander Valentine Therefore it must, with circumstance, be spoken Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. [him, For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews; 25 Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage 30 Visit by night your lady's chamber-window Duke. This discipline shews thou hast been in Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it, Therefore, sweet Protheus, my direction-giver, By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, "It follows not that she will love sir Thurio. [him, 33 Let us into the city presently 40 6 To sort some gentlemen well skill'd in musick: I have a sonnet, that will serve the turn, [per, Pro. We'll wait upon your gracetill after sup- 'Very is immediate. 'The meaning of this allusion is, As you wind off her love from him, make me the bottom on which you wind it. The women's term for a ball of thread wound upon a central body, is a bottom of thread. 'That is, birdlime. A dump was the ancient term for a mournful elegy. 'To inherit, is here used for to obtain possession of, without any idea of acquiring by inheritance. That is, to chuse out, ? That is, I will excuse you from waiting. My My riches are these poor habiliments. Val. To Verona. 1 Out. Whence came you? Val. From Milan. 3 Out. Have you long sojourn'd there? Val. Some sixteen months; and longer might have staid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. 1 Out. What, were you banish'd thence? Val. I was. 2 Out. For what offence? [hearse. Enter Protheus. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, Val. For that which now torments me to re-15I have access my own love to prefer; I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; 1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done so: 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 happy: Or else l'often had been miserable. [triar, 3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat 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 a kind of honourable thievery. Val. Peace, villain! But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, 25 [to: 30 2 Out. Tell us this; have you any thing to take Val. Nothing but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thrust from the company of awful' men: For practising to steal away a lady, 2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart. 1 Out. And I, for such like petty crimes as these. 2 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, And live, as we do, in the wilderness! 3 Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be our Say, ay, and be the captain of us all: 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou dy'st. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Reverend, worshipful, such as magistrates. is, hasty passionate reproaches and scoffs, 35 40 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 Protheus: are you crept Thu. Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here, Pro. Ay, Silvia,-for your sake. Thu. I thank you for your own. Now, gentlemen, Let's tune, and to it lustily a while. Enter Host at a distance; and Juliain boy's cloaths. Host. Now, my young guest! methinks you're allycholly; I pray you, why is it? Jul. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be 45 merry. 50 55 [60] 2 Host. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you shall hear music, and see the gentleman that you ask'd for. Jul. But shall I hear him speak? Jul. That will be music. Host. Hark! hark! Jul. Is he among these? Host. Ay: but peace, let's hear 'em. Who is Silvia? what is she That all our swains commend her ? The heavens such grace did lend her, Quality is nature relatively considered. 3 3 That Is she kind, as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness: To help him of his blindness; Host. How now? are you sadder than you were before? For me,-by this pale queen of night I swear, I am so far from granting thy request, That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit; And by and by intend to chide myself, 5 Even for this time I spend in talking to thee. Pro. I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady: But she is dead. 10 How do you, man? the music likes you not. Jul. He plays false, father. Host. How, out of tune on the strings? Jul. Not so; but yet so false, that he grieves my very heart-strings. Host. You have a quick ear. Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have a slow heart. Host. I perceive, you delight not in music. Jul. Not a whit, when it jars so. Host. Hark, what fine change is in the music! Jul. Ay; that change is the spite. [thing. Host. You would have them always play but one Jut. I would always have one play but one thing. But, host, doth this sir Protheus, that we talk on, Often resort unto this gentlewoman? Host. I tell you what Launce, his man, toldme, he lov'd her out of all nick'. Jul. Where is Launce? Host. Gone to seek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a present to his lady. 20 Jul. [Aside.] "Twere false, if I should speak it; For, I am sure, she is not buried. Sil. Say, that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd; and art thou not asham'd Pro. I likewise hear, that Valentine is dead. Sil. And so, suppose, am I; for in his grave, Assure thyself, my love is buried. Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. Sil. Go to thy lady's grave, and call her's thence, Or, at the least, in her's sepulchre thine. Jul. [Aside.] He heard not that. Pro. Madani, if that your heart be so obdurate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, The picture that is hanging in your chamber; To that I'll speak, to that I'll sigh and weep; 25 For, since the substance of your perfect self Is else devoted, I am but a shadow: And to your shadow will I make true love. Jul. [Aside.] If 'twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it, 30 And make it but a shadow, as I am. Sil. I am very loth to be your idol, sir; But, since your falshood shall become you well To worship shadows, and adore false shapes. Send to me in the morning, and I'll send it: 35And so, good rest. Jul. Peace! stand aside, the company parts. Pro. At Saint Gregory's well. pure [truth, Pro. As wretches have o'er-night, That wait for execution in the niorn. [Exeunt Protheus and Silvia. Jul. Host, will you go? Host. By my hallidom, I was fast asleep. Jul. Pray you, where lies sir Protheus? Host. Marry, at my house: Trust me, I think 'tis almost day. Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night 45 That e'er I watch'd, and the most heaviest. Pro. One, lady, if you knew his Pro. Sir Protheus, gentle lady, and your servant. Pro. That I may compass yours. Sil. You have your wish; my willis even this,-55 That presently you hie you home to bed. Think'st thou, I am so shallow, so conceitless, To be seduced by thy flattery, That hast deceived so many with thy vows? Return, return, and make thy love amends, SCENE III. Enter Eglamour. [Exeunt. Egl. This is the hour that madam Silvia Entreated me to call, and know her mind; There's some great matter she'd employ me in.— Madam, madam! Silvia, above at her window. Egl. Your servant, and your friend; Sil. Sir Eglamour a thousand times good-morrow. 50 According to your ladyship's impose2, Beyond all reckoning or count. Reckonings are kept upon nicked or notched sticks or tallies. Impose is injunction, command, |