Duke. Know you Don Anthonio, your countryman? Val. Ay, my good Lord, I know the gentleman To be of worth and worthy estimation;

And, not without defert, fo well reputed.
Duke. Hath he not a fon?

Val. Ay, my good Lord, a fon that well deferves The honour and regard of fuch a father.

Duke. You know him well?

Val. I knew him as myfelf; for from our infancy We have convers'd, and spent our hours together: And though myself have been an idle truant, Omitting the fweet benefit of time,

To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection;
Yet hath Sir Protheus, for that's his name,
Made ute and fair advantage of his days;
His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe:
And, in a word, (for far behind his worth
Come all the praises that I now bestow),
He is compleat in feature and in mind,
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

Duke. Bethrew me, Sir; but if he makes this good, He is as worthy for an Empress' love,

As meet to be an Emperor's counsellor.
Well, Sir, this gentleman is come to me,
With commendations from great potentates;
And here he means to spend his time a while.

I think 'tis no unwelcome news to you.

Val. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he. Duke Welcome him then according to his worth: Silvia, I speak to you; and you, Sir Thurio;

For Valentine, I need not cite him to it:
I'll fend him hither to you prefently.

[Exit Duke.

Val. This is the gentleman, I told your Ladyfhip, Had come along with me, but that his mistress Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks.

Sil Belike that now fhe hath enfranchis'd them

Upon fome other pawn for fealty.

Val Nay, fure, I think fhe holds them pris'ners ftill. Sil Nay, then he fhould be blind; and, being blind, How could he fee his way to feek out you? Val. Why, Lady, love hath twenty pair of S2

eyes.

Thu.

Thu. They fay that love hath not an eye at all. Val. To fee fuch lovers, Thurio, as yourself: Upon a homely object love can wink.

SCENE VI Enter Protheus.

Sil. Have done, have done : here comes the gentle

man

Val. Welcome, dear Protheus: Miftrefs, I beseech

. you,

Confirm his welcome with fome special favour.

Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither, If this be he you oft have wifh'd to hear from. Val. Miftreis, it is: fweet Lady, entertain him To be my fellow-fervant to your Ladyship.

Sil Too low a mistress for so high a servant.
Pro. Not fo, fweet Lady; but too mean a fervant
To have a look of fuch a worthy mistress.

Val. Leave off difcourfe of difability;
Sweet Lady, entertain him for your fervant.
Pro. My duty will I boast of, nothing else.
Sil. And duty never yet did want his meed:
Servant, you're welcome to a worthlefs miftrefs.
Pro. I'll die on him that says fo, but yourself.
Sil. That you are welcome?

Pro. I hat you are worthless.

Enter Servant.

Serv. Madam, my Lord your father would fpeak with you.

Sil. I'll wait upon his pleasure: [Exit Serv.] Come, Sir Thurio,

Go with me. Once more, my new fervant, welcome :
I'll leave you to confer of home affairs;

When you have done, we look to hear from you.
Pro. We'll both attend upon your Ladyship.

SCENE

[Exeunt Sil and Thu.

VII.

Val. Now tell me, how do all from whence you came? Pro. Your friends are well, and have them much

commended.

Val. And how do your's?

Pro.

Pro. I left them all in health.

[love?

Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your Pro. My tales of love were wont to weary you;

I know you joy not in a love-difcourse.

Val. Ay, Protheus, but that life is alter'd now:
I have done penance for contemning love;
Whofe high imperious thoughts have punish'd me
With bitter faits, with penitential groans:
With nightly tears, and daily heart-fore fighs.
For, in revenge of my contempt of love,

Love hath chas'd fleep from my enthralled eyes,
And made them watchers of mine own heart's forrow.
O gentle Protheus, Love's a mighty lord;

And hath fo humbled me, as, I confefs,

There is no woe to his correction;

Nor to his fervice, no fuch joy on earth;

Now no difcoufe, except it be of love:

Now can I break my fait, dine, fup, and fleep
Upon the very naked name of Love.

Pro. Enough I read your fortune in your eye.

Was this the idol that you worship fo?

Val. Even fhe; and is she not a heav'nly faint?
Pro. No; but she is an earthly paragon.

Val. Call her divine.

Pro I will not flatter her.

Val. O flatter me; for love delights in praise. Pro. When I was fick, 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.

Sov'reign to all the creatures on the earth.
Pro. Except my mistress.

Val. Sweet, except not any;

Except thou wilt except against my love.

Pro. Have I not reafon to prefer mine own? Val. And I will help thee to prefer her too: She thall be dignify'd with this high honour, To bear my lady's train, left the bafe earth Should from her velture chance to fteal a kifs; And, of fo great a favour growing proud, Difdain to root the fummer-fwelling flower; And make rough winter everlaftingly.

Pro.

Pro. Why, Valentine, what bragadism is this? Val. Pardon me, Protheus; all I can. is nothing To her, whofe worth makes other worthies nothing;

She is alone

Pro. Then let her alone.

Val Not for the world: why, man, fhe is mine own; And I as rich in having fuch a jewel,

As twenty feas, if all their tand were pearl,
The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.
Forgive me, that I do not dream on thee,
Because thou feest me doat upon my love.
My foolith rival, that her father likes,
Only for his poffeffions are fo huge,

Is

gone with her along, and I muft after; For love, thou know'it, is full of jealousy. Pro. But the loves you?

[riage-hour,
Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd; nay more, our mar-
With all the cunning manner of our flight,
Determin'd of; how I must climb her window,
The ladder made of cords; and all the means
Plotted and 'greed on for my happiness
Good Protheus, go with me to my chamber,
In these affairs to aid me with thy counfel.
Pro. Go on before; I fhall enquire you forth.
I muft unto the road, to difembark

Some neceffaries that I needs must use;
And then I'll prefently attend you.
Val. Will you make haite ?

Pro. I will.

Ev'n as one heat another heat expels,

[Exit. Va.

Or as one nail by ftrength drives out another;
So the remembrance of my former love
Is by a newer object quite forgotten.
Is it mine eye, or Valentino's praife,

Her true perfection, or my falle tranfgreffion,
That makes me, reafonleis, to reafon thus ?
She's fair; and fo 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 impreffion 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 reafon I love him fo little.
How fhall I doat on her with more advice,
That thus without advice begin to love her?
'Tis but her picture I have yet beheld,
And that has dazzled fo my reafon's light:
But when I look on her perfections,
There is no reafon but I fhall be blind.
If I can check my erring love, I will;
If not, to compafs her I'll ufe my skill.
SCENE VIII. Changes to a street.
Enter Speed and Launce.

[Exit.

Speed. Launce by mine honefty, welcome to Milan. Laun. Forfwear not thyfelf, fweet youth; for I am not welcome: I reckon this always, that a man is never undone, till he be hang'd; nor never welcome to a place, till fome certain fhot be paid, and the hostess day, Welcome.

Speed. Come on, you mad-cap; I'll to the ale-house with you prefently, where, for one shot of five pence, thou thalt have five thousand welcomes But, Sirrah, how did thy mafter part with Madam Julia ?

Laun. Marry, after they clos'd in earnest, they parted very fairly in jeft.

Speed. But fhall fhe marry him?

Laun. No.

Speed. How then! fhall he marry her?

Laun. No, neither.

Speed. What, are they broken?

Laun. No, they are boch as whole as a fish.

Speed. Why then, how ftands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus: when it stands well with him, it ftands well with her *.

-it ftands well with her.

Speed. What an afs art thou? I understand thee not.
Laun. What a block art thou, that thou canst not?

My staff understands me

Speed. What thou fay'st?

Laun Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean and my ftat underlands me.

Speed I ftonds under thee indeed.

Laun. Why, ftand under, and understand, is all one.

Speed. But tell me true, &c.

Speed.