Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match?

Laun. Afk my dog: if he fay. Ay, it will; if he fay, No, it will; if he shake his tail, and fay nothing, it will

Speed. The conclufion 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 fo; but, Launce, how fay't thou, that thy mafter is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwise.

Speed. Than how?

Laun. A notable lubber, as thou reporteft him to be. Speed. Why, thou whorfon afs, thou mistak'ft 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 tho' he burn himfelf in love: if thou wilt go with me to the alehouse, fo; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Christian.

Speed. Why?

Laun Becaufe thou haft not fo much charity in thee, as to go to the ale-house with a Chriftian: wilt thou go?

Speed. At thy fervice.

[Exeunt.

Enter Protheus folus.

Pro. To leave my Julia, fhall I be forsworn;

To love fair Silvia, fhall I be forfworn;

To wrong my friend, I fhall be much forfworn:
And ev'n that pow'r, which gave me first my oath,
Provokes me to this threefold perjury.

Love bade me fwear, and love bids me forfwear :
O fweet fuggefting love' if I have finn'd,
Teach me, thy tempted subject, to excuse it.
At first I did adore a twinkling star,
But now I worflip a celeftial fun.

Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken;
And he wants wit, that wants refolved will
To learn his wit t'exchange the bad for better.
Fie, fie, unreverend tongue! to call her bad,
Whose fov'reignty fo oft thou haft preferr'd

With twenty thousand foul-confirming oaths.
I cannot leave to love, and yet I do:

But there I leave to love where I fhould love:
Julia I lofe, and Valentine I lofe :

If I keep them, I needs muft lofe myself:
If I lose them, this find I by their lofs,
For Valentine, myself; for Julia, Silvia.-
I to myself am dearer than a friend;
For love is still moft precious in itself:
And Silvia (witness Heav'n, that made her fair!)
Shews Julia but à fwarthy Ethiope.

I will forget that Julia is alive,
Remembering that my love to her is dead:
And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,
Aiming at Silvia as a sweeter friend.
I cannot now prove conftant to myself,
Without fome treachery us'd to Valentine:
This night, he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celestial Silvia's chamber-window,
Myself in counsel his competitor.

Now prefently I'll give her father notice.
Of their disguifing, and pretended flight;
Who, all enrage'd, will banish Valentine:
For Thurio he intends (hall wed his daughter.
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross,
By fome fly trick, blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.
Love, lend me wings to make my purpose swift,
As thou haft lent me wit to plot this drift!

[Exit:

SCENE X. Changes to Julia's house in Verona.
Enter Julia and Lucetta.

Jul. Counfel, Lucetta; gentle girl, affist me;
And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,
Who art the table wherein all my thoughts
Are vifibly character'd and engrav'd,
To leffen me; and tell me fome good mean,
How with my honour I may undertake
A journey to my loving Protheus.

Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long.
Jul. A true devoted pilgrim is not weary
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps;
VOL. I.

T

Much

Much lefs fhall fhe, that hath love's wings to fly;
And when the flight is made to one fo dear,
Of fuch divine perfection, as Sir Protheus.

Luc. Better forbear, till Protheus make return.
Jul. Oh, know'st thou not, his looks are my foul's
food?

Pity the dearth that I have pined in,

By longing for that food fo long a time.
Didit thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou would't as foon go kindle fire with fnow,
As feek to quench the fire of love with words.

Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire, But qualify the fire's extreme rage,

Left it should burn above the bounds of reason.

Jul. The more thou damm'ft it up, the more it

burns:

• The current that with gentle murmur glides,

Thou know'ft, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage; But when his fair courfe is not hindered,

• He makes sweet music with th' enamel'd stones; Giving a gentle kiís to every fedge

He overtaketh in his pilgrimage:

And fo by many winding nooks he trays,
With willing fport to the wild ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course:
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,

• And make a pastime of each weary step,
Till the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll reft, as, after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium.

prevent

Luc. But in what habit will you go along?
Jul. Not like a woman; for I would
The loofe encounters of lafcivious men :
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds
As may befeem fome well-reputed page.

Luc. Why then your Ladyfhip mult cut your hair.
Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken ftrings,
With twenty odd conceited true love knots;
To be fantattic, may become a youth

Of greater time than I fhall fhew to be. [breeches? Luc. What fashion, Madam, fhall I make your.

Fut.

Jul. That fits as well, as"Lord,

"tell me good my

"What compafs will you wear your farthingale ?
Why, even what fashion thou beft lik'st, Lucetta.
Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece,
Madam.

Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill-favour'd. Luc. A round hofe, Madam, now's not worth a pin, Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on.

Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think?ft meet, and is most mannerly. But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me For undertaking fo unftaid a journey?

I fear me it will make me fcandaliz'd.

Luc. If you think fo, then stay at home, and go not.
Jul. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go.
If Protheus like your journey, when you come.
No matter who's difpleas'd, when you are gone:
I fear me he will scarce be pleas'd withal.

Jul. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
And instances as infinite of love,

Warrant me welcome to my Protheus.

Luc. All these are fervants to deceitful men. Jul. Bafe men, that use them to so base effect! But truer stars did govern Protheus' birth : His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles; His love fincere, his thoughts immaculate; His tears, pure meffengers fent from his heart; His heart as far from fraud, as heav'n from earth. Luc. Pray heav'n he prove fo when you come to him!

Jul. Now, as thou lov'ft me, do him not that wrong, To bear a hard opinion of his truth; Only deferve my love, by loving him; And prefently go with me to my chamber, To take a note of what I ftand in need of, To furnish me upon my longing journey. All that is mine I leave at thy difpofe, My goods, my lands, my reputation ; Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence.

T 2

Come,

Come, answer not; but do it presently :
I am impatient of my tarriance.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

Duke.

The Duke's palace in Milan.

Enter Duke, Thurio, and Protheus.

IR Thurio, give us leave, I pray, a while;
We have fome fecrets to confer about.
[Exit, Thur.
Now tell me, Protheus, what's your will with me!
Pro My gracious Lord, that which I would discover,
The law of friendfhip bids me to conceal ;

But when I call to mind your gracious favours
Done to me, undeferving as I am,

My duty pricks me on to utter that,

Which, elfe, no worldly good fhould draw from me.
Know, worthy Prince, Sir Valentine my friend
This night intends to fteal away your daughter:
Myfelf am one made privy to the plot.

I know you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And fhould fhe thus be ftol'n away from you,
It would be much vexation to your age.
Thus, for my duty's fake, I rather chofe
To cross my friend in his intended drift;
Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
A pack of forrows, which would prefs you down,
If unprevented, to your timeless grave.

Duke. Protheus, I thank thee for thine honeft care;
Which to requite, command me while I live.
This love of theirs myfelf have often feen.
Haply, when they have judg'd me fast asleep;
And oftentimes have propos'd to forbid
Sir Valentine her company, and my court.
But fearing left my jealous aim might err,
And fo unworthily difgrace the man,
(A rashness that I ever yet have fhunn'd),
I gave him gentle looks, thereby to find
That which thyfelf haft now difclos'd to me.

And