SCENE III. [The same. A street.]

Enter LAUNCE [leading a dog].

Launce. Nay, 't will be this hour ere I have done weeping; all the kind of the Launces have this very fault. I have receiv'd my proportion, like the prodigious son, and am going with Sir Proteus to the Imperial's court. I think Crab [5 my dog be the sourest-natured dog that lives. My mother weeping, my father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great perplexity, yet did not this cruel-hearted cur shed one tear. He is a stone, a very pebble [10 stone, and has no more pity in him than a dog. A Jew would have wept to have seen our parting; why, my grandam, having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind at my parting. Nay, I'll show you the manner of it. This shoe is [15 my father; no, this left shoe is my father; no, no, this left shoe is my mother; nay, that cannot be so neither; yes, it is so, it is so, it hath the worser sole. This shoe, with the hole in it, is my mother, and this my father; a ven- [20 geance on 't! there 'tis. Now, sir, this staff is my sister, for, look you, she is as white as a lily and as sinall as a wand. This hat is Nan, our maid. I am the dog; -no, the dog is himself, and I am the dog, -O! the dog is me, and I am myself; ay, so, so. Now come I to my [25 father: Father, your blessing." Now should not the shoe speak a word for weeping. Now should I kiss my father; well, he weeps on. Now come I to my mother. Oh, that she could speak now like a wood woman! Well, I kiss [30 her; why, there 'tis; here's my mother's breath up and down. Now come I to my sister; mark the moan she makes. Now the dog all this while sheds not a tear nor speaks a word; but see how I lay the dust with my tears.

[Enter PANTHINO.]

[35

Launce. Why, he that 's tied here, Crab, my dog. Pan. Tut, man, I mean thou 'It lose the flood. and, in losing the flood, lose thy voyage, and, in losing thy voyage, lose thy master, and, in losing thy master, lose thy service, and, in losing thy service, Why dost thou stop my mouth? Launce. For fear thou shouldst lose thy tongue. Pan. Where should I lose my tongue? Launce. In thy tale.

Val. Give him leave, madam; he is a king of chameleon.

Thu. That hath more mind to feed on you blood than live in your air.

Val. You have said, sir.

Thu. Ay, sir, and done too, for this time. Val. I know it well, sir; you always end er you begin.

Sil. A fine volley of words, gentlemen, an quickly shot off.

Val. 'Tis indeed, madam; we thank th giver.

Sil. Who is that, servant?

Val. Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave th fire. Sir Thurio borrows his wit from you

1

Yet let her be a principality.
bovereign to all the creatures on the earth.
Pro. Except my witress.
Vai
Sweet, except not any:
Except thou wilt except against my love.
Pro. Have I not reason to prefer mine own?
Va And I will help thee to prefer her too.
She shall be dignified with this figh honour
To bear my lady's train, lest the base earth
Should from her vesture chance to steal a kiss.
And of so great a favour growing proad.
Disdain to root the summer-swelling flower
And make rough winter everlastingly.

Pro. Why, Valentine, what braggardism is this?

Val. Pardon me, Proteus; all I can is nothing

Ever as one beat another her ezteik
Or as one mal by senga
be the remembrance of my DIETIDER ÄVE
16 Ta temer od jesen gune forgonen.
ls in mine ere, or Videos US

Ler true perfection du TEX SWIM TIMSCEA
Tua makes me, reasonest. TI JERSI INS
Site dar: and so is thug -
That I did love for now.
Winch like a waxen image cans & ir
Beare no impression of the thing in vs
Mendinke my real to TaiLTIIN I PULL
And than I love him not as I was w
Qu. but I love his lady too too muc
And that is the reason I love tim ar īr
How shall I done on her with mure BÈTIPE
That thus without adrice decor 22: Arme der.
Tis but her picture I have yet bebeur.
And that hatt danied my PERSOL & hgt;
But when I look on her perfections.
There is no reason but I shall be sunč

If I can check my erring love, i was If not, to compass her i l use my ski En SCENE V. The same. A strUE Ester SPEED and LAUNCE (BETHEL breed. Launce! By mine honesty, weird to Milan:

Launce. Forswear not thyself, sweet garl for I am not welcome. I reckon this alvar that a man is never undone till be be hang £ nor never welcome to a place till some certa shot be paid and the hostess say.** Weinger

Speed. Come on, you madcap. I to the n house with you presently; where, for one st of five pence, thou shalt have five thousand welcomes. But, sirrah, how did thy master p with Madam Julia?

Launce. Marry, after they clos'd in earner they parted very fairly in jest.

Speed. But shall she marry him?
Launce. No.

Speed. How then? Shall he marry her?
Launce. No, neither.

Speed. What. are they broken? Launce. No, they are both as whole as fish.

Speed. Why, then, how stands the matte with them?

Launce. Marry, thus: when it stands w with him, it stands well with her.

Speed. What an ass art thou! I understand thee not.

Launce. What a block art thou, that the canst not! My staff understands me. Speed. What thou say'st ?

Launce. Ay, and what I do too. Look thee, [30 I'd but lean, and my staff understands me. Speed. It stands under thee, indeed. Leve. Why, stand-under and under-stand La all one.

Speed. But tell me true, will 't be a match? 35 Laware. Ask my dog. If he say ay, it will; be say, no, it will; if he shake his tail and as nothing, it will.

Speed. The conclusion is then that it will. Lace. Thou shalt never get such a secret [40 frame but by a parable.

Sed. 'Tis well that I get it so. But, Launce, bew say'st thou, that my master is become a atle lover?

Low. I never knew him otherwise.
Speed. Than how?

45

Lance. A notable lubber, as thou reportest to be.

pred. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mis

Lace. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I at thy master. Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot

Lance. Why, I tell thee, I care not though [55 ra himself in love. If thou wilt, go with me the alehouse; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a w and not worth the name of a Christian. Speed. Why?

Le. Because thou hast not so much [60
unty in thee as to go to the ale with a Chris-
Wilt thou go?
Speed. At thy service.

[Exeunt.

suggesting Love, if thou hast sinn'd, me, thy tempted subject, to excuse it! Arst I did adore a twinkling star, 419 I worship a celestial sun.

10

dful vows may heedfully be broken; he wants wit that wants resolved will er his wit to exchange the bad for better. anreverend tongue! to call her bad,

e sovereignty so oft thou hast preferr'd 15 twenty thousand soul-confirming oaths. t have to love, and yet I do; there I leave to love where I should love. a I lose, and Valentine I lose.

ep them. I needs must lose myself. e them, thus find I by their loss Line, myself, for Julia, Silvia.

if am dearer than a friend,

20

30

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 constant to myself,
Without some 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 presently I'll give her father notice
Of their disguising and pretended flight,
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine.
For Thurio, he intends, shall wed his daughter;
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross 40
By some sly trick blunt Thurio's dull proceed-
ing.

35

Love, lend me wings to make my purpose swift, As thou hast lent me wit to plot this drift!

[Exit. SCENE VII. [Verona. Julia's house.]

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

Jul. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me; And even in kind love I do conjure thee, Who art the table wherein all my thoughts Are visibly character'd and engrav'd, To lesson me and tell me some good mean How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Proteus.

Luc. Alas, the way is wearisome and long! Jul. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps; 10 Much less shall she that hath Love's wings to fly, And when the flight is made to one so dear, Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus.

Luc. Better forbear till Proteus make return. Jul. O, know'st thou not his looks are my soul's food?

15

25

He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And so by many winding nooks he strays
With willing sport 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 rest, as after much turmoil

30

35

A blessed soul doth in Elysium.

e is still most precious in itself; ria witness Heaven, that made her fair!

Jalia but a swarthy Ethiope.

Luc. If you think so, then stay at home and go not.

Jul. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go. If Proteus like your journey when you come, 65 No matter who 's displeas'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 of infinite of love Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.

70

Luc. All these are servants to deceitful men. Jul. Base men, that use them to so base effect!

75

But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth;
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles,
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate,
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart,
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from
earth.

Luc. Pray heaven he prove so, when you come to him!

Jul. Now, as thou lov'st me, do him not that wrong

To bear a hard opinion of his truth:
Only deserve my love by loving him;
And presently go with me to my chamber,
To take a note of what I stand in need of,
To furnish me upon my longing journey.
All that is mine I leave at thy dispose,
My goods, my lands, my reputation;
Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence.
Come, answer not, but to it presently!
I am impatient of my tarriance.

80

85

[Exeunt. 90

Know, worthy prince, Sir Valentine, my friend.
This night intends to steal away your daughter.
Myself am one made privy to the plot.

I know you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And should she thus be stolen away from you,
It would be much vexation to your age.
Thus, for my duty's sake, I rather chose
To cross my friend in bis intended drift
Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
A pack of sorrows which would press you down
Being unprevented, to your timeless grave.

Duke. Proteus, I thank thee for thine hones

care;

Which to requite, command me while I live.
This love of theirs myself have often seen,
Haply when they have judg'd me fast asleep,
And oftentimes have purpos'd to forbid
Sir Valentine her company and my court;
But, fearing lest my jealous aim might err,
And so unworthily disgrace the man, -
A rashness that I ever yet have shunn'd, -
I gave him gentle looks, thereby to find
That which thyself hast now disclos'd to me.
And, that thou mayst perceive my fear of thi
Knowing that tender youth is soon suggested,
I nightly lodge her in an upper tower,
The key whereof myself have ever kept;
And thence she cannot be convey'd away.
Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd

mean

:

1

How he her chamber-window will ascend
And with a corded ladder fetch her down;
For which the youthful lover now is gone,
And this way comes he with it presently;
Where, if it please you, you may intercept hin
But, good my lord, do it so cunningly
That my discovery be not aimed at ;
For love of you, not hate unto my friend,
Hath made me publisher of this pretence.
Duke. Upon mine honour, he shall nevi
know

That I had any light from thee of this.
Pro. Adieu, my lord; Sir Valentine is cor
ing.
[Erit.]

[Enter VALENTINE.]

Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast