Speed: O! 'give ye good ev'n ; here's a million of manners.

2 Sit. Sir Valentine and fervant, to you two thousand.

Speed. He should give her intereit ; and the gives it him.

Val. As you injoin'd me, I have writ your letter,
Unto the secret, nameless, friend of yours ;
Which I was much unwilling to proceed in,
But for my duty to your ladyship.

Sil. I thank you, gentle servant; 'tis very clerkly done..

Val. Now trust me, madam, it came hardly off :
For being ignorant to whom it goes,
I writ at random, very doubtfully,

Sil. Perchance, you think too much of fo much pains ?

Val. No, Madam, fo ic. fteed you, I will write, Please you command, a thousand times as much.

And yet

Sil

. A pretty period; well, I guess the sequel ;
And yet I will not name it; and yet I care not ;
And yet take this again, and yet I thank you ;
Meaning henceforth to trouble you no more.

Speed. And yet you will; and yet, another yet. [ Afde.
Val. What means your ladyship? do you not like it?

Sil. Yes, yes, the lines are very quaintly writ;
But since unwillingly, take them again ;
Nay, take them.

Val. Madam, they are for you.

Sil. Ay, ay; you writ them, Sir, at my request ;
But I will none of them ; they are for you:
I would have had them writ more movingly.

Val. Please you, Pll write your ladythip another.

Sil. And when it's writ, for my fake read it over ; And if it please you, fo; if not, why fo.

Val. If it please me, madam, what then?

Sil. Why if it please you, take it for your labour; And so good morrow, fervant.

[Exit. Speed. O jest unseen, infcrutable, invisible, As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a steeple !

My

My master sues to her, and fhe hath taught her faitor,
He being her pupil, to become her tutor:
O excellent device ! was there ever heard a better?
That my master, being the fcribe, to himself fhould write

the letter? Val. How now, Sir, what are you reasoning with yourself?

Speed. Nay, I was rhiming ; 'tis you that have the
reason.
Val. To do what?..
Speed. To be a spokesman from madam Silvia.
Val, To whom?
Speed. To yourself; why, she wooes you by a figure.
Val. What figure ?
Speed. By a letter, I should say.
Val. Why, the hath not writ to me?

Speed. What need she,
When the hath made you write to yourself?
Why, do you not perceive the jeft;

Val. No, believe me.

Speed. No believing you, indeed, Sir; but did you perceive her earnest ? Val. She gave me none, except an angry word.

Speed. Why, she hash given you a letter.
Val. That's the letter I writ to her friend,

Speed. And that better hath the deliver'd, and there's an end.

Val. I would it were no worse.

Speed. I'll warrant you, 'tis as well : • For often have you writ to her, and she in modesty, ? " Or else for want of idle time, could not again reply ; “ Or fearing else some messenger, that might her mind

« discover, “ Herself hath taught her love himself to write unto

66 her lover," All this I speak in print ; for in print I found it. Why muse you, Sir? 'tis dinner time.

Val. I have din'd.

Speed. Ay, but hearken, Sir ; tho' the Cameleon love can feed on the air, I am one that am nourish'd by my

victuals,

.

victuals, and would fain have meat: Oh be not like your miltress; be moved, be moved.

[Exeunt. SCENE changes to Julia's House at Veronas

Enter Protheus and Julia. Pro. HAVE patience, gentle Julia.

Pro. When possibly I can, I will return.

Jul. If you turn not, you will return the fooner': Keep this remembrance for thy Julia's fake.

[Giving a ring; ..Pro. Why then we'll make exchange; here, take you this.

Jul. And seal the bargain with a holy kiss.
Pro. Here is

my
hand for

my true constancy;
And when that hour o'erslips me in the day,
Wherein I figh not, Julia, for thy fake;
The next ensuing hour fome foul mischance
Torment me, for my love's forgetfulness !
My father stays my coming; answer not:
The tide is now ; nay, not thy tide of tears ;
That tide will stay me longer, than I should : (Exit Julia,
Julia, farewel. What! gone without a word?
Ay, so true love should do ; it cannot fpeak;
For truth hath better deeds, than words, to grace it.

Enter Panthion. Pan. Sir Protheus, you are staid for.

Pro. Go; I come. Alas ! this parting strikes poor lovers dumb. [Excunt.

S CE N E changes to a Street.

Enter Launce, with his dog Crab. Laun. AY, 'twill be this hour ere I have done

weeping ; all the kind of the "Laủnces have this very fault; I have receiv'd my proportion, like the prodigious son, and am going with Sir Protheus to the Imperial's court. I think, Crab my dog be the

fowreft

fowrest-natur'd 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-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, 1'll show

you the manner of it: this shoe is 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 fole; this shoe, with the hole in it, is my mother, and this my father; a vengence on't, thcre 'tis :' now, Sir, this staff is my fifter; for, look you, she is as white as a lilly, and as small as a wand; ihis hat is Nan, our maid ; I am the dog : no, the dog is himself, and I am the dog : oh, the dog is me, and I am myself;

; ay, fo, fo; now come I to my father; father, your blessing; now should .not the shoe speak a word for weeping i now should I kiss my father; well, he weeps on; now come I to my mother; oh that the could speak now (8) like a wood woman! well, I kiss her; why there'tis; here's my mother's breath up and down: now. come I to my fifter : mark the man she makes : nowy the dog all this while sheds not a tear, nor speaks a word ; but fee, how f lay the dust with my tears.

Enter Panthion. Pant. Launce, away, away, aboard; thy master is shipp'd, and thou art to poft after with oars: what's the matter? why weep'i thou,' man? away, ass, you will lofe the tide if you tarry any longer.

(8) Like an ould Woman!] These mere poetical. Editors can do Nothing towards an Emendation, even when 'tis chalked out to their hands. The first Folio's, agree in would-ruoman: for which, because it was a Mystery to Mr. Pope, he has unmeaningly subftituted ould Woman. But it must be writ, or at least understood, wood Woman. i. e. crazy, frantick with Grief; or distracted, from any other Cause. The Word is very frequently used in Cbaucer; and sometimes writ, wood, sometimes, wode.

Laun.

Laun. It is no matter if the ty'd were loft, for it is the unkindeft cy'd that ever any man ty’d.

Pant. What's the unkindeft ride?
Laun. Why, he that's ty'd here; Crab, my dog.

Pant. Tut, man, I mean thou'lt lofe che flood; and in losing the food, 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 doit thou stop my mouth?

Laun. For fear thou should't lose thy tongue.
Pant. Where should I lose my tongue ?
Laun. In thy tale.
Pant. In thy tail ?-

Laun. Lose the food, and the voyage, and the master, and the service, and the tide? why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with my tears; if the wind were down, I could drive the boat with my fighs.

Pant. Come, come away, man; I was sent to call thee.
Laun. Sir, call me what thou dar't.
Pant. Wilt thou gor
Laun. Well, I will go.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Milan.

An Apartment in the Duke's Palace.

Enter Valentine, Silvia, Thurio, and Speed,
Sil. Ervant,

Val. Mistress ?
Speed. Master, Sir Tburio frowns on you.
Pal. Ay, boy, it's for love.
Speed. Not of you.
Val. Of my mistress then.
Speed. 'Twere good, you knockt him.
Sil. Servant, you are fad.
Val. Indeed, madam, I seem fo.
Thu. Seem you that you are not?
Val. Haply, I do.
Thu. So do counterfeits.