ページの画像
PDF
ePub

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

manners.

Sil. Sir Valentine and fervant, to you two thousand. Speed. He should give her intereit; and fhe gives it him.

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

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

Val. Now truft 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 it fteed you, I will write, Please you command, a thousand times as much. And yet.

Sil. A pretty period; well, I guess the fequel; 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. [Afide. Val. What means your ladyship? do you not like it? Sil. Yes, yes, the lines are very quaintly writ ; But fince 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, I'll write your ladyship 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 pleafe me, madam, what then?

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

Speed. O jeft unfeen, infcrutable, invifible,

[Exit.

As a nofe on a man's face, or a weathercock on a steeple!

My

My master sues to her, and the 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 should write the letter?

Val. How now, Sir, what are you reafoning with yourself?

Speed. Nay, I was rhiming; 'tis you that have the reafon.

Val. To do what?

Speed. To be a fpokesman from madam Silvia.

Val. To whom?

Speed. To yourself; why, fhe 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 fhe,

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, the hath given you a letter.

Val. That's the letter I writ to her friend,

Speed. And that letter hath fhe 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 the in modefty, "Or elfe for want of idle time, could not again reply; "Or fearing else fome meffenger, that might her mind "discover,

"Herself hath taught her love himfelf to write unto " her lover."

All this I speak in print; for in print I found it.
Why mufe 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 mistress; be moved, be moved.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Julia's House at Verona.

Enter Protheus and Julia.

Pro. TAVE patience, gentle Julia.

HA

Jul. I muft, where is no remedy,

Pro. When poffibly I can, I will return.

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

[Giving a ring. Pro. Why then we'll make exchange; here, take you this. Jul. And feal the bargain with a holy kifs. Pro. Here is my hand for my true conftancy; And when that hour o'erflips me in the day, Wherein I figh not, Julia, for thy fake; The next enfuing hour fome foul mifchance Torment me, for my love's forgetfulness ! My father ftays my coming; anfwer not: The tide is now; nay, not thy tide of tears; That tide will stay me longer, than I fhould: [Exit Julia Julia, farewel.. What! gone without a

word?

Ay, fo true love fhould do; it cannot fpeak;
For truth hath better deeds, than words, to grace it.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

SCENE changes to a Street.

Enter Launce, with his dog Crab.

[Exeunt.

Laun. N weeping; all the kind of the Launces have

AY, 'twill be this hour ere I have done

this very fault; I have receiv'd my proportion, like the prodigious fon, and am going with Sir Protheus to the Imperial's court. I think, Crab my dog be the

fowreft

fowreft-natur'd dog that, lives: my mother weeping, my father wailing, my fifter crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our houfe in a great perplexity; yet did not this cruel-hearted cur fhed one tear! he is a ftone, a very pebble-stone, and has no more pity in him than a dog: a few would have wept, to have feen our parting; why, my grandam having no eyes, look you, wept herfelf blind at my parting. Nay, I'll fhow you the manner of it: this fhoe is my father; no, this left fhoe is my father; no, no, this left fhoe is my mother; nay, that cannot be fo neither; yes, it is fo, it is fo; it hath the worfer fole; this fhoe, with the hole in it, is my mother, and this my father; a vengence on't, there 'tis now, Sir, this ftaff is my fifter; for, look you, fhe is as white as a lilly, and as fmall as a wand; this 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 myfelf; ay, fo, fo; now come I to my father; father, your bleffing; now fhould not the fhoe fpeak a word for weeping; now should I kifs my father; well, he weeps on; now come I to my mother; oh that he could speak now (8) like a wood woman! well, I kifs her; why there 'tis; here's my mother's breath up and down: now come I to my fifter: mark the mean fhe makes: now the dog all this while fheds not a tear, nor speaks a word; but fee, how I lay the duft with my tears.

Enter Panthion.

Pant. Launce, away, away, aboard; thy mafter is fhipp'd, and thou art to poft after with oars: what's the matter? why weep'it thou, man? away, afs, 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-woman: for which, because it was a Mystery to Mr. Pope, he has unmeaningly subftituted ould Woman. But it must be writ, or at leaft understood, wood Woman. i. e. crazy, frantick with Grief; or distracted, from any other Caufe. The Word is very frequently ufed in Chaucer; and fometimes writ, wood, fometimes, wode.

Laun.

[ocr errors]

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

Pant. What's the unkindeft tide?

Laun. Why, he that's ty'd here; Crab, my dog. Pant. Tut, man, I mean thou'lt lofe the flood; and in lofing the flood, lofe thy voyage; and in lofing thy voyage, lofe thy mafter; and in lofing thy master, lofe thy fervice; and in lofing thy fervice, why doit

thou ftop my mouth?

Laun. For fear thou should'ft lofe thy tongue.
Pant. Where fhould I lofe my tongue?

Laun. In thy tale.

Pant. In thy tail ?.

Laun. Lofe the flood, and the voyage, and the master, and the fervice, 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 fent to call thee. Laun. Sir, call me what thou dar'ft.

Pant. Wilt thou got

Laun. Well, I will go.

SCENE changes to Milan.

An Apartment in the Duke's Palace.

[Exeunt

Enter Valentine, Silvia, Thurio, and Speed.

Ervant,

Sil. Val. Miftrefs?

Speed. Mafter, Sir Thuris frowns on you.

Val. 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.

« 前へ次へ »