With falsehood, cowardice, and poor descent; Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Duke. Then you must undertake to slander Pro. And that, my lord, I shall be loth to do: "Tis an ill office for a gentleman; Especially, against his very friend. Duke. Where your good word cannot advan- Your slander never can endamage him; Being entreated to it by your friend. To hate young Valentine, and love my friend. Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do After your dire lamenting elegies, it, By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, Thu. Therefore as you unwind her love from Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this Because we know, on Valentine's report, And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. Visit by night your lady's chamber window vance. This, or else nothing, will inherit her. Duke. This discipline shows thou hast been in love. Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver, To sort some gentlemen well skill'd in music: Pro. We'll wait upon your grace till after sup- And afterward determine our proceedings. 2 Out. For what offence? Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse : I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; 1 Out. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done so: But were you banish'd for so small a fault? Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom. 1 Out. Have you the tongues? Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy; Or else I often had been miserable. 3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 1 Out. We'll have him; sirs, a word. Speed. Master, be one of them; It is an honourable kind of thievery. Val. Peace, villain! SCENE II.-Milan. Court of the palace. Enter PROTEUS. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. Under the colour of commending him I have access my own love to prefer; But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, To be corrupted with my worthless gifts. When I protest true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; When to her beauty I commend my vows, She bids me think, how I have been forsworn In breaking faith with Julia, whom I lov'd: And, notwithstanding all her sudden quips, The least whereof would quell a lover's hope, Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love, The more it grows, and fawneth on her still. But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window, 2 Out. Tell us this: Have you any thing to And give some evening musick to her ear. take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth 2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart. 1 Out. And I, for such like petty crimes as these. But to the purpose,-(for we cite our faults, With goodly shape; and by your own report man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you; To make a virtue of necessity, And live, as we do, in this wilderness? 3 Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consórt? Say, ay, and be the captain of us all : 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you ; Provided that you do no outrages On silly women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And shew thee all the treasure we have got ; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. [Exeunt. Enter THURIO, and Musicians. Thu. How now, sir Proteus? are you crept before us? How do you, man? the music likes you not. Host. How? out of tune on the strings? Jul. Not so; but yet so false, that he grieves my very heart-strings. Host. You have a quick ear. Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have a slow heart. Host. I perceive, you delight not in musick. Jul. Not a whit, when it jars so. Host. Hark, what fine change is in the musick! Jul. Ay; that change is the spite. Host. You would have them always play but one thing? Jul. I would always have one play but one thing. But, host, doth this sir Proteus, that we talk on, often resort unto this gentlewoman? Host. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me, he loved her out of all nick. Jul. Where is Launce? Host. Gone to seek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a present to his lady. Jul. Peace! stand aside! the company parts. Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you! I will so plead, That you shall say, my cunning drift excels. Thu. Where meet we? Pro. At saint Gregory's well. [Exeunt Thurio and Musicians. SILVIA appears above, at her window. Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship. Sil. I thank you for your musick, gentlemen: Who is that, that spake? Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's truth, You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice. Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant. Pro. That I may compass yours. Sil. You have your wish; my will is even this, That presently you hie you home to bed. Thou subtle, perjur'd, false, disloyal man! Think'st thou I am so shallow,so conceitless, To be seduced by thy flattery, That hast deceiv'd so many with thy vows? Return, return, and make thy love amends. But she is dead. Jul. "Twere false, if I should speak it ; For, I am sure, she is not buried. [Aside. Sil. Say, that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd: And art thou not asham'd Pro. I likewise hear, that Valentine is dead. Sil. And so, suppose, am I; for in his grave, Assure thyself, my love is buried. Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. Sil. Go to thy lady's grave, and call her's thence; Or, at the least, in her's sepulchre thine. Aside. Pro. Madam, if your heart be so obdurate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, The picture that is hanging in your chamber; To that I'll speak, to that I'll sigh and weep: For, since the substance of your perfect self Is else devoted, I am but a shadow; And to your shadow I will make true love. Jul. If 'twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it, And make it but a shadow, as I am. Aside. Sil. I am very loth to be your idol, sir ; But, since your falsehood shall become you well To worship shadows, and adore false shapes, Send to me in the morning, and I'll send it: And so, good rest. Pro. As wretches have o'ernight, That wait for execution in the morn. [Exeunt Proteus; and Silvia, from above. Jul. Host, will you go? Host. By my halidom, I was fast asleep. Jul. Pray you, where lies sir Proteus? Host. Marry, at my house: Trust me I think, 'tis almost day. Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night, That e'er I watch'd, and the most heaviest. SCENE III.-The same. Enter EGLAMOUR. [Exeunt. Egl. This is the hour that madam Silvia Entreated me to call, and know her mind; There's some great matter she'd employ me in.— Madam, madam! SILVIA appears above, at her window. Egl. Your servant, and your friend; Sil. Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good morrow. Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself. Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman, | say, one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily he had been hanged for't; sure as I live, he had suffered for't: you shall judge. He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentlemen-like dogs, under the duke's table: he had not been there (bless the mark) a pissing while, but all the chamber smelt him. Out with the dog, says one; What cur is that? says another; Whip him out, says the third; Hang him up, says the duke. I, having been acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab; and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs: Friend, quoth I, you mean to whip the dog? Ay, marry do I, quoth he. You do him the more wrong, quoth I; 'twas I did the thing you wot of. He makes me no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How many masters would do this for their servant? Nay, I'll be sworn, I have sat on the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed: I have stood on the pillory for geese he hath killed, otherwise he had suffered for't thou think'st not of this now!-Nay, I remember the trick you served me, when I took Which heaven and fortune still reward with my leave of madam Silvia; did not I bid thee plagues. I do desire thee, even from a heart Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; As much I wish all good befortune you. Sil. This evening coming. Egl. Where shall I meet you? Sil. At friar Patrick's cell, Where I intend holy confession. Egl. I will not fail your ladyship: Good morrow, gentle lady. Sil. Good-morrow, kind sir Eglamour. SCENE IV.-The same. [Exeunt. Enter LAUNCE, with his dog. When a man's servant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy; one that I saved from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it! I have taught him-even as one would say precisely, Thus I would teach a dog. I was sent to deliver him, as a present to mistress Silvia, from my master; and I came no sooner into the dining-chamber, but he steps me to her trencher, and steals her capon's leg. O, tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies! I would have, as one should still mark me, and do as I do? When didst thou see me heave up my leg, and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? didst thou ever see me do such a trick? Enter PROTEUS and JULIA. Pro. Sebastian is thy name? I like thee well, And will employ thee in some service presently. Jul. In what you please ;-I will do what I can. Pro. I hope, thou wilt.-How now, you whoreson peasant? [To Launce. Where have you been these two days loitering? Laun. Marry, sir, I carried mistress Silvia the dog you bade me. Pro. And what says she, to my little jewel? Laun. Marry, she says, your dog was a cur; and tells you, currish thanks is good enough for such a present. Pro. But she received my dog? Laun. No, indeed, she did not: here have I brought him back again. Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me? Laun. Ay, sir, the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman's boys in the marketplace: and then I offered her mine own; who is a dog as big as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater. Pro. Go, get thee hence, and find my dog Or ne'er return again into my sight. Sebastian, I have entertained thee, That can with some discretion do my business, She loved me well, deliver'd it to me. Jul. It seems you loved her not, to leave her token : She's dead, belike. Pro. Not so; I think, she lives. Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas? Pro. Wherefore should'st thou pity her? As you do love your lady Silvia : She dreams on him, that has forgot her love; Pro. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd To plead for that, which I would not obtain ; I am my master's true confirmed love; mean To bring me where to speak with madam Silvia. Sil. What would you with her, if that I be she? Jul. If you be she, I do entreat your patience Jul. From my master, sir Proteus, madam. Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there. [Picture brought. Go, give your master this: tell him from me, One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget, Would better fit his chamber than this shadow. Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.Pardon me, madam; I have unadvis'd Delivered you a paper that I should not ; This is the letter to your ladyship. Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again. Jul. It may not be ; good madam, pardon me. Sil. There, hold. I will not look upon your master's lines: I know they are stuffed with protestations, And full of new-found oaths; which he will break, As easily as I do tear his paper. Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. Sil. The more shame for him that he sends it me; For, I have heard him say a thousand times, His Julia gave it him at his departure: Though his false finger hath profan'd the ring, Mine shall not do his Julia so much wrong. Jul. She thanks you. Sil. What say'st thou ? Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her: Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much. Sil. Dost thou know her? Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself: To think upon her woes, I do protest, That I have wept an hundred several times. Sil. Belike, she thinks that Proteus hath forsook her. Jul. I think she doth, and that's her cause of sorrow. Sil. Is she not passing fair? Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is: When she did think my master lov'd her well, She, in my judgment, was as fair as you; But since she did neglect her looking-glass, And threw her sun-expelling mask away, The air hath starv'd the roses in her cheeks, And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face, That now she is become as black as I. Sil. How tall was she? Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost, When all our pageants of delight were play'd, Our youth got me to play the woman's part, And I was trimm'd in madam Julia's gown; Which served me as fit, by all men's judgment, As if the garment had been made for me: Therefore, I know she is about my height. And, at that time, I made her weep a-good, For I did play a lamentable part: Madam, 'twas Ariadne, passioning For Theseus' perjury, and unjust flight; Which I so lively acted with my tears, That my poor mistress, moved therewithal, Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead, If I in thought felt not her very sorrow! Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth!— |