Pro. I will.

Even as one heat another heat expels,

[Exit Val.

Or as one nail by strength drives out another,
So the remembrance of my former love
Is by a newer object quite forgotten.

Is it mine eye, or Valentinës praise

1

Her true perfection, or my false transgression,
That makes me reasonless to reason thus?
She is fair; and so is Julia, that I love,-
That I did love, for now my love is thaw'd;
Which, like a waxen image 'gainst a fire,
Bears no impression of the thing it was.
Methinks my zeal to Valentine is cold,
And that I love him not as I was wont.
O, but I love his lady too too much!
And that's the reason I love him so little.
How shall I dote on her with more advice,
That thus without advice begin to love her!
'Tis but her picture I have yet beheld,
And that hath dazzled my reason's light;
But when I look on her perfections,
There is no reason but I shall be blind.
If I can check my erring love, I will;
If not, to compass her I'll use my skill.

Scene V.

The same. A street.

Enter Speed and Launce severally.

200

210

[Exit.

Speed. Launce! by mine honesty, welcome to Padua!

Launce. Forswear not thyself, sweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-that a man

is never undone till he be hanged; nor never
welcome to a place till some certain shot be
paid, and the hostess say 'Welcome!'

Speed. Come on, you madcap, I'll to the alehouse
with you presently; where, for one shot of five
pence, thou shalt have five thousand welcomes.

But, sirrah, how did thy master part with 10
Madam Julia?

Launce. Marry, after they closed in earnest, 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 a fish.

Speed. Why, then, how stands the matter with them? 20 Launce. Marry, thus; when it stands well with him, it stands well with her.

Speed. What an ass art thou! I understand thee

not.

Launce. What a block art thou, that thou canst not.
My staff understands me.

Speed. What thou sayest?

Launce. Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me.

Speed. It stands under thee, indeed.

Launce. Why, stand-under and under-stand is all 30

one.

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

Launce. Ask my dog: if he say ay, it will; if he say no, it will; if he shake his tail and say nothing, it will.

Speed. The conclusion is, then, that it will.

Launce. Thou shalt never get such a secret from me but by a parable.

Speed. 'Tis well that I get it so. But, Launce, how sayest thou, that my master is become a notable lover?

Launce. I never knew him otherwise.

Speed. Than how?

Launce. A notable lubber, as thou reportest him to

be.

Speed. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mistakest me.
Launce. Why fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy

master.

Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover.
Launce. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn

40

himself in love. If thou wilt, go with me to the alehouse; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, 50 and not worth the name of Christian.

Speed. Why?

Launce. Because thou hast not so much charity in thee as to go to the ale with a Christian. Wilt

thou go?

Speed. At thy service.

Scene VI.

The same. The Duke's palace.

Enter Proteus.

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

To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn;

[Exeunt.

To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn;
And even that power, which gave me first my oath,

Provokes me to this threefold perjury;

Love bade me swear, and Love bids me forswear.