Val. Please it your grace, there is a messenger Duke. Be they of much import? Val. The tenour of them doth but signify I am to break with thee of some affairs That touch me near, wherein thou must be secret. Were rich and honourable; besides, the gentle man Is full of virtue, bounty, worth and qualities Duke. No, trust me; she is peevish, sullen, 70 Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty, I now am full resolved to take a wife Val. What would your Grace have me to do Duke. There is a lady in Verona here 80 Val. Win her with gifts, if she respect not words: Dumb jewels often in their silent kind 90 More than quick words do move a woman's mind. Duke. But she did scorn a present that I sent her. Val. A woman sometimes scorns what best contents her. 100 Send her another; never give her o'er; Unto a youthful gentleman of worth, Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Duke. This very night; for Love is like a That longs for every thing that he can come by. Duke. But, hark thee; I will go to her alone: bear it And here an engine fit for my proceeding. My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them; Because myself do want my servants' fortune : be. What's here? 150 'Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee.' Val. Why, then, I would resort to her by night. But if thou linger in my territories 160 Longer than swiftest expedition Will give thee time to leave our royal court, Be gone! I will not hear thy vain excuse; To die is to be banish'd from myself; Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE. Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. 180 190 Launce. Him we go to find: there's not a hair on's head but 'tis a Valentine. Pro. Who then? his spirit? Val. Neither. Pro. What then? Val. Nothing. Launce. Can nothing speak? Master, shall I Pro. Who wouldst thou strike? Pro. Villain, forbear. 200 Launce. Why, sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you,- Pro. Sirrah, I say, forbear. Friend Valentine, a word. Val. My ears are stopt and cannot hear good news, So much of bad already hath possess'd them. Pro. No, Valentine. 210 Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the Which, unreversed, stands in effectual force- 231 As if but now they waxed pale for woe: Have some malignant power upon my life: As ending anthem of my endless dolour. 240 Pro. Cease to lament for that thou canst not And study help for that which thou lament'st. 250 Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my boy, Bid him make haste and meet me at the Northgate. Pro. Go, sirrah, find him out. Come, Valentine. Val. O my dear Silvia! Hapless Valentine! 260 [Exeunt Val. and Pro. Launce. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think my master is a kind of a knave: but that's all one, if he be but one knave. He lives not now that knows me to be in love; yet I am in love; but a team of horse shall not pluck that from me; nor who 'tis I love; and yet 'tis a woman; but what woman, I will not tell myself; and yet 'tis a milkmaid; yet 'tis not a maid, for she hath had gossips; yet 'tis a maid, Val. No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia. for she is her master's maid, and serves for wages. Hath she forsworn me? Pro. No, Valentine. Launce. With my master's ship? why, it is at sea Speed. Well, your old vice still; mistake the Speed. Why, man, how black? Launce. Fie on thee, jolt-head! thou canst not read. 291 Speed. Thou liest; I can. Launce. I will try thee. Tell me this: who begot thee? Speed. Marry, the son of my grandfather. Launce. O illiterate loiterer! it was the son of thy grandmother: this proves that thou canst not read. Speed. Come, fool, come; try me in thy paper. Launce. There; and Saint Nicholas be thy speed! 301 Speed. [Reads] 'Imprimis: She can milk." Speed. Item: She brews good ale.' Launce. That's as much as to say, Can she so? Speed. Item: She can knit.' 310 Launce. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, when she can knit him a stock? Speed Item: She can wash and scour." Launce. A special virtue; for then she need not be washed and scoured. Speed. Item: She can spin.' Launce. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. Speed. 'Item: She hath many nameless virtues.' 320 Launce. That's as much as to say, bastard virtues; that, indeed, know not their fathers and therefore have no names. Speed. Here follow her vices.' Launce. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast. Read on. Speed. Item: She hath a sweet mouth.' 330 Launce. That makes amends for her sour breath. Speed. Launce. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk. Item: She doth talk in her sleep.' Speed. Item: She is slow in words.' Launce. O villain, that set this down among her vices! To be slow in words is a woman's enly virtue: I pray thee, out with 't, and place it for her chief virtue. 340 Speed. Item: she is proud.' Item: She will often praise her 351 Speed. liquor.' Launce. If her liquor be good, she shall: if she will not, I will; for good things should be praised. Speed. Item: She is too liberal.' Launce. Of her tongue she cannot, for that's writ down she is slow of; of her purse she shall not, for that I'll keep shut: now, of another thing she may, and that cannot I help. Well, proceed. 360 Speed. Item: She hath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults.' Launce. Stop there; I'll have her: she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article. Rehearse that once more. Speed. Item: She hath more hair than wit,'Launce. More hair than wit? It may be: I'll prove it. The cover of the salt hides the salt, and therefore it is more than the salt; the hair that covers the wit is more than the wit, for the greater hides the less. What's next? Speed. 'And more faults than hairs,'Launce. That's monstrous: O, that that were out! Speed. And more wealth than faults.' Launce. Why, that word makes the faults gracious. Well, I'll have her: and if it be a match, as nothing is impossible, Speed. What then?' 380 Launce. Why, then will I tell thee-that thy master stays for thee at the North-gate. Speed. For me? Launce. For thee! ay, who art thou? he hath stayed for a better man than thee. Speed. And must I go to him? Launce. Thou must run to him, for thou hast stayed so long that going will scarce serve the turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? pox of SCENE II. The same. The DUKE's palace. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. Forsworn my company and rail'd at me, Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure Launce. I care not for that neither, because How now, Sir Proteus! Is your countryman I love crusts. Speed. 'Item: She is curst.' Launce. Well, the best is, she hath no teeth to bite. Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Therefore it must with circumstance be spoken By one whom she esteemeth as his friend. Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Pro. And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do: "Tis an ill office for a gentleman, Especially against his very friend. 40 Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage him, Your slander never can endamage him; Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it By ought that I can speak in his dispraise, Lest it should ravel and be good to none, 50 Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this kind, Because we know, on Valentine's report, 60 And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect: Much is the force of heaven-bred poesy. 70 Pro. Say that upon the altar of her beauty You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart: Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears Moist it again, and frame some feeling line Sec. Out. If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em. Enter VALENTINE and SPEED. Third Out. Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about ye: If not, we'll make you sit and rifle you. That all the travellers do fear so much. First Out. That's not so, sir: we are your enemies. I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; First Out. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done so. 30 But were you banish'd for so small a fault? Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy, Or else I often had been miserable. Third Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction! First Out. We'll have him. Sirs, a word. Speed. Master, be one of them; it's an honourable kind of thievery. Val. Peace, villain! 40 Sec. Out. Tell us this: have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing but my fortune. Third Out. Know, then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth For practising to steal away a lady, An heir, and near allied unto the duke. Sec. Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentle Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: 60 you content to be our general? Are To make a virtue of necessity And live, as we do, in this wilderness? Third Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consort? Say ay, and be the captain of us all : We'll do thee homage and be ruled by thee, First Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. Sec. 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. 71 Third Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And show thee all the treasure we have got; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. [Exeunt. SCENE IL Milan. Outside the DUKE's palace, under SILVIA'S chamber. Enter PROTEUS. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; And give some evening music to her ear. Enter THURIO and Musicians. Thu. How now, Sir Proteus, are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio: for you know that love Will creep in service where it cannot go. 20 Thu. Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here. Pro. Sir, but I do; or else I would be hence. Thu. Who? Silvia? Pro. Ay, Silvia; for your sake. Thu. I thank you for your own. Now, gen tlemen, Let's tune, and to it lustily awhile. Enter, at a distance, Host, and JULIA in Host. Now, my young guest, methinks you 're allycholly: I pray you, why is it? Jul. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry. Host. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you shall hear music and see the gentleman that you asked for. Jul. But shall I hear him speak? Host. Hark, hark! Jul. Is he among these? [Music plays. Host. Ay: but, peace! let's hear 'em. |