Duke. You know him well? Val. I knew him as myfelf; for from our infancy To cloath mine age with angel-like perfection, Duke. Befhrew me, fir, but, if he make this good, As meet to be an emperor's counsellor. Val. Should I have wifh'd a thing, it had been he. [Exit. Val. This is the gentleman, I told your ladyship, Sil. Belike, that now the hath enfranchis'd them Val. Nay, fure, I think, fhe holds them prisoners fill. Sil. Nay, then he should be blind: And, being blind, "How could he fee his way to feek out you? Val. Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes. Protheus's character is here amiably and powerfully delineated; we are frequently led to wonder how Shakespeare could delineate fo many fimilar perfonages with fuch abundant variety of colouring and prefervation. Val. To fee fuch lovers, Thurio, as yourself; Upon a homely object love can wink. Sil. Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman. Enter Protheus. Val. Welcome, dear Protheus! -Miftrefs, I beseech you, Confirm his welcome with fome fpecial favour. Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither; Sil. Too low a mistress for fo high a fervant. Pro. That you are worthless. Enter an Attendant. Att. Madam, my lord your father would fpeak with you. When you have done, we look to hear from you. [Exeunt Silvia, Thurio, Speed, and Att. Val. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came? Pro. Your friends are well, and have them much commended. Val. And how do yours? Pro. I left them all in health. Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your love? Pro. My tales of love were wont to weary you ; I know, you joy not in a love-discourse. Val. Ay, Protheus, but that life is alter'd now: I have done penance for contemning love; "Whofe high imperious thoughts have punish'd me With bitter fafts, with penitential groans, "With nightly tears, and daily heart-fore fighs; "For, in revenge of my contempt of love, "Love hath chac'd fleep from my enthralled eyes, "And made them watchers of mine own heart's forrow. O gentle Protheus, love's a mighty lord; And hath fo humbl'd me, as, I confefs, Nor, to his fervice, no fuch joy on earth! Pro. Enough; I read your fortune in your eye: Val. Even fhe; and is the not a heavenly faint Pro. I will not flatter her. Val. O, flatter me; for love delights in praife. Pro. When I was fick you gave me bitter pills; And I must minifter the like to you. Val. Then speak the truth by her; if not divine, Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth. Val. Sweet, except not any; Except thou wilt except against my love. Pro. Why, Valentine, what bragadifm is this? Bragadifm, a coined word of extraordinary fabrication; but we have Braggado, and Braggadocio, to countenance it. Pro. Why, then let her alone. Val. Not for the world: why, man, he is mine own ; And I as rich in having fuch a jewel, As twenty feas, if all their fand were pearl, Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd; ; Nay, more, my Protheus, our marriage hour, [Exit Valentine. Even as one heat another heat expels, How How fhall I doat on her with more advice, my skill SCENE V. The fame. A Street. Enter Speed and Launce, meeting. [Exit. Spe. Launce! by mine honefty, welcome to Milan. Lau. Forfwear not thyfelf, fweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-That a man is never undone, 'till he be hang'd; nor never welcome to a place, 'till fome certain fhot be pay'd, and the hostess say, welcome. Spe. Come on, you mad-cap, I'll to the ale-house with you presently; where, for one fhot of five pence, thou fhalt have five thousand welcomes. But, firrah, how did thy mafter part with madam Julia? Lau. Marry, after they clos'd in earneft, they parted very fairly in jest. Spe. But fhall fhe Lau. No. marry him? Spe. How then, shall he marry her? Lau. No, neither. Spe. What, are they broken? Lau. No, they are both as whole as a fish. 66 Spe. Why then, how ftands the matter with them? "Lau. Marry, thus; when it ftands well with him, sit ftands well with her. "Spe. What an afs art thou? I understand thee not. "Lau. What a block art thou, that thou can't not? my ftaff understands me. "Spe. What thou say'st ? That Shakespeare perfectly knew the ficklenefs, as well as the unfteadiness of love, clearly appears by Romeo's change from Rofaline to Juliet; and here, from Julia to Silvia. |