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Spe. Item, She is flow in words.

Lau. O villain, that fet this down among her vices! To be flow in words, is a woman's only virtue :-I pray thee, out with't; and place it for her chief virtue. Spe. Item, She is proud.

Lau. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her.

Spe. Item, She hath no teeth.

Lau. I care not for that neither, because I love crufts.
Spe. Item, She is curft.

Lau. Well, the beft is, fhe hath no teeth to bite.
Spe. Item, She will often praife her liquor.

Lau. If her liquor be good, the fhall; if she will not, I will; for good things fhould be prais'd.

Spe. Item, She is too liberal.

Lau. Of her tongue fhe cannot; for that's writ down fhe is flow of of her purfe fhe fhall not; for that I'll keep fhut now, of another thing the may; and that cannot I help. Well, proceed.

Spe. Item, She bath more bair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults.

Lau. Stop there; I'll have her: fhe was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that laft article: Rehearse that once more.

be;

Spe. Item, She hath more hair than wit,Lau. More hair than wit,-it may I'll prove it: The cover of the falt hides the falt, and therefore it is more than the falt: the hair, that covers the wit, is more than the wit; for the greater hides the less. What's

next?

Spe. -and more faults than hairs,

Lau. That's monftrous; O, that that were out!
Spr. and more wealth than faults.

Lau. Why, that word makes the faults gracious. Well, I'll have her: And if it be a match, as nothing is impoffible,

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Spe. What then?

Lau. Why, then will I tell thee,-that thy mafter ftays for thee at the north gate.

Spe. For me?

Lau. For thee! ay; who art thou? he hath ftay'd for a better man than thee.

Spe. And muft I go to him?

Lau. Thou must run to him; for thou haft ftay'd fo long, that going will scarce ferve the turn.

Spe. Why didit not tell me fooner? 'pox of your love-letters!

[Exit. Lau. Now will he be fwing'd for reading my letter: An unmannerly flave, that will thruft himself into fecrets! I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exit.

SCENE II. The fame. A Room in the fame.

Enter Duke, and Thurio; Protheus behind.

Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her fight.

Thu. Since his exile fhe hath defpis'd me moft.
Forfworn my company, and rail'd at me,
That I am defperate of obtaining her.

Duke. This weak imprefs of love is as a figure
Trenched in ice; which, with an hour's heat,
Diffolves to water, and doth lofe his form:
A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
And worthlefs Valentine fhall be forgot t.-
How now, Sir Protheus? is your countryman,
According to our proclamation, gone?
Pro. Gone, my good lord.

Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously..
Pro. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief,
Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not fo.
Protheus, the good conceit I hold of thee
(For thou haft fhown fome fign of good defert)
Makes me the better to confer with thee.

Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace,
Let me not live to look upon your grace.

Duke. Thou know'ft, how willingly I would effect
The match between Sir Thurio and my daughter.
Pro. I do, my lord.

Duke. And also, I do think, thou art not ignorant

This fcene of clownish repartee has great quickness, volubility of fancy, and peculiar originality; it relieves the graver fcenes happily

+ This idea of diffolving obliterated affection is admirable; clear o every conception.

How

How the oppofes her against my will.

Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.
Duke. Ay, and perverfely the perfeveres fo .
What might we do to make the girl forget
The love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio?
Pro. The best way is, to flander Valentine
With falfhood, cowardice, and poor defcent;
Three things that women highly hold in hate.
Duke. Ay, but she'll think, that it is fpoke in hate.
Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it:

Therefore it muft, with circumftance, be fpoken
By one, whom the efteemeth as his friend.

Duke. Then you must undertake to flander him. 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 advantage him, Your flander never can endamage him;

Therefore the office is indifferent,

Being intreated to it by your friend.

Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it, By ought that I can speak in his difpraife,

She fhall not long continue love to him.

But fay, this weed her love from Valentine,

It follows not, that she will love Sir Thurio ||.

Thu. Therefore, as you unwind her love from him, Left it should ravel, and be good to none,

You must provide to bottom it on me:

Which must be done, by praising me as much.

As you in worth difpraise Sir Valentine.

Duke. And, Protheus, we dare truft you in this kind; Because we know, on Valentine's report,

You are already love's firm votary,

And cannot foon revolt and change your mind.
Upon this warrant, fhall you have access,

Here is another adulteration of pronunciation, the second syl lable accented for the third.

There is the most rafcally predeterminate undermining, that we have met with; no degree of generous love, however interested, could defcend thereunto; a noble paffion can never beget a vile one, though it may exceed prudent bounds.

Where

L

Where you with Silvia may confer at large;
For the is lumpifh, heavy, melancholy,
And, for your friend's fake, will be glad of you:
Where you may temper her by your perfuafion,
To hate young Valentine, and love my friend.
Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect :-
But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough;
You must lay lime, to tangle her defires,
By wailful fonnets, whofe composed rimes
Should be full fraught with ferviceable vows.
Duke. Ay, Much is the force of heaven-bred poefy.
Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty
You facrifice your tears, your fighs, your heart:
Write 'till your ink be dry, and with your tears
Moift it again; and frame fome feeling line,
That may discover fuch integrity:

For Orpheus' lute was ftrung with poet's finews;
Whofe golden touch could foften steel and stones,
Make tigers tame, and huge leviathans
Forfake unfounded deeps to dance on fands.
After your dire-lamenting elegies,

Vifit by night your lady's chamber-window
With fome fweet concert: to their inftruments
Tune a deploring dump; the night's dead filence
Will well become fuch fweet-complaining grievance.
This, or else nothing, will inherit her t.

Duke. This difcipline shows thou hast been in love.
Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in practice:
Therefore, fweet Protheus, my direction-giver,
Let us into the city prefently,

To fort fome gentlemen well skill'd in musick:
I have a fonnet, that will ferve the turn,

To give the onset to thy good advice.

Duke. About it, gentlemen.

Pro. We'll wait upon your grace, 'till after fupper; And afterward determine our proceedings.

Duke. Even now about it; I will pardon you. [Exeunt.

+ This obfequious description is highly natural, the prescriptions in it admirably adapted: this appears to us alfo a respectable act; and very well appropriated to the stage.

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SCENE I. The frontiers of Mantua. A Foreft. Enter certain Out-laws.

1. OUTLAW.

Ellows, ftand faft; I fee a paffenger.

FE

2. O. If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em. Enter Valentine, and Speed.

3. O. Stand, fir, and throw us that you have about you; If not, we'll make you fit, and rifle you.

Spe. O, fir, we are undone! thefe are the villains That all the travellers do fear fo much.

Val. My friends,

ì. O. That's not fo, fir; we are your enemies. 2. O. Peace, peace; we'll hear him.

3. O. Ay, by my beard, will we;

For he's a proper man.

Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to lofe;

A man I am, crofs'd with adverfity:

My riches are these poor habiliments;

Of which if you should here disfurnish mẹ,

You take the fum and substance that I have. 2. O. Whither travel you?

Val. To Verona.

1. O. And whence came you?

Val. From Milan.

3. O. Have you long fojourned there?

Val. Some fixteen months; and longer might have ftay'd,

If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.

1. O. What, were you banish'd thence?

Val. I was.

2. O. For what offence?

Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse: I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent,

But yet I flew him manfully in fight,
Without false vantage, or bafe treachery.

1. O. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done fo: But were you banish'd for fo fmall a fault?

Val. I was, and held me glad of fuch a doom.

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