Val. Welcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you,

The honour and regard of such a father.

Duke. You know him well?

60

hither,

Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome 103

Val. I know him as myself; for from our infancy

If this be he you oft have wish'd to hear from. Val. Mistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.

We have convers'd and spent our hours together:

And though myself have been an idle truant, 65
Omitting the sweet benefit of time

To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection,
Yet hath Sir Proteus, -for that's his name, - 68
Made use and fair advantage of his days:
His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe;
And, in a word, -for far behind his worth
Come all the praises that I now bestow, -
He is complete in feature and in mind
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.
Duke. Beshrew me, sir, but if he make this
good,

72

76

He is as worthy for an empress' love
As meet to be an emperor's counsellor.
Well, sir, this gentleman is come to me
With commendation from great potentates; 80
And here he means to spend his time awhile:
I think, 'tis no unwelcome news to you.

Sil. Too low a mistress for so high a servant. Pro. Not so, sweet lady; but too mean a servant

108

Val. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he.

Go with me. Once more, new servant, welcome:
I'll leave you to confer of home-affairs;
When you have done, we look to hear from you.

120

Pro. We'll both attend upon your ladyship. [Exeunt SILVIA, THURIO, and SPEED. Val. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came?

Pro. Your friends are well and have them much commended.

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;

128

I know you joy not in a love-discourse.
Val. Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter'd now:
I have done penance for contemning love;
Whose high imperious thoughts have punish'd me
With bitter fasts, with penitential groans, 132
With nightly tears and daily heart-sore sighs;
For, in revenge of my contempt of love,
Love hath chas'd sleep from my enthralled eyes,

184

Determin'd of: how I must climb her window,
The ladder made of cords, and all the means
Plotted and 'greed on for my happiness.
Good Proteus, go with me to my chamber,
In these affairs to aid me with thy counsel.
Pro. Go on before; I shall inquire you forth:
I must unto the road, to disembark
Some necessaries that I needs must use,
And then I'll presently attend you.

Val. Will you make haste?
Pro. I will.

188

[Exit VALENTINE.

193

196

200

204

Even as one heat another heat expels,
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 Valentinus' praise,
Her true perfection, or my false transgression,
That rakes me reasonless to reason thus?
Which, like a waren Tulia that I love, -
Bears no impression of the thing'nthaw'd,
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, 208
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. [Exit.
SCENE V.- The Same. A Street.
Enter SPEED and LAUNCE.

212

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

As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl,

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!' 7 Speed. Come on, you madcap, I'll to the alehouse with you presently; where, for one

Forgive me that I do not dream on thee,

welcomes. But, sirrah, how did thy master part

Because thou see'st me dote upon my love.

My foolish rival, that her father likes

Launce. Marry, after they closed in earnest,

Only for his possessions are so huge,
Is gone with her along, and I must after,
For love, thou know'st, is full of jealousy.

Speed. But shall she marry him?

Pro. But she loves you?

Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd: nay, more, our marriage-hour,

180

With all the cunning manner of our flight,

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. 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.

32

Launce. Why, stand-under and under-stand is all 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's 41 Launce. Thou shalt never net it so. But, Launce, from mek'thou, that my master is become a notable lover?

Launce. I never knew him otherwise.
Speed. Than how?

44

Pro. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn; To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn; 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:

4

12

O sweet-suggesting Love! if thou hast sinn'd,
Teach me, thy tempted subject, to excuse it. 8
At first I did adore a twinkling star,
But now I worship a celestial sun.
Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken;
And he wants wit that wants resolved will
To learn his wit to exchange the bad for better.
Fie, fie, unreverend tonguel to call her bad,
Whose sovereignty so oft thou hast preferr'd
With twenty thousand soul-confirming oaths.
I cannot leave to love, and yet I do;
But there I leave to love where I should love.
Julia I lose and Valentine I lose:
If I keep them, I needs must lose myself;
If I lose them, thus find I by their loss,
For Valentine, myself; for Julia, Silvia.
I to myself am dearer than a friend,
For love is still most i

17

20

28

32

Shows Julia but a swarthy Ethiope.
I will forget that Julia is alive,
Remembering that my love to her is dead;
And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,
Aiming at Silvia as a sweeter friend.
I cannot now prove constant to myself
Without some treachery us'd to Valentine:
This night he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celestial Silvia's chamber-window,
Myself in counsel, his competitor.
Now presently, I'll give her father notice
Of their disguising and pretended flight;
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine;
For Thurio, he intends, shall wed his daughter;
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross, 40
By some sly trick blunt Thurio's dull pro-

ceeding.

36

Love, lend me wings to make my purpose swift, As thou hast lent me wit to plot this drift!

[Exit.

SCENE VII.-Verona. A Room in JULIA'S

House.

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

Jul. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me: And e'en in kind love I do conjure thee, Who art the table wherein all my thoughts Are visibly character'd and engrav'd, To lesson me and tell me some good mean How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Proteus.

4

Luc. Alas! the way is wearisome and long. 8 Jul. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps; Much less shall she that hath Love's wings to fly, Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus.

Luc. If you think so, then stay at home and go not.

Jul. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go. 64 If Proteus like your journey when you come, No matter who's displeas'd when you are gone. I fear me, he will scarce be pleas'd withal.

Jul. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear: 68 A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears, And instances of infinite of love Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.

T

decitful mon

Jul. Base men, that use them to so base effect;

73

The current that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth

But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth:
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles,
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate, 76
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart,
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.
Luc. Pray heaven he prove so when you
come to him!

With willing sport, to the wild ocean. Then let me go and hinder not my course: I'll be as patient as a gentle stream

32

And make a pastime of each weary step,

To bear a hard opinion of his truth: Only deserve my love by loving him,

And there I'll rest, as after much turmoil

A blessed soul doth in Elysium.

Luc. But in what habit will you go along? Jul. Not like a woman; for I would prevent The loose encounters of lascivious men. Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds As may beseem some well-reputed page.

41

Luc. Why, then, your ladyship must cut your hair.

44

Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in silken strings

With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots:
To be fantastic may become a youth

Of greater time than I shall show to be.

48

Luc. What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches?

Jul. That fits as well as 'Tell me, good my lord, What compass will you wear your farthingale?' Why, even what fashion thou best lik'st, Lucetta.

52

Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece, madam.

Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be illfavour'd.

Luc. A round hose, madam, now's not worth a pin,

Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on. 56
Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'st me, let me have
What thou think'st meet and is most mannerly.
But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me
For undertaking so unstaid a journey?
I fear me, it will make me scandaliz'd.

60

8

The law of friendship bids me to conceal;
But when I call to mind your gracious favours
Done to me, undeserving as I am,
My duty pricks me on to utter that
Which else no worldly good should draw from me.
Know, worthy prince, Sir Valentine, my friend,
This night intends to steal away your daughter:
Myself am one made privy to the plot.
I know you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And should she thus be stol'n away from you

12

Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Val. Please it your Grace, there is a messenger

96

52

That stays to bear my letters to my friends, And I am going to deliver them.

100

If she do frown, 'tis not in hate of you,
But rather to beget more love in you;
If the do chide, 'tis not to have you gone;
For why the fools are mad if left alone.
Take no repulse, whatever she doth say;
For, 'get you gone,' she doth not mean, 'away!'
Flatter and praise, commend, extol their graces;
Though ne'er so black, say they have angels'
faces.

That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no

man,

If with his tongue he cannot win a woman. 105 Duke. But she I mean is promis'd by her

friends

Unto a youthful gentleman of worth,