Speed. Iteni, she can knit.

Laun. 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.

Laun. A special virtue; for then she need not to be wash'd and scour'd.

Speed. Item, he can spin. .

Laun. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living.

Speed. Item, she hath many nameless virtues.

Laun. 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.
Laun. Close at the heels of her virtues.

Speed. Item, 3 me is not to be kiss'd fasting, in re-
Spect of her breath.

Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: read on.

Speed. Item, the hath a 4 fweet mouth.
Laun. That makes amends for her four breath.
Speed. Item, me doth talk in her seep.

Laun. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk.

Speed. Item, he is now in words.

Laun. O villain! that set down among her vices ! To be Now in words is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with’t; and place it for her chief virtue.'

Speed. Item, me is proud.

Laun. Out with that too: it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta’en from her.

Speed. Item, she hath no teeth.

3 — he is not to be kiss'd fafting, -] The old copy reads,

he is not to be fafting, &c. The necessary word kiss'd was first added by Mr. Rowe, Steevens.

4 weet mouth.] This I take to be the fame with what is now vulgarly called a sweet tooth, a luxurious desire of dainties and sweetmeats. JOHNSON,

Laun.

23

Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts.

Speed. Item, me is curst.
Laun. Well, the best is, she hath no teeth to bite.

Speed. Item, he will often s praise her liquor.
· Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall: if she will
not, I will; for good things should be praised.

Speed. Item, 6 he is too liberal

Laun. 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 I cannot help. Well, proceed.

Speed. Item, she bath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults. .

Laun. Stop here; I'll have her: she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that article.' Rehearse that once more.

Speed. Item, 7 be hath more hair than wit

Laun. 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
Laun. That's monstrous: oh, that that were out!
Speed. And more wealth than faults.

Laun. 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?

s- praise her liquor.] That is, fhew how well she likes it, hy drinking often. Johnson. o h e is too liberal.] Liberal, is licentious and gross in language. So in Othello, “ Is he not a profane and very liberal “ counsellor.” JOHNSON

?-She hath more hair than wit-] An old English proverb. See Ray's Proverbs :

“ Buth natural, more hair than wit.” SteeVENS.

Laun,

Laun. Why then will I tell thee, that thy master stays for thee at the north-gate.

Speed. For me?

Laun. For thee? ay; who art thou ? he hath staid for a better man than thee.

Speed. And must I go to him?

Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast staid so long, that going will scarce serve the turn.

Speed. Why didît not tell me sooner?' pox on your love-letters!

Laun. Now will he be swing'd for reading my letter : an unmannerly Nave, that will thrust himself into secrets !- I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction.

[Exeunt.

. SC EN E II.

Enter Duke and Thurio.
Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love

you,
Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight.

Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me moft,
Forsworn my company, and rail'd at me,
That I am desperate of obtaining her.

Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure
8 Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat
Diffolves to water, and doth lose his form.
A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
And worthless Valentine shall be forgot. -

Enter Protheus.
How now, Sir Protheus ? Is your countryman,
According to our proclamation, gone ?

Pro. Gone, my good lord.
Duke. My daughter takes his going heavily.

• Trenched in ice, French. JOHNSON.

] Cat, carved in ice. Trencher, to cut,

Pro.

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 hast shown some sign of good desert)
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'st, 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 How she opposes her against my will.

Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.

Duke. Ay, and perversely she perfevers so. What might we do to make the girl forget The love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio ?

Pro. The best way is to slander Valentine With fallhood, cowardice, and poor descent; Three things that women highly hold in hate.

Duke. Ay, but she'll think that it is spoke in hate.

Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Therefore it must, 9 with circumstance, be spoken By one whom she esteemeth as his friend.

Duke. Then you must undertake to Nander 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 Nander 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 aught that I can speak in his difpraise,
She shall not long continue love to him,

: 9 with circumstance, — With the addition of such incidental particulars as may induce belief. Johnson.

But

But say, this weed her love from Valentine,
It follows not that she will love Sir Thurio.

Thu. Therefore I as you unwind her love from him,
Lest 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 trust 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 shall you have access,
Where you with Silvia may confer at large:
For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy,
And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you ;
Where you may temper her, by your persuasion,
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 desires,
By wailful fonnets, whose composed rhimes
Should be full fraught with serviceable vows.
· Duke. Ay, much is the force of heaven-bred poefy.

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 fome feeling line, That may discover such integrity :3 For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews;

Whose

: '-as you unwind her love ] As you wind off her love from him, make me the bottom on which you wind it. The housewife's term for a ball of thread wound upon a central body, is a bottom of thread. JOHNSON,