Enter Protheus.

Pro. Sweet love, fweet lines, fweet life!
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;
Here is her oath for love, her honour's pawn.
O that our fathers would applaud our loves,
To feal our happiness with their confents.
Oh heav'nly Julia!

Ant. How now? what letter are you reading there? Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or two Of commendation fent from Valentine;

Deliver❜d by a friend that came from him.

Ant. Lend me the letter; let me fee what news.
Pro. There is no news, my lord, but that he writes)
How happily he lives, how well belov❜d,
And daily graced by the Emperor;
Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.
Ant. And how ftand you affected to his wifh?
Pro. As one relying on your lordship's will,
And not depending on his friendly with.

Ant. My will is fomething forted with his wifh:
Mufe not, that I thus fuddenly proceed;
For what I will, I will; and there's an end.
I am refolv'd, that thou shalt spend some time
With Valentino in the Emp'ror's court:
What maintenance he from his friends receives,
Like exhibition thou fhalt have from me:
To morrow be in readiness to go.

Excufe it not, for I am peremptory.

Pro. My lord, I cannot be fo foon provided;

Please to deliberate a day or two.

Ant. Look, what thou want'st, shall be sent after thee: No more of stay; to morrow thou must go.

Come on, Panthion; you fhall be imploy'd

To haften on his expedition.

[Exe. Ant. and Pant.

Pro. Thus have I fhun'd the fire, for fear of burning;
And drench'd me in the fea, where I am drown'd:
I fear'd to fhew my father Julia's letter,

Left he should take exceptions to my love;
And with the vantage of mine own excufe,

Hath

Hath he excepted most against my love.
Oh, how this fpring of love refembleth (8)
Th' uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now fhews all the beauty of the fun,
And, by and by, a cloud takes all away !

Enter Panthion.

Pant. Sir Protheus, your father calls for you;
He is in hafte, therefore, I pray you, go.
Pro. Why, this it is! my heart accords thereto;
And yet a thousand times it answers, no.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE E changes to Milan.
An Apartment in the Duke's Palace.
Enter Valentine and Speed.

IR, your glove

ST

SPEED.

Val. Not mine; my gloves are on.

Speed. Why then this may be yours, for this is but one.

Val, Ha! let me fee: ay, give it me, it's mine: Sweet ornament, that decks a thing divine!

Ah Silvia! Silvia !

Speed. Madam Silvia! Madam Silvia!
Val. How now, Sirrah?

(8) Oh, how this Spring of Love refembleth well] This Monofyl lable was foifted in by Mr. Pope, to fupport, as he thought, the Verfification in the Clofe. But it was done for Want of obferving Shake Speare's Licences in his Measures: which 'tis proper, once for all, to take notice of Refembleth, he defign'd here fhould in pronunciation make four Syllables; as witnesse, afterwards in this Play, and as Fidler, (in the Taming a Shrew) and angry (twice in Timon of Athens) are made Trifyllables; and as fire and hour are almoft for ever protracted by him to two Syllables.

M 3

Speed

Speed. She is not within hearing, Sir.
Val. Why, Sir, who bad you call her?
Speed. Your worship, Sir, or else I mistook.
Val. Well, you'll ftill be too forward.

Speed. And yet I was laft chidden for being too flow.
Val. Go to, Sir; tell me, do you know Madam Silvia?
Speed. She, that your worship loves?

Val. Why, how know you that I am in love? Speed. Marry, by thefe fpecial marks; first, you have learn'd, like Sir Protheus, to wreath your arms like a male-content; to relifh a love-fong, like a Robinred-breaft; to walk alone, like one that had the pestilence; to figh, like a school-boy that had loft his A. B.C; to weep, like a young wench that had buried her grandam; to faft, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing; to speak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmafs. You were wont, when you laugh'd, to crow like a cock; when you walk'd, to walk like one of the lions; when you fafted, it was presently after dinner; when you look'd fadly, it was for want of mony and now you are metamorphos'd with a miftrefs, that, when I look on you, I can hardly think you my master.

Val. Are all these things perceiv'd in me?
Speed. They are all perceiv'd without ye.
Val. Without me? they cannot.

Speed. Without you? nay, that's certain; for without you were fo fimple, none elfe would: But you are fo without these follies, that these follies are within you, and shine through you like the water in an urinal; that not an eye that fees you, but is a phyfician to comment on your malady.

Val. But tell me, doft thou know my lady Silvia? Speed. She, that you gaze on fo as the fits at fupper? Val. Haft thou obferv'd that? ev'n fhe I mean. Speed. Why, Sir, I know her not.

Val. Doft thou know her by my gazing on her, and yet know'ft her not?

Speed. Is the not hard-favour'd, Sir?

Val. Not fo fair, boy, as well-favour'd.

Speed.

Speed. Sir, I know that well enough.

Val. What doft thou know?

Speed. That he is not fo fair, as of you well favour'd. Val. I mean, that her beauty is exquifite, But her Favour infinite.

Speed. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count.

Val. How painted? and how out of count?

Speed. Marry, Sir, so painted to make her fair, that no man counts of her beauty.

Val. How efteem'ft thou me? I account of her beauty.

Speed. You never faw her fince fhe was deform'd.
Val. How long hath the been deform'd?

Speed. Ever fince you lov'd her.

Val. I have lov'd her, ever fince I faw her ;
And still I fee her beautiful.

Speed. If you love her, you cannot fee her,
Val. Why?

Speed. Becaufe love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes, or your own eyes had the lights they were wont to have, when you chid at Sir Protheus for going ungarter'd!

Val. What fhould I fee then?

Speed. Your own prefent folly, and her paffing de formity: For he, being in love, could not fee to garter his hofe; and you, being in love, cannot fee to put on your hole.

Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love: for laft morning you could not fee to wipe my fhoes.

Speed. True, Sir, I was in love with my bed; I thank you, you swing'd me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours.

Val. In conclufion, I stand affected to her.

Speed. I would you were set, so your affection would

cease.

Val. Laft night fhe enjoin'd me to write fome lines to one fhe loves.

Speed. And have you?

Val. I have.

M 4

Speed.

Speed. Are they not lamely writ ?

Val. No, boy, but as well as I can do them: Peace, here the comes.

Enter Silvia.

Speed. Oh excellent motion! oh exceeding puppet! Now will he interpret to her.

Val. Madam and mistress, a thousand good morrows.
Speed. Oh! 'give ye good ev'n; here's a million of

manners.

Sil. Sir Valentine and fervant, to you two thousand. Speed. He thould give her intereft; and the gives it him.

Val. As you injoin'd me, I have writ your letter,
Unto the fecret, nameless, friend of yours;
Which I was much unwilling to proceed in,
But for my duty to your ladyship.

Sil. I thank you, gentle fervant; 'tis very clerkly done.

Val. Now truft me, madam, it came hardly off: For being ignorant to whom it goes,

I writ at random, very doubtfully.

Sil. Perchance, you think too much of fo much pains? Val. No, Madam, fo it fteed you, I will write, Please you command, a thousand times as much. And yet

Sil. A pretty period; well, I guess the fequel; And yet I will not name it, and yet I care not; And yet take this again, and yet I thank you; Meaning henceforth to trouble you no more. Speed. And yet you will; and yet, another yet. [Afide. Val. What means your ladyfhip? do you not like it? Sil. Yes, yes, the lines are very quaintly writ; But fince unwillingly, take them again;

Nay, take them.

Val. Madam, they are for

you.

Sil. Ay, ay; you writ them, Sir, at my request;
But I will none of them; they are for you:
I would have had them writ more movingly.
Val. Please you, I'll write your ladyship another.