DUKE. But she I mean is promis'd by her friends Unto a youthful gentleman of worth; VAL. Why then I would resort to her by night. VAL. What lets, but one may enter at her window? VAL. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made of cords, Advise me where I may have such a ladder. That longs for everything that he can come by. How shall I best convey the ladder thither? DUKE. A cloak as long as thine will serve the turn? DUKE. Then let me see thy cloak: I'll get me one of such another length. VAL. Why, any cloak will serve the turn, my lord. What letter is this same? What's here?" To Silvia "? I'll be so bold to break the seal for once. [Reads. "My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly; O, could their master come and go as lightly, While I, their king, that thither them importune, Do curse the grace that with such grace hath bless'd them, Lets-hinders. I curse myself, for they are sent by me, "Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee:" "T is so; and here's the ladder for the purpose. Thank me for this, more than for all the favours, Longer than swiftest expedition Will give thee time to leave our royal court, I ever bore my daughter, or thyself. Be gone, I will not hear thy vain excuse, But, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence. Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE. PRO. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. [Exit DUKE. PRO. What seest thou? LAUN. Him we go to find: There's not a hair on 's head, but 't is a Valentine. PRO. Valentine? VAL. No. PRO. Who then, his spirit? VAL. Neither. PRO. What then? VAL. Nothing. LAUN. Can nothing speak? Master, shall I strike? PRO. Who wouldst thou strike? LAUN. Nothing. PRO. Villain, forbear. Laun. Why, sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you,- PRO. Then in dumb silence will I bury mine, VAL. Is Silvia dead? PRO. No, Valentine. VAL. No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia! Hath she forsworn me? PRO. No, Valentine. VAL. No Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn me!— What is your news? LAUN. Sir, there is a proclamation that you are vanished. PRO. That thou art banished. O, that's the news; From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend. VAL. O, I have fed upon this woe already, And now excess of it will make me surfeit. Doth Silvia know that I am banished? PRO. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the doom (Which, unrevers'd, stands in effectual force) A sea of melting pearl, which some call tears: Those at her father's churlish feet she tender'd; With them, upon her knees, her humble self; Wringing her hands, whose whiteness so became them, As if but now they waxed pale for woe: But neither bended knees, pure hands held up, Sad sighs, deep groans, nor silver-shedding tears, Could penetrate her uncompassionate sire; That to close prison he commanded her, With many bitter threats of 'biding there. VAL. No more; unless the next word that thou speak'st If so, I pray thee, breathe it in mine ear, Regard thy danger, and along with me. VAL. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my boy, Bid him make haste, and meet me at the north gate. PRO. Go, sirrah, find him out. Come, Valentine. VAL. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine! [Exeunt VALENTINE and PROTEUS. LAUN. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think my master is a kind of a knave: but that 's all one, if he be but one knave. He lives not now that knows me to be in love: yet I am in love; but a team of horse shall not pluck that from me; nor who 't is I love, and yet 't is a woman: but what woman, I will not tell myself; and yet 't is a milkmaid; yet 't is not a maid, for she hath had gossips: yet 't is a maid, for she is her master's maid, and serves for wages. She hath more qualities than a water-spaniel-which is much in a bare christian. Here is the cate-log [pulling out a paper] of her conditions. Imprimis, "she can fetch and carry." Why, a horse can do no more: nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry; therefore is she better than a jade. Item, "she can milk; " look you, a sweet virtue in a maid with clean hands. Enter SPEED. SPEED. How now, signior Launce? what news with your mastership? SPEED. Well, your old vice still; mistake the word: What news then in your paper? LAUN. The blackest news that ever thou heard'st. SPEED. Why, man, how black? LAUN. Why, as black as ink. SPEED. Let me read them. LAUN. Fie on thee, jolt-head! thou canst not read. SPEED. Thou liest, I can. LAUN. I will try thee: Tell me this: Who begot thee? SPEED. Marry, the son of my grandfather. LAUN. O illiterate loiterer! it was the son of thy grandmother: this proves LAUN. Ay, that she can. SPEED. Item," She brews good ale." LAUN. And thereof comes the proverb,-Blessing of your heart, you brew good ale. SPEED. Item, "She can sew." LAUN. That 's as much as to say, can she so? SPEED. Item, "She can knit." LAUN. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, when she can knit him a stock a? SPEED. Item, "She can wash and scour." LAUN. A special virtue; for then she need not be washed and scoured. LAUN. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. 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, "She is not to be kissed fasting, in respect of her breath." LAUN. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: Read on. SPEED. Item, "She hath a sweet mouth." LAUN. That makes amends for her sour breath. SPEED. Item," She doth talk in her sleep." LAUN. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk. SPEED. Item, "She is slow in words." LAUN. O villain, that set this down among her vices! To be slow in words is a woman's only virtue : I pray thee out with 't; and place it for her chief virtue. SPEED. Item, "She is proud." LAUN Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, And cannot be ta'en from her. |