That I may compass yours. Sil. You have your wish; my will is even this: That presently you hie you home to bed. Thou subtle, perjured, false, disloyal man! Think'st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless, To be seduced by thy flattery,

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That hast deceived so many with thy vows?
Return, return, and make thy love amends.
For me, by this pale queen of night I swear,
I am so far from granting thy request
That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit,
And by and by intend to chide myself
Even for this time I spend in talking to thee.
Pro. I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady;
But she is dead.

Jul. [Aside] "Twere false, if I should speak it; For I am sure she is not buried.

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Sil. Say that she be; yet Valentine thy friend Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd: and art thou not ashamed To wrong him with thy importunacy?

Pro. I likewise hear that Valentine is dead. Sil. And so suppose am I; for in his grave Assure thyself my love is buried.

Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. Sil. Go to thy lady's grave and call hers thence,

Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine. Jul. [Aside] He heard not that.

Pro. Madam, if your heart be so obdurate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, 121 The picture that is hanging in your chamber; To that I'll speak, to that I'll sigh and weep: For since the substance of your perfect self Is else devoted, I am but a shadow; And to your shadow will I make true love. Jul. [Aside] If'twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it,

And make it but a shadow, as I am.

Sil. I am very loath to be your idol, sir; But since your falsehood shall become you well To worship shadows and adore false shapes, 131 Send to me in the morning and I'll send it: And so, good rest.

Pro.

As wretches have o'ernight
That wait for execution in the morn.
[Exeunt Pro. and Sil. severally.
Host, will you go?

Jul.
Host. By my halidom, I was fast asleep.
Jul. Pray you, where lies Sir Proteus?
Host. Marry, at my house. Trust me, I

think 'tis almost day.

Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night That e'er I watch'd and the most heaviest.

SCENE III. The same.

Enter EGLAMOUR.

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[Exeunt.

Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself: According to your ladyship's impose,

I am thus early come to know what service It is your pleasure to command me in.

10

Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentlemanThink not I flatter, for I swear I do notValiant, wise, remorseful, well accomplish'd: Thou art not ignorant what dear good will I bear unto the banish'd Valentine, Nor how my father would enforce me marry Vain Thurio, whom my very soul abhors. Thyself hast loved; and I have heard thee say No grief did ever come so near thy heart As when thy lady and thy true love died, Upon whose grave thou vow'dst pure chastity. Sir Eglamour, I would to Valentine, To Mantua, where I hear he makes abode; And, for the ways are dangerous to pass I do desire thy worthy company, Upon whose faith and honour I repose. Urge not my father's anger, Eglamour, But think upon my grief, a lady's grief, And on the justice of my flying hence, To keep me from a most unholy match, Which heaven and fortune still reward wi plagues.

At Friar Patrick's cell,

Where I intend holy confession.
Egl. I will not fail your ladyship.
morrow, gentle lady.

Good

Sil. Good morrow, kind Sir Eglamour. [Exeunt severally.

SCENE IV. The same. Enter LAUNCE, with his Dog. Launce. When a man's servant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy; one that I saved from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it. I have taught him, even as one would say precisely, 'thus I would teach a dog. I was sent to deliver him as a present to Mistress Silvia from my master; and I came no sooner into the dining-chamber but he steps me to her trencher and steals her capon's leg: O, 'tis a foul thing when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies! I would have, as one should say, one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily he had been hanged for't; sure as I live, he had suffered for't: you shall judge. He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentlemanlike dogs, under the duke's table: he had not been there-bless the mark!-a pissing while, but all the chamber smelt him. 'Out with the dog!' says one: 'What cur is that?' says another: 'Whip him out' says the third: 'Hang him up' says the duke. I, having been acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab, and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs: 'Friend,' quoth I, you mean to whip the dog?' 'Ay, marry, do I, quoth he. You do him the more wrong,' quoth I; "twas I did the thing you wot of."' He makes me no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How many masters would do this for his servant? Nay, I'll be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed; I have stood on the pillory for geese he hath killed, otherwise he had suffered for't. Thou thinkest not of this now. Nay, I remember the trick you served me when I took my leave of Madam Silvia: did not I bid thee still mark me and do as I do? when didst thou see me heave up my leg and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? didst thou ever see me do such a trick?

Enter PROTEUS and Julia.

Pro. Sebastian is thy name? I like thee well And will employ thee in some service presently.

Jul. In what you please: I'll do what I can. Pro. I hope thou wilt. [To Launce] How now, you whoreson peasant! Where have you been these two days loitering? Launce. Marry, sir, I carried Mistress Silvia the dog you bade me.

50

Pro. And what says she to my little jewel? Launce. Marry, she says your dog was a cur, and tells you currish thanks is good enough for such a present.

Pro. But she received my dog?

Launce. No, indeed, did she not: here have I brought him back again.

Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me? Launce. Ay, sir; the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman boys in the marketplace: and then I offered her mine own, who is a dog as big as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater.

Pro. Go get thee hence, and find my dog again,

Or ne'er return again into my sight.
Away, I say! stay'st thou to vex me here?
[Exit Launce.
A slave, that still an end turns me to shame!
Sebastian, I have entertained thee,
Partly that I have need of such a youth
That can with some discretion do my business, 70
For 'tis no trusting to yond foolish lout,
But chiefly for thy face and thy behaviour,
Which, if my augury deceive me not,
Witness good bringing up, fortune and truth:
Therefore know thou, for this I entertain thee.
Go presently and take this ring with thee,
Deliver it to Madam Silvia:

She loved me well deliver'd it to me.

Jul. It seems you loved not her, to leave her token. She is dead, belike?

Pro.
Jul. Alas!

Not so; I think she lives. 80

I cannot choose

Pro. Why dost thou cry 'alas'?
Ful.
But pity her.

Pro. Wherefore shouldst thou pity her? Jul. Because methinks that she loved you as well

As you do love your lady Silvia:
She dreams on him that has forgot her love;
You dote on her that cares not for your love.
'Tis pity love should be so contrary;
And thinking on it makes me cry alas!'

Pro. Well, give her that ring and therewithal
This letter. That's her chamber. Tell my lady
I claim the promise for her heavenly picture.
Your message done, hie home unto my chamber,
Where thou shalt find me, sad and solitary. [Exit.
Jul. How many women would do such a mes-
sage?
Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd
A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs.
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth me;
Because I love him, I must pity him.
This ring I gave him when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will;
And now am I, unhappy messenger,
To plead for that which I would not obtain,

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Sil.

Ursula, bring my picture there.

Go give your master this: tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber than this shadow.
Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.
Pardon me, madam; I have unadvised
Deliver'd you a paper that I should not:
This is the letter to your ladyship.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be; good madam, pardon me.
Sil. There, hold!

I will not look upon your master's lines:
I know they are stuff'd with protestations
And full of new-found oaths; which he will break
As easily as I do tear his paper.

Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. Sil. The more shame for him that he sends it me;

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Therefore I know she is about my height.
And at that time I made her weep agood,
For I did play a lamentable part:
Madam, 'twas Ariadne passioning
For Theseus' perjury and unjust flight;
Which I so lively acted with my tears
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and would I might be dead
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow!
Sil. She is beholding to thee, gentle youth.
Alas, poor lady, desolate and left!
I weep myself to think upon thy words.
Here, youth, there is my purse; I give thee this
For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lovest

her.

Farewell.

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[Exit Silvia, with attendants. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know her.

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A virtuous gentlewoman, mild and beautiful!
I hope my master's suit will be but cold,
Since she respects my mistress' love so much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture: let me see; I think,
If I had such a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers:
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,
Unless I flatter with myself too much.
Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow :
If that be all the difference in his love,
I'll get me such a colour'd periwig.
Her eyes are grey as glass, and so are mine:
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high.
What should it be that he respects in her
But I can make respective in myself,
If this fond Love were not a blinded god?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou senseless form,
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kiss'd, loved and adored!
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My substance should be statue in thy stead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That used me so; or else, by Jove I vow,

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I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes, To make my master out of love with thee! [Exit.

ACT V.

SCENE I. Milan. An abbey.

Enter EGLAMOUR.

Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky: And now it is about the very hour

That Silvia, at Friar Patrick's cell, should

meet me.

She will not fail, for lovers break not hours, Unless it be to come before their time;

So much they spur their expedition.

See where she comes.

Enter SILVIA.

Lady, a happy evening!

Sil. Amen, amen! Go on, good Eglamour, Out at the postern by the abbey-wall:

I fear I am attended by some spies.

Egl. Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off;

If we recover that, we are sure enough. [Exeunt

SCENE II. The same. The DUKE's palace.
Enter THURIO, PROTEUS, and Julia.
Thu. Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my
suit?

Pro. O, sir, I find her milder than she was;
And yet she takes exceptions at your person.
Thu. What, that my leg is too long?
Pro. No; that it is too little.

Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder.

Jul. [Aside] But love will not be spurr'd to what it loathes.

Thu. What says she to my face?
Pro. She says it is a fair one.

Thu Nay then, the wanton lies; my face is black.

ΤΟ

Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is,

Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. Jul. [Aside] 'Tis true; such pearls as put out ladies' eyes;

For I had rather wink than look on them.
Thu. How likes she my discourse?
Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love and peace?

Jul. [Aside] But better, indeed, when you hold your peace.

Thu. What says she to my valour?
Pra. O, sir, she makes no doubt of that.

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Jul. [Aside] She needs not, when she knows it cowardice.

Thu. What says she to my birth?

Pro. That you are well derived.

Jul. [Aside] True; from a gentleman to a fool.

Thu. Considers she my possessions?

Pro. O, ay; and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Pro. That they are out by lease.

Jul. Here comes the duke.

Enter DUKE.

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Which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late?

Thu. Not I.

10

Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall
And leave no memory of what it was!
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia;
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!
What halloing and what stir is this to-day?
These are my mates, that make their wills
their law,

Have some unhappy passenger in chase.
They love me well; yet I have much to do
To keep them from uncivil outrages.
Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes
here?

Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA.
Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you,
Though you respect not aught your servant doth,
To hazard life and rescue you from him
That would have forced your honour and your

love:

Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg
And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.

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