SCENE II.-The same. that thy Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage him, 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 didst not tell me sooner? 'pox of your love letters! [Exit. Laun. Now will he be swinged for reading my letter: An unmannerly slave, that will thrust himself into secrets! - I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exit. A Room in the Duke's Palace. Enter DUKE and THURIO; PROTEUS behind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. Thu. Since his exíle she hath despis'd me most, 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 Trenched in ice; which with an hour's heat Dissolves to water, and doth lose his form. A little time will melt her frozen thoughts, And worthless Valentine shall be forgot. How now, sir Proteus? Is your countryman, According to our proclamation, gone? Pro. Gone, my good lord. Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Pro. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief. Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not so.Proteus, 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 think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will. Po. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Duke. Ay, and perversely she persévers 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 falshood, 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, with circumstance, be spoken By one, whom she esteemeth as his friend. Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Pro. And that, my lord, I shall be loth to do: 'Tis an ill office for a gentleman; Especially, against his very frien Your slander never can endamage him; Therefore the office is indifferent, Being entreated 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 dispraise, She shall not long continue love to him. But say, this weed her love from Valentine, It follows not that she will love sir Thurio. Thu. Therefore, 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 dispraise sir Valentine. Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this kind; And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect:- Duke. Ay, much the force of heaven-bred poesy For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews; Visit by night your lady's chamber-window, Duke. This discipline shows thou hast been in love. ACT IV. If not, we'll make you sit, and rifle you. Speed. Sir, we are undone! these are the villains That all the travellers do fear so much. Val. My friends, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 2 Out. Tell us this: Have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentle men, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives,) 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, And live, as we do, in this wilderness? 3 Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consórt? Say, ay, and be the captain of us all : 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided that you do no outrages On silly women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And shew thee all the treasure we have got; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. SCENE II. - Milan. Court of the Palace. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, Enter THURIO and Musicians. [Exeunt Host. I perceive, you delight not in musick. Jul. Not a whit, when it jars so. Host. Hark, what fine change is in the musick! Jul. Ay; that change is the spite. Host. You would have them always play but one thing? Jul. I would always have one play but one thing. But, host, doth this sir Proteus, that we talk on, often resort unto this gentlewoman? Host. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me, he loved her out of all nick. Jul. Where is Launce? Host. Gone to seek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a present to his lady. Jul. Peace! stand aside! the company parts. Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you! I will so plead, That you shall say, my cunning drift excels. Thu. Where meet we? Pro. That I may compass yours. That hast deceiv'd so many with thy vows? Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant. Sil. What is your will? Jul. 'Twere false, if I should speak it; For, I am sure, she is not buried. [Aside. Sil. Say, that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd: And art thou not asham'd Pro. Ilikewise hear, that Valentine is dead. Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. Sil. Go to thy lady's grave, and call her's thence; Or, at the least, in her's sepulchre thine. Jul. He heard not that. [Aside. Pro. Madam, if your heart be so obdúrate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, 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 I will make true love. Jul. If 'twere a substance, you would, sure, de Aside. ceive it, And make it but a shadow, as I am. Sil. I am very loth to be your idol, sir; But, since your falshood shall become you well To worship shadows, and adore false shapes, Send to me in the morning, and I'll send it: And so, good rest. Pro. As wretches have o'er-night, That wait for execution in the morn. [Exeunt PROTEUS; and SILVIA, from above. Jul. Host, will you go? Host. By my hallidom, 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. [Exeunt. SCENE III.- Egt. This is the hour that madam Silvia Entreated me to call, and know her mind; There's some great matter she'd employ me in. Madam, madam! SILVIA appears above, at her window. Sil. Who calls? Egl. Your servant, and your nieno One that attends your ladyship's command. Sil. Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good-morrow Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself. According to your ladyship's impose, I am thus early come, to know what service. Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman, Nor how my father would enforce me marry As full of sorrows as the sea of sands, Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; i whip the dog? Ay, marry, do I, quoth he. You do SCENE IV. – The same. Enter LAUNCE, with his dog. 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 diningchamber, 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 gentleman-like 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 a 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 Sil. This evening coming. Egl. Where shall I meet you? Laun. Ay, sir; the other squirrel was stolen from Sil. Egl. I will not fail your ladyship: Pro. Go, get thee hence, and find my dog again, Sil. Good-morrow, kind sir Eglamour. [Exeunt. A slave, that, still an end, turns me to shame. Pro. And what says she to my little jewel? Laun. 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? Laun. No, indeed, she did not here have I brought him back again. Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me? Sebastian, I have entertained thee, She loved me well, deliver'd it to me. Jul. It seems, you loved her not, to leave her Not so; I think, she lives. Jul. Alas! Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas! Jul. I cannot choose but pity her? Pro. Wherefore should'st thou pity her? Jul. Because, methinks, that she loved you as well Pro. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal Your message done, hie home unto my chamber, Where thou shalt find me sad and solitary. [Exit PROTEUS. Jul. How many women would do such a message? To plead for that, which I would not obtain; But cannot be true servant to my master, Sil. Belike, she thinks that Proteus hatlı forsook her. Jul. I think she doth, and that's her cause of sorrow. Sil. Is she not passing fair? Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is: When she did think my master lov'd her well, She, in my judgment, was as fair as you; But since she did neglect her looking-glass, And threw her sun-expelling mask away, The air hath starv'd the roses in her cheeks, And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face, That now she is become as black as I. Sil. How tall was she? Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost, Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth!- 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 lov'st her. Farewell. {Exit SILVIA. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know her. A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful. | Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow : Her eyes are grey as glass; and so are mine: [Evil |