I am thus early come, to know what service Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman, You d whip the dog? Ay, marry, do I, quoth he. 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 will do what I can Pro. I hope, thou wilt. How now, you whore son peasant? [To LAUNCE Which heaven and fortune still reward with plagues. Where have you been these two days loitering? I do desire thee, even from a heart To bear me company, and go with me: Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; As much I wish all good befortune you. Sil. This evening coming. Egl. Where shall I meet you? At friar Patrick's cell, Sil. Good-morrow, gentle lady. Laun. Marry, sir, I carried mistress Silvia the dog you bade me. 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 brought him back again. Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me? Laun. Ay, sir; the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman's boys in the market-place: 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, Sil. Good-morrow, kind sir Eglamour. [Exeunt. A slave, that, still an end, turns me to shame. 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 [Erit LAUNCE. Sebastian, I have entertained thee, She loved me well, deliver'd it to me. Jul. It seems, you loved her not, to leave her token : She's dead, belike. Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas! Jul. I cannot choose but pity her? Pro. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal Your message done, hie home unto my chamber, [Erit PROTEUS. This ring I gave him, when he parted from me, To plead for that, which I would not obtain; To praise his faith, which I would have disprais'd. As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed. Gentlewoman, good day! I pray you, be my mean Jul. From my master, sir Proteus, madam. Si. Ursula, bring my picture there. [Picture brought. Si. I pray thee, let me look on that again. I will not look upon your master's lines: And full of new-found oaths; which he will break, Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. The more shame for him that he sends it me; For, I have heard him say a thousand times, . What say'st thou? Jel. I thank you, madam, that you tender her: Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much. Sil. Dost thou know her? Jul Almost as well as I do know myself: Sil. Belike, she thinks that Proteus hath 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: Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost, Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth!- Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know her. A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful., I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes, [Exit. SCENE I.-The same. An Abbey. Enter EGLAMOUR, ACT V. Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky: And now, it is about the very hour That Silvia, at 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. Enter SILVIA. See where she comes: Lady, a happy evening! Egl. Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off": If we recover that, we are sure enough. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. An Apartment in 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. Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths. Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black. Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes; Jul. "Tis true, such pearls as put out ladies' eyes; For I had rather wink than look on them. [Aside. Thu. How likes she my discourse? Pro. Ill, when you talk of war. Thu, But well, when I discourse of love and peace? Jul. But better, indeed, when you hold your peace. Thu. What says she to my valour? [Aside. Duke. Why, then she's fled unto that peasan And Eglamour is in her company. 'Tis true; for friar Laurence met them both, At Patrick's cell this even; and there she was not Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love, Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her. [Erit Jul. And I will follow, more to cross that love Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love. [Exi - Frontiers of Mantua. Forest. Enter SILVIA, and Out-laws. Out. Come, come; The Be patient, we must bring you to our captain. 1 Out. Where is the gentleman that was wit her? 3 Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath out-run us But Moyses, and Valerius, follow him. Go thou with her to the west end of the wood, There is our captain: we'll follow him that's fled. The thicket is beset, he cannot 'scape. 1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain cave ; Fear not; he bears an honourable mind, Sil. O Valentine, this I endure for thee. [Exeun Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods, I better brook than flourishing peopled towns: Here can I sit alone, unseen of any, And to the nightingale's complaining notes, Tune my distresses, and record my woes. O thou that dost inhabit in my breast, Leave not the mansion so long tenantless; 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 la 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? [Steps aside. Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA. Pre. 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 wou'd have fore'd 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. Val. How like a dream is this I see and hear! Love, lend me patience to forbear a while. [Aside. S. O miserable, unhappy that I am! Pro. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came ; But, by my coming, I have made you happy. S. By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhappy. Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your pre sence. [Aside. Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion, Therefore be gone, solicit me no more. Pre. What dangerous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look? . When Proteus cannot love where he's be- Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love, Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou had'st two, Pre Who respects friend? In love, All men but Proteus. Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love; (For such is a friend now,) treacherous man! Pro. How! let me see: [Shows another ring. Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart, I gave this unto Julia. Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither. Pro. How! Julia! Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths, And entertain'd them deeply in her heart: How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root? O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush! Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me Such an immodest raiment; if shame live In a disguise of love: It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds! 'tis true; O heaven! were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins: ever. Jul. And I have mine. Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death; Come not within the measure of my wrath: Do not name Silvia thine; if once again, Milan shall not behold thee. Here she stands, Take but possession of her with a touch; I dare thee but to breathe upon my love. Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I; I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, And think thee worthy of an empress' love. I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endued with worthy qualities; Forgive them what they have committed here, Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts. Val. And, as we walk along, I dare be bold With our discourse to make your grace to smile: What think you of this page, my lord? Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. |