What things are these, my lord Antonio!
Will money buy them?
Ant.

Very like; one of them Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable. Pro. Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,

Then say, if they be true:-This mis-shapen knave,

His mother was a witch; and one so strong That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,

And deal in her command, without her power: These three have robb'd me; and this demidevil

(For he's a bastard one) had plotted with them
To take my life: two of these fellows you
Must know, and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine.
Cal.
I shall be pinch'd to death.
Alon. Is not this Stephano, my drunken
butler?

Seb. He is drunk now: Where had he wine? Alon. And Trinculo is reeling ripe: Where should they

Find this grand liquor that hath gilded them?— How caniest thou in this pickle?

Trin. I have been in such a pickle, since I saw you last, that, I fear me, will never out of my bones: shall not fear fly-blowing. Seb. Why, how now, Stephano?

Ste. O, touch me not; I am not Stephano, but a cramp.

Pro. You'd be king of the isle, sirrah? Ste. I should have been a sore one then. Alon. This is as strange a thing as e'er I look'd on. [Pointing to CALIBAN. Pro. He is as disproportion'd in his manners, As in his shape:-Go, sirrah, to my cell; Take with you your companions; as you look To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.

Cal. Ay, that I will; and I'll be wise here

after,

And seek for grace: What a thrice double ass
Was I, to take this drunkard for a god,
And worship this dull fool?
Pro.
Go to; away!
Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage
where you found it.

Seb. Or stole it, rather.

[Exeunt CAL. STE. and TRIN.
Pro. Sir,I invite your highness and your train
To my poor cell where you shall take your rest
For this one night; which (part of it) I'll waste
With such discourse, as, I not doubt,shall make it
Go quick away: the story of my life,
And the particular accidents gone by,
Since I came to this isle: And in the morn,
I'll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial
Of these our dear-beloved solemnized;
And thence retire me to my Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.
Alon.
I long

To hear the story of your life, which must
Take the ear strangely.

Pro.

I'll deliver all; And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales, And sail so expeditious, that shall catch Your royal fleet far off. My Ariel,-chick,That is thy charge; then to the elements Be free, and fare thou well!-[aside.] Please you draw near. [Exeunt.

Now my charms are all o'erthrown, And what strength I have's mine own, Which is most fuint: now, 'tis true, I must be here confined by you, Or sent to Naples: Let me not, Since I have my dukedom got, And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell In this bare island, by your spell; But release me from my bands, With the help of your good hands.

Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please: Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer;
Which pierces so, that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardon'd be
Let your indulgence set me free.

SCENE I. An open place in Verona."

Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS. Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus; Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits: Wer't not, affection chains thy tender days To the sweet glances of thy honor'd love, I rather would entreat thy company, To see the wonders of the world abroad, Than living dully sluggardized at home, Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness. But, since thou lovest, love still, and thrive therein,

Even as I would, when I to love begin.

Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu!

Think on thy Proteus, when thou, haply, seest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
Wish me partaker in thy happiness,
When thou dost meet good hap; and, in thy
danger,

If ever danger do environ thee,
Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beadsman, Valentine.

Val. And on a love-book pray for my success.
Pro.Upon some book I love, I'll pray for thee.
Val. That's on some shallow story of deep
love,

How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont. Pro. That's a deep story of a deeper love; For he was more than over shoes in love. Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love, And yet you never swam the Hellespont. Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots.

Val. No, I'll not, for it boots thee not.

With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights:
If haply won, perhaps a hapless gain;
If lost, why then a grievous labor won;
However, but a folly bought with wit,
Or else a wit by folly vanquished.

Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool.

Val. So, by your circumstance, I fear, you'll prove.

Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at; I am not Love. Val.Love is your master, for he masters you: And he that is so yoked by a fool, Methinks should not be chronicled for wise.

Pro. Yet writers say, As in the sweetest bud The eating canker dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

Val.And writers say, As the most forward bud Is eaten by the canker ere it blow, Even so by love the young and tender wit Is turn'd to folly; blasting in the bud, Losing his verdure even in the prime, And all the fair effects of future hopes. But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee, That art a votary to fond desire? Once more adieu: my father at the road Expects my coming, there to see me shipp❜d. Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine. Val. Sweet Proteus, no; now let us take our

leave.

At Milan let me hear from thee by letters,
Of thy success in love, and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend;
And I likewise will visit thee with mine.
Pro.All happiness bechance to thee in Milan!
Val. As much to you at home! and so fare-
well!
[Exit VALENTINE.
Pro. He after honor hunts, I after love.
He leaves his friends, to dignify them more;
I leave myself, my friends, and all for love.
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me;
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,,
War with good counsel, set the world at naught

Speed. Twenty to one then, he is shipp'd already;

And I have play'd the sheep, in losing him.

Pro. Indeed a sheep doth very often stray, An if the shepherd be awhile away.

Pro. No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.

Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.

Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains.

Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse.

Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief: What said she?

Speed. Open your purse, that the money

stance.

Pro. It shall go hard, but I'll prove it by another.

Speed. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the shepherd; but I seek my master, and my master seeks not me: therefore I am no sheep.

Pro. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep; thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee: therefore thou art a sheep.

Speed. Such another proof will make me cry baa.

Pro. But dost thou hear? gavest thou my letter to Julia?

Speed. Ay, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton; and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labor.

Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such a store of muttons.

Speed. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her.

Pro. Nay, in that you are astray; 'twere best pound you.

Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.

Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold.

Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over

and over,

'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover.

Pro. But what said she? did she nod? [SPEED nods.

Speed. I.

Pro. Nod, I? why that's noddy. Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: and you ask me, if she did nod; and I say, I. Pro. And that set together, is-noddy. Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

Pro. Well, sir, here is for your pains: What said she?

Speed. Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her.

Pro. Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her?

Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear she'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind. Give her no token but stones, for she's as hard as steel. Pro. What, said she nothing?

Speed. No, not so much as-take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testern'd me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to my master.

Pro. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from

SCENE II. The same. Garden of Julia's house.

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully.

Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen, That every day with parle encounter me, In thy opinion, which is worthiest love?"

Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll show my mind

According to my shallow simple skill. Jul. What thinkst thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?

Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine;

But, were I you, he never should be mine. Jul. What thinkst thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so,

Shall lodge thee, till thy wound be throughly heal'd;

And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice, or thrice,was Proteus written down?
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away,
Till I have found each letter in the letter,
Except mine own name; that some whirlwind
bear

Unto a ragged, fearful, hanging rock,
And throw it thence into the raging sea!
Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ,-
Poor forlorn Proteus, passionate Proteus,
To the sweet Julia-that I'll tear away;
And yet I will not, sith so prettily
He couples it to his complaining names:
Thus will I fold them one upon another;
Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.
Re-enter LUCETTA.

How his companion, youthful Valentine,
Attends the emperor in his royal court.
Ant. I know it well.

Pant. "Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither:

There shall he practise tilts and tournaments,
Hearsweet discourse,converse with noblemen;
And be in eye of every exercise,
Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth.

Ant. I like thy counsel; well hast thou advised:

And, that thou mayst perceive how well I like it,

The execution of it shall make known;
Even with the speediest expedition

I will despatch him to the emperor's court.
Pant. To-morrow, may it please you, Don
Alphonso,

With other gentlemen of good esteem,

father stays,

Jul. Well, let us go.

Luc. What, shall these papers lie like telltales here?

Jul.If you respect them,best to take them up. Luc. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down:

Yet here they shall not lie for catching cold. Jul. I see you have a month's mind to them. Luc. Ay, madam, you may say what sights

Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO.

Ant. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that,

Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister? Pant.'Twas of his nephew Proteus,your son. Ant. Why, what of him?

Pant. He wonder'd, that your lordship Would suffer him to spend his youth at home; While other men, of slender reputation,, Put forth their sons to seek preferment out: Some, to the wars, to try their fortune there; Some, to discover islands far away; Some, to the studious universities. For any, or for all these exercises, He said, that Protens, your son, was meet; And did request me, to impórtune you, To let him spend his time no more at home, Which would be great impeachment to his age, In having known no travel in his youth.

Ant. Nor needst thou much impórtune me go to that

Whereon this month I have been hammering.
I have consider'd well his loss of time;
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
Not being try'd and tutor❜d in the world:
Experience is by industry achieved,
And perfected by the swift course of time:
Then, tell me, whither were I best to send him?
Punt. I think, your lordship is not ignorant,

And to commend their service to his will. Ant. Good company; with them shall Pro. teus go:

And, in good time,-now will we break with

him.

Enter PROTEUS.

Pro. Sweet love! sweet lines! sweet life! Here is her hand, the agent of her heart; Here is her oath for love, her honor's pawn: O, that our fathers would applaud our loves, To seal our happiness with their consents! O heavenly Julia!

Ant. How now? what letter are you reading there?oga

Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word

or two

Of commendation sent from Valentine, Deliver❜d by a friend that came from him. Ant. Lend me the letter; let me see what

news.

Pro. There is no news, my lord; but that he writes

How happily he lives, how well beloved
And daily graced by the emperor;
Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.

Ant.And how stand you affected to his wish?
Pro. As one relying on your lordship's will,
And not depending on his friendly wish.
Ant. My will is something sorted with his
wishon

Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed;
For what I will, I will, and there an end.
I am resolved, that thou shalt spend some time
With Valentinus in the emperor's court;
What maintenance he from his friends receives,
Like exhibition thou shalt have from me.
To-morrow be in readiness to go:
Excuse it not, for I am peremptory.

Pro. My lord, I cannot be so soon provided; Please you, deliberate a day or two.

Ant. Look, what thou wantst, shall be sent

after thee:

No more of stay; to-morrow thou must go.-
Come on, Panthino; you shall be employ'd
To hasten on his expedition.
and or food qu}[Exeunt ANT. and PANT.