come I to my father; Father, your blessing: now should not the shoe speak a word for weeping: now should I kiss my father; well, he weeps on. Now come I to my mother: O, that she could speak now like a wood woman! Well, I kiss her why, there 'tis; here's my mother's breath up and down. Now come I to my sister; mark the moan she makes. Now the dog all this while sheds not a tear nor speaks a word; but see how I lay the dust with my tears.

Enter PANTHINO.

Pan. Launce, away, away, aboard! thy master is shipped and thou art to post after with oars. What's the matter? why weepest thou, man? Away, ass! you'll lose the tide, if you tarry any longer.

Launce. It is no matter if the tied were lost; for it is the unkindest tied that ever any man tied.

Pan, What's the unkindest tide?

Launce. Why, he that's tied here, Crab, my dog.

Pan. Tut, man, I mean thou'lt lose the flood, and, in losing the flood, lose thy voyage, and, in losing thy voyage, lose thy master, and, in losing thy master, lose thy service, and, in losing thy service,-Why dost thou stop my mouth?

Launce. For fear thou shouldst lose thy tongue.

Pan. Where should I lose my tongue?

Launce. In thy tale.

Pan. In thy tail!

51

Launce. Lose the tide, and the voyage, and the master, and the service, and the tied! Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with my tears; if the wind were down, I could drive the boat with my sighs.

Pan. Come, come away, man; I was sent to call thee. Launce. Sir, call me what thou darest.

Pan. Wilt thou go?

Launce. Well, I will go.

SCENE IV. Milan. The DUKE's palace.

60

[Exeunt.

Enter SILVIA, VALENTINE, THURIO, and SPEED.

Sil. Servant !

Val. Mistress?

Speed. Master, Sir Thurio frowns on you.

Val. Ay, boy, it's for love.

Speed. Not of you.

Val. Of my mistress, then.

Speed. 'Twere good you knocked him.
Sil. Servant, you are sad.

[Exit.

Val. Your folly.

Thu. And how quote you my folly?

Val. I quote it in your jerkin.

Thu. My jerkin is a doublet.

Val. Well, then, I'll double your folly.
Thu. How?

20

Sil. What, angry, Sir Thurio! do you change colour? Val. Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of chameleon. Thu. That hath more mind to feed on your blood than live in your air.

Val. You have said, sir.

Thu. Ay, sir, and done too, for this time.

30

Val. I know it well, sir; you always end ere you begin. Sil. A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly shot off. Val. 'Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver.

Sil. Who is that, servant?

Val. Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Sir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship's looks, and spends what he borrows kindly in your company.

40

Thu. Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt.

Val. I know it well, sir; you have an exchequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers, for it appears, by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words.

Sil. No more, gentlemen, no more: here comes my father.

Enter DUKE.

Duke. Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset.

Sir Valentine, your father's in good health:
What say you to a letter from your friends

Of much good news?

Val.

My lord, I will be thankful

To any happy messenger from thence.

Duke. Know ye Don Antonio, your countryman?

Val. Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman

To be of worth and worthy estimation

And not without desert so well reputed.

Duke. Hath he not a son?

50

Val. Ay, my good lord; a son that well deserves. The honour and regard of such a father.

Duke. You know him well?

Val. I know him as myself; for from our infancy
We have conversed and spent our hours together:
And though myself have been an idle truant,
Omitting the sweet benefit of time

To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection,
Yet hath Sir Proteus, for that's his name,
Made use and fair advantage of his days;
His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe;
And, in a word, for far behind his worth
Comes all the praises that I now bestow,
He is complete in feature and in mind
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

Duke. Beshrew me, sir, but if he make this good
He is as worthy for an empress' love

As meet to be an emperor's counsellor.

Well, sir, this gentleman is come to me,

With commendation from great potentates;

And here he means to spend his time awhile:

I think 'tis no unwelcome news to you.

60

Val. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he. Duke. Welcome him then according to his worth. Silvia, I speak to you, and you, sir Thurio ;

70

80

For Valentine, I need not cite him to it:
I will send him hither to you presently.

[Exit.

Val. This is the gentleman I told your ladyship

Had come along with me, but that his mistress
Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks.

Sil. Belike that now she hath enfranchised them Upon some other pawn for fealty.

Val. Nay, sure, I think she holds them prisoners still.
Sil. Nay, then he should be blind; and, being blind.
How could he see his way to seek out you?

Val. Why, lady, Love hath twenty pair of eyes.
Thu. They say that Love hath not an eye at all.
Val. To see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself:

Upon a homely object Love can wink.

Sil. Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman.

Enter PROTEUS.

[Exit THURIO.

Val. Welcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you, Confirm his welcome with some special favour.

Sil. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither, If this be he you oft have wish'd to hear from.

90

Val. Mistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him
To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.

Sil. Too low a mistress for so high a servant.
Pro. Not so, sweet lady: but too mean a servant,
To have a look of such a worthy mistress.
Val. Leave off discourse of disability:
Sweet lady, entertain him for your servant.
Pro. My duty will I boast of; nothing else.
Sil. And duty never yet did want his meed:
Servant, you are welcome to a worthless mistress.
Pro. I'll die on him that says so but yourself.
Sil. That you are welcome?
Pro.

That you are worthless.

Re-enter THURIO.

110

Thu. Madam, my lord your father would speak with you.
Sil. I wait upon his pleasure. Come, Sir Thurio,
Go with me. Once more, new servant, welcome:
I'll leave you to confer of home affairs:

When you have done, we look to hear from you.
Pro. We'll both attend upon your ladyship.

[Exeunt Silvia and Thurio.

Val. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came? Pro. Your friends are well and have them much com.

mended.

Val. And how do yours?.

Pro.

I left them all in health.

Val. How does your lady? and how thrives your love? Pro. My tales of love were wont to weary you;

I know you joy not in a love-discourse.

Val. Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter'd now:

I have done penance for contemning Love,

Whose high imperious thoughts have punish'd me
With bitter fasts, with penitential groans,

With nightly tears and daily heart-sore sighs;

For in revenge of my contempt of love,

Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes

And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow.
O gentle Proteus, Love's a mighty lord

And hath so humbled me as I confess

There is no woe to his correction

Nor to his service no such joy on earth.

Now can I break my fast. dine, sup and sleep,

Now no discourse, except it be of love;

140

Upon the very naked name of love.

Pro. Enough; I read your fortune in your eye.

Was this the idol that you worship so?

Val. Even she; and is she not a heavenly saint?
Pro. No; but she is an earthly paragon.

Val. Call her divine.

Pro.

I will not flatter her.

Val. O, flatter me; for love delights in praises. Pro. When I was sick, you gave me bitter pills, And I must minister the like to you.

Val. Then speak the truth by her; if not divine. Yet let her be a principality,

Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth.

Pro. Except my mistress.
Val.
Sweet, except not any
Except thou wilt except against my love.

Pro. Have I not reason to prefer mine own?
Val. And I will help thee to prefer her too:
She shall be dignified with this high honour-
To bear my lady's train, lest the base earth
Should from her vesture chance to steal a kiss
And, of so great a favour growing proud,
Disdain to root the summer-swelling flower
And make rough winter everlastingly.

Pro. Why, Valentine, what braggardism is this?
Val. Pardon me, Proteus; all I can is nothing

To her whose worth makes other worthies nothing;
She is alone.

Val. Not for the world: why, man, she is mine own,
And I as rich in having such a jewel

As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl,
The water nectar and the rocks pure gold.
Forgive me that I do not dream or thee,
Because thou see'st me dote upon my love.
My foolish rival, that her father likes
Only for his possessions are so huge,
Is gone with her along, and I must after,
For love, thou know'st, is full of jealousy.
Pro. But she loves you?

150

160

170

Val. Ay, and we are betroth'd: nay, more, our marriage

hour,

With all the cunning manner of our flight,

Determined of; how I must climb her window,

The ladder made of cords, and all the means

Plotted and 'greed on for my happiness.

Good Proteus, go with me to my chamber,
In these affairs to aid me with thy counsel.
Pc. Go on before; I shall inquire you forth:
I must unto the road, to disembark

180