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Luc. Madam, dinner is ready, and your father

stays.

Jul. Well, let us go.

How his companion, youthful Valentine,
Attends the emperor in his royal court.

Ant. I know it well.

Pan. 'T were good, I think, your lordship sent him thither:

Luc. What, shall these papers lie like tell-tales There shall he practise tilts and tournaments,

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 you

see;

I see things too, although you judge I wink.
Jul. Come, come, wilt please you go? [Exeunt.

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House.

Hear sweet 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 execution

I will dispatch him to the emperor's court.
Pan. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Al-
phonso,

With other gentlemen of good esteem,

A Room in ANTONIO'S Are journeying to salute the emperor,
And to commend their service to his will.

Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO.

Ant. Good company; with them shall Proteus

go:

Enter PROTEUS.

Ant. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that And, in good time; - now will we break with him. Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister? Pan. 'T was of his nephew Proteus, your son. Ant. Why, what of him?

Pan. He wondered 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 Proteus, 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 need'st thou much impórtune me to
that

Whereon this month I have been hammering.
I have considered well his loss of time;
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
Not being tried and tutored in the world:
Experience is by industry achieved,
And perfected by the swift course of time:
Then, tell me, whether were I best to send him?

Pan. I think your lordship is not ignorant

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?

Pro. May 't please your lordship, 't is a word or

two

Of commendation sent from Valentine,
Delivered 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 wish:
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 want'st shall be sent after
thee:

No more of stay; to-morrow thou must go,
Come on, Panthino; you shall be employed
To hasten on his expedition.

[Exeunt ANTONIO and PANTHINO. Pro. Thus have I shunned the fire, for fear of burning;

And drenched me in the sea, where I am drowned:
I feared to shew my father Julia's letter,
Lest he should take exceptions to my love;
And with the vantage of mine own excuse
Hath he excepted most against my love.
O, how this spring of love resembleth

The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shews all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away!

Re-enter PANTHINO.

Pan. Sir Proteus, your father calls for you;
He is in haste; therefore, I pray you, go.
Pro. Why, this it is! my heart accords thereto;
And yet a thousand times it answers no. [Exeunt.

SCENE I.

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ACT II.

Milan. A Room in the DUKE'S
Palace.

Enter VALENTINE and SPEED.

Speed. Sir, your glove.

Val. Not mine; my gloves are on.

you have learned, like Sir Proteus, to wreath your arms, like a male-content; to relish a love-song, like a Robin-redbreast; to walk alone, like one that hath the pestilence; to sigh, like a school-boy that had lost his A, B, C; to weep, like a young wench that had buried her grandam; to fast, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing;

Speed. Why then this may be yours, for this is to speak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas. You

but one.

were wont, when you laughed, to crow like a cock;

Val. Ha! let me see: ay, give it me, it's when you walked, to walk like one of the lions;

mine:

Sweet ornament that decks a thing divine!
Ah Silvia! Silvia !

Speed. Madam Silvia! Madam Silvia!
Val. How now, sirrah?

Speed. She is not within hearing, sir.
Val. Why, sir, who bade you call her?
Speed. Your worship, sir; or else I mistook.
Val. Well, you'll still be too forward.

when you fasted, it was presently after dinner;
when you looked sadly, it was for want of money:
and now you are metamorphosed with a mistress,
that, when I look on you, I can hardly think you
my master.

Val. Are all these things perceived in me?
Speed. They are all perceived without you.
Val. Without me? they cannot.

Speed. Without you? nay, that's certain, for,

Speed. And yet I was last chidden for being too without you were so simple, none else would; but you are so without these follies, that these follies

slow.

Val. Go to, sir; tell me, do you know Madam are within you, and shine through you like the

Silvia ?

Speed. She that your worship loves?

Val. Why, how know you that I am in love?
Speed. Marry, by these special marks: First,

water in an urinal; that not an eye, that sees you, but is a physician to comment on your malady.

Val. But tell me, dost thou know my lady Silvia?

Speed. She that you gaze on so, as she sits at supper?

Val. Hast thou observed that? even she I mean. Speed. Why, sir, I know her not.

Speed. And have you?

Val. I have.

Speed. Are they not lamely writ?

Val. No, boy, but as well as I can do them;

Val. Dost thou know her by my gazing on her, Peace, here she comes. and yet know'st her not?

Speed. Is she not hard-favored, sir?
Val. Not so fair, boy, as well-favored.
Speed. Sir, I know that well enough.
Val. What dost thou know?

Enter SILVIA.

Speed. O excellent motion! O exceeding puppet? now will he interpret to her.

[Aside.

Val. Madam and mistress, a thousand good

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Val. How esteemest thou me? I account of her Unto the secret nameless friend of yours; beauty. Which I was much unwilling to proceed in,

Speed. You never saw her since she was de- But for my duty to your ladyship. formed.

Val. How long hath she been deformed?

Speed. Ever since you loved her

Sil. I thank you, gentle servant: 't is very clerkly done.

Val. Now trust me, madam, it came hardly off;

Val. I have loved her ever since I saw her; and For, being ignorant to whom it goes, still I see her beautiful. I writ at random, very doubtfully.

Speed. If you love her, you cannot see her.
Val. Why?

Speed. Because love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes; or your own had the lights they were wont to have when you chid at Sir Proteus for going ungartered!

Val. What should I see then?

Speed. Your own prosent folly, and her passing deformity: for he, being in love, could not see to garter his hose; and you, being in love, cannot see to put on your hose.

Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love; for last morning you could not see to wipe my shoes.

Speed. True, sir, I was in love with my bed; I thank you, you swinged me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours.

Val. In conclusion, I stand affected to her. Speed. I would you were set; so your affection would cease.

Sil. Perchance you think too much of so much pains?

Val. No, madam; so it stead you, I will write, Please you command, a thousand times as much : And yet,

Sil. A pretty period! Well, I guess the sequel; And yet I will not name it:—and yet I care not;

And yet take this again :-and yet I thank you;
Meaning henceforth to trouble you no more.
Speed. And yet you will; and yet another yet.

[Aside.

Val. What means your ladyship? do you not like it?

Sil. Yes, yes, the lines are very quaintly writ; But since unwilling, take them again; Nay, take them.

Val. Madam, they are for you.

Sil. Ay, ay; you writ them, sir, at my request;

Val. Last night she enjoined me to write some But I will none of them; they are for you: lines to one she loves.

I would have had them writ more movingly.

Val. Please you, I'll write your ladyship another.
Sil. And when it's writ, for my sake read it

over:

And if it please you, so; if not, why, so.

Val. If it please me, madam! what then?

bor.

All this I speak in print, for in print I found it.-
Why muse you, sir? 't is dinner time.

Val. I have dined.

Speed. Ay, but hearken, sir; though the cameleon Love can feed on the air, I am one that am

Sil. Why, if it please you, take it for your la nourished by my victuals, and would fain have meat; O, be not like your mistress; be moved, be moved. [Exeunt.

And so good-morrow, servant.

[Exit SILVIA. Speed. O jest unseen, inscrutable, invisible, As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a steeple!

My master sues to her; and she hath taught her suitor,

He being her pupil, to become her tutor.

O excellent device! was there ever heard a better? That my master, being scribe, to himself should write the letter!

SCENE II. - Verona. A Room in JULIA's House.
Enter PROTEUS and JULIA.

Pro. Have patience, gentle Julia. Jul. I must, where is no remedy. Pro. When possibly I can, I will return. Jul. If you turn not, you will return the sooner: Val. How now, sir? what, are you reasoning Keep this remembrance for thy Julia's sake. with yourself?

Speed. Nay, I was rhyming; 't is you that have

the reason.

Val. To do what?

Speed. To be a spokesman from Madam Silvia.
Val. To whom?

[Giving a ring.

Pro. Why then we'll make exchange; here,

take you this.

Jul. And seal the bargain with a holy kiss.

Pro. Here is my hand for my true constancy; And when that hour o'erslips me in the day,

Speed. To yourself: why, she wooes you by a Wherein I sigh not, Julia, for thy sake, figure.

Fal. What figure?

Speed. By a letter, I should say.

Val. Why, she hath not writ to me? Speed. What needs she, when she hath made you write to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the jest?

Val. No, believe me.

The next ensuing hour some foul mischance
Torment me for my love's forgetfulness!
My father stays my coming; answer not;
The tide is now: nay, not the tide of tears;
That tide will stay me longer than I should;

[Exit JULIA. Julia, farewell.- What! gone without a word? Ay, so true love should do: it cannot speak;

Speed. No believing you indeed, sir; but did For truth hath better deeds, than words, to grace it. you perceive her earnest?

Val. She gave me none, cxcept an angry word.
Speed. Why, she hath given you a letter.
Tal. That's the letter I writ to her friend.
Speed. And that letter hath she delivered, and
there an end.

Val. I would, it were no worse.
Specd. I'll warrant you, 't is as well:

"For often you hath writ to her; and she, in modesty,
Or else for want of idle time, could not again reply;
Or fearing else some messenger, that might her mind
discover,

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Laun. Nay, 't will be this hour ere I have done Herself hath taught her love himself to write unto her weeping; all the kind of the launces have this very fault: I have received my proportion, like the pro

lover.".

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digious son, and am going with Sir Proteus to the Imperial's court. I think, Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives: my mother weeping, my father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great perplexity, yet did not this cruelhearted cur shed one tear; he is a stone, a very pebble-stone, and has no more pity in him than a dog: a Jew would have wept to have seen our parting; why, my grandam having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind at my parting. Nay, I'll shew you the manner of it: This shoe is my father; no, this left shoe is my father; no, no, this left shoe is my mother; - nay, that cannot be so, neither;-yes, it is so, it is so; it hath the worser sole: This shoe, with the hole in it, is my mother, and this my father. A vengeance on 't! there 't is now, sir, this staff is my sister; for, look you, she is as white as a lily, and as small as a wand: this hat is Nan, our maid; I am the dog; -no, the dog is himself, and I am the dog, -0, the dog is me, and I am myself; ay, so, so. Now 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 't is; 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 weep'st thou, man? Away, ass; you will lose the tide, if you tarry any longer.

Laun. It is no matter if the ty'd were lost; for it is the unkindest ty'd that ever any man ty'd. Pan. What's the unkindest tide?

Laun. Why, he that's ty'd here; Crab, my dog.

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Pan. Tut, man, I mean thou 'It lose the flood: and, in losing the flood, lose thy voyage; and, in losing thy voyage, lose thy master; and, in losing cameleon.

Val. Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of

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