That I may compass yours. Sil. You have your wish; my will is even this: That presently you hie you home to bed. Thou subtle, perjured, false, disloyal man! Think'st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless, To be seduced by thy flattery, 100 That hast deceived so many with thy vows? Jul. [Aside] "Twere false, if I should speak it; For I am sure she is not buried. 110 Sil. Say that she be; yet Valentine thy friend Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd: and art thou not ashamed To wrong him with thy importunacy? Pro. I likewise hear that Valentine is dead. Sil. And so suppose am I; for in his grave Assure thyself my love is buried. Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. Sil. Go to thy lady's grave and call hers thence, Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine. Jul. [Aside] He heard not that. Pro. Madam, if your heart be so obdurate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, 121 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 will I make true love. Jul. [Aside] If'twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it, And make it but a shadow, as I am. Sil. I am very loath to be your idol, sir; But since your falsehood shall become you well To worship shadows and adore false shapes, 131 Send to me in the morning and I'll send it: And so, good rest. Pro. As wretches have o'ernight Jul. think 'tis almost day. Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night That e'er I watch'd and the most heaviest. SCENE III. The same. Enter EGLAMOUR. 141 [Exeunt. Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself: According to your ladyship's impose, I am thus early come to know what service It is your pleasure to command me in. 10 Sil. O Eglamour, thou art a gentlemanThink not I flatter, for I swear I do notValiant, wise, remorseful, well accomplish'd: Thou art not ignorant what dear good will I bear unto the banish'd Valentine, Nor how my father would enforce me marry Vain Thurio, whom my very soul abhors. Thyself hast loved; and I have heard thee say No grief did ever come so near thy heart As when thy lady and thy true love died, Upon whose grave thou vow'dst pure chastity. Sir Eglamour, I would to Valentine, To Mantua, where I hear he makes abode; And, for the ways are dangerous to pass I do desire thy worthy company, Upon whose faith and honour I repose. Urge not my father's anger, Eglamour, But think upon my grief, a lady's grief, And on the justice of my flying hence, To keep me from a most unholy match, Which heaven and fortune still reward wi plagues. At Friar Patrick's cell, Where I intend holy confession. Good Sil. Good morrow, kind Sir Eglamour. [Exeunt severally. SCENE IV. The same. Enter LAUNCE, with his Dog. Launce. 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 dining-chamber 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 gentlemanlike 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 the 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 whip the dog?' 'Ay, marry, do I, quoth he. You do him the more wrong,' quoth I; "twas I did the thing you wot of."' He makes me no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How many masters would do this for his servant? Nay, I'll be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed; I have stood on the pillory for geese he hath killed, otherwise he had suffered for't. Thou thinkest not of this now. Nay, I remember the trick you served me when I took my leave of Madam Silvia: did not I bid thee still mark me and do as I do? when didst thou see me heave up my leg and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? didst thou ever see me do such a trick? 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'll do what I can. Pro. I hope thou wilt. [To Launce] How now, you whoreson peasant! Where have you been these two days loitering? Launce. Marry, sir, I carried Mistress Silvia the dog you bade me. 50 Pro. And what says she to my little jewel? Launce. 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? Launce. No, indeed, did she not: here have I brought him back again. Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me? Launce. Ay, sir; the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman boys in the marketplace: 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, Or ne'er return again into my sight. She loved me well deliver'd it to me. Jul. It seems you loved not her, to leave her token. She is dead, belike? Pro. Not so; I think she lives. 80 I cannot choose Pro. Why dost thou cry 'alas'? Pro. Wherefore shouldst thou pity her? Jul. Because methinks that she loved you as well As you do love your lady Silvia: Pro. Well, give her that ring and therewithal 100 Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there. Go give your master this: tell him from me, Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again. I will not look upon your master's lines: Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. Sil. The more shame for him that he sends it me; 170 Therefore I know she is about my height. her. Farewell. 180 [Exit Silvia, with attendants. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know her. 190 A virtuous gentlewoman, mild and beautiful! 200 I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes, To make my master out of love with thee! [Exit. ACT V. SCENE I. Milan. An abbey. Enter EGLAMOUR. Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky: And now it is about the very hour That Silvia, at Friar 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. See where she comes. Enter SILVIA. Lady, a happy evening! Sil. Amen, amen! Go on, good Eglamour, Out at the postern by the abbey-wall: I fear I am attended by some spies. Egl. Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we are sure enough. [Exeunt SCENE II. The same. The DUKE's palace. Pro. O, sir, I find her milder than she was; Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder. Jul. [Aside] But love will not be spurr'd to what it loathes. Thu. What says she to my face? Thu Nay then, the wanton lies; my face is black. ΤΟ Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. Jul. [Aside] 'Tis true; such pearls as put out ladies' eyes; For I had rather wink than look on them. Thu. But well, when I discourse of love and peace? Jul. [Aside] But better, indeed, when you hold your peace. Thu. What says she to my valour? 20 Jul. [Aside] She needs not, when she knows it cowardice. Thu. What says she to my birth? Pro. That you are well derived. Jul. [Aside] True; from a gentleman to a fool. Thu. Considers she my possessions? Pro. O, ay; and pities them. Thu. Wherefore? Jul. [Aside] That such an ass should owe This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods, them. Pro. That they are out by lease. Jul. Here comes the duke. Enter DUKE. 30 I better brook than flourishing peopled towns: Duke. How now, Sir Proteus! how now, Leave not the mansion so long tenantless, Which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late? Thu. Not I. 10 Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall Have some unhappy passenger in chase. Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA. love: Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look; 21 Val. [Aside] How like a dream is this I see By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased: 81 And, that my love may appear plain and free, [Swoons. Pro. How! let me see: Pro. But how camest thou by this ring? At Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to I gave this unto Julia. Would I not undergo for one calm look! Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love, Ful. And Julia herself did give it me; Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths, For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy Be thou ashamed that I have took upon me faith Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou'dst two; In love All men but Proteus. Pro. Val. Then I am paid; Who by repentance is not satisfied And once again I do receive thee honest. Such an immodest raiment, if shame live It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds! 'tis true. 0 heaven! were man ΓΙΟ Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Come not within the measure of my wrath; I hold him but a fool that will endanger His body for a girl that loves him not: 130 I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleased. To make such means for her as thou hast done |