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, Panthion: you shall be employed

To hasten on his expedition. [Exeunt ANT. and PAN.
PRO. Thus have I shunn'd the fire for fear of burning,
And drench'd me in the sea, where I am drown'd.

I fear'd 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 PANTHION.

PAN. Sir Proteus, your father calls for you:
He is in haste; therefore, I pray you, go.
PRO. Why, thus it is: my heart accords thereto,
And yet a thousand times it answers No.

80

90

[exeunt.

ACT II

SCENE I.. Milan. A Room in the DUKE's Palace.

Enter VALENTINE and SPEED.

SPEED. Sir, your glove.

VAL.

Not mine; my gloves are on.

SPEED. Why, then this may be your's, for this is but one.

VAL. Ha, let me see: ay, give it me, it's mine

Sweet ornament that decks a thing divine!

Ah, Silvia, Silvia !

SPEED. Madam Silvia, Madam Silvia!

VAL. How now, sirrah!

ACT II

SPEED. She is not within hearing, Sir.

Sc. I

VAL. Why, Sir, who bade you call her?

SPEED. Your Worship, sir; or else I mistook.
VAL. Well, you'll still be too forward.

SPEED. And yet I was last chidden for being too
slow.

VAL. Go to, Sir! tell me, do you know Madam Silvia?
SPEED. She that your Worship loves?

VAL. Why, how know you that I am in love?

IO

SPEED. Marry, by these special marks: first, you have
learn'd, like Sir Proteus, to wreath your arms, like a
male-content; to relish a love-song, like a robin-red-
breast; to walk alone, like one that had 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; to speak puling, like a beggar at Hallow-
You were wont, when you laugh'd, to crow like a
cock; when you walk'd, to walk like one of the lions;
when you fasted, it was presently after dinner; when
you look'd sadly, it was for want of money: and now
you are so metamorphos'd with a mistress, that, when I
look on you, I can hardly think you my master.
VAL. Are all these things perceiv'd in me?
SPEED. They are all perceiv'd without ye.
VAL. Without me? They cannot.

30

SPEED. Without ye? nay, that's certain, for, without you were so simple, none else would: but you are so without these follies, that these follies are within you, and shine through you like the 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.

?

40

VAL. Dost thou know her by my gazing on her, and yet

know'st her not?

SPEED. Is she not hard-favour'd, Sir?

VAL. Not so fair, boy, as well-favour'd.

ACT II

49

Sc. I

SPEED. Sir, I know that well enough.

VAL. What dost thou know?

SPEED. That she is not so fair as (of you) well-favour'd.
VAL. I mean, that her beauty is exquisite, but her

favour infinite.

SPEED. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count.

VAL How painted? and how out of count?

SPEED. Marry, Sir, so painted to make her fair that no
man counts of her beauty.

VAL. How esteem'st thou me? I account of her beauty.
SPEED. You never saw her since she was deform'd.

VAL. How long hath she been deform'd?

SPEED. Ever since you lov'd her.

60

VAL. I have lov'd her ever since I saw her; and still I

see her beautiful.

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 eyes had the lights they were wont to have when you chid at Sir Proteus for going ungarter'd! VAL. What should I see then?

70

SPEED. Your own present folly and her passing de-
formity:

For he, being in love, could not see to garter his hose;
And you, being in love, cannot see to beyond your

nose.

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 your's.

VAL. In conclusion, I stand affected to her.

80

SPEED. I would you were set; so your affection would

cease.

VAL. Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to

one she loves,

SPEED. And have you?

VAL, I have.

SPEED. Are they not lamely writ?

ACT II
Sc. I

VAL. No, boy, but as well as I can do them. Peace! here she comes.

Enter SILVIA.

SPEED. O excellent motion!1 O exceeding puppet! now will he interpret to her.

VAL. Madam and Mistress, a thousand good-morrows!
SPEED. O, 'give you good even! here's a million of

manners.

SIL. Sir Valentine and Servant, to you two thousand. SPEED. He should give her interest, and she gives it him.

VAL. As you enjoin'd me, I have writ your letter

Unto the secret nameless friend of your's;

Which I was much unwilling to proceed in,

But for my duty to your Ladyship.

SIL. I thank you, gentle Servant: 'tis very clerkly done.
VAL. Now trust me, Madam, it came hardly off;

For, being ignorant to whom it goes,

I writ at random, very doubtfully.

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.

VAL. What means your Ladyship? do you not like it?

SIL. Yes, yes; the lines are very quaintly writ:

But, since unwillingly, take them again

Nay, take them.

VAL. Madam, they are for you.

SIL. Ay, ay, you writ them, Sir, at my request;
But I will none of them; they are for

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.

1 puppet-show.

VAL. If it please me, Madam? what then?
SIL. Why, if it please you, take it for your
And so, good-morrow, Servant.
SPEED. O jest unseen, inscrutable, invisible

labour:
[Exit SILVIA.

As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a fox steeple!

130

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!

VAL. How now, Sir! what are you reasoning with your-
self?

SPEED. Nay, I was rhyming: 'tis you that have the

reason.

VAL. To do what?

SPEED. To be a spokesman from Madam Silvia.

VAL. To whom?

SPEED. To yourself: why, she wooes you by a figure.

VAL. What figure?

SPEED. By a letter, I should say.

VAL. Why, she hath not writ to me?

140

SPEED. What need she, when she hath made you write

to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the jest?

VAL. No, believe me.

SPEED. No believing you, indeed, Sir.

perceive her earnest ?

But did you

150

VAL. She gave me none, except an angry word.

SPEED. Why, she hath given you a letter.

VAL. That's the letter I writ to her friend.

SPEED. And that letter hath she deliver'd, and there an end.

VAL. I would it were no worse.

SPEED. I'll warrant you, 'tis as well:

For often have you 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

Herself hath taught her love himself to write unto her

ACT II
Sc. I

lover.