Egl. I will not fail:

Good-morrow, gentle lady.

Sil. Good-morrow, kind fir Eglamour.

Laun.

WH

SCENE VI.

Enter Launce, with his dog.

[Exeunt.

THEN a man's fervant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy, one that I fav'd from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and fifters went to it! I have taught him, even as one would say precisely, thus I would teach a dog. I went to deliver him as a present to mistress Silvia, from my master; and I came no fooner 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 hang'd for't; fure as I live, he had fuffer'd for't; you fhall judge. He thrufts me himself into the company of three or four gentleman-like dogs, under the duke's table; he had not been there (bless the mark!) a piffing while, but all the chamber smelt him. Out with the dog, fays one; what cur is that? fays another; whip him out, fays a third; hang him up, fays the duke. I, having been acquainted with the fmell 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 no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How many mafters would do this for their servant? nay, I'll be fworn I have fat in the ftocks for puddings he hath stol'n, otherwise he had been executed; I have stood on the pillory for geefe he hath kill'd, otherwife he had fuffer'd for't.. Thou think'st not of this now. Nay, I remember the trick you

ferv'd

me

me when I took my leave of madam Silvia; did not I bid thee ftill mark me, and do as I do? when didft thou see me heave up my leg, and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? didft thou ever see me do fuch a trick?

Pro. Sebaftian is thy name? I like thee well,
And will employ thee in fome fervice presently.
Jul. In what you please: I'll do, fir, what I can.

Pro. I hope, thou wilt. -How now, you whorefon peasant,

Where have you been these two days loitering?

Laun. Marry, fir, I carry'd mistress Silvia the dog you
Pro. And what fays fhe to my little jewel?

bad me.

Laun. Marry, the fays, your dog was a cur, and tells you, currish thanks is good enough for fuch a prefent.

Pro. But the receiv'd my dog?

Laun. No, indeed, fhe did not: here have I brought him back again.

Pro. What, did'ft thou offer her this from me?

Laun. Ay, fir; the other, Squirrel, was ftol'n from me by the hangman's boy in the market-place; and then I offer'd 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 fight:

Away, I fay; ftay'st thou to vex me here?

A flave, that ev'ry day turns me to shame.
Sebaftian, I have entertained thee,

Partly, that I have need of fuch a youth,
That can with some discretion do my business;
(For 'tis no trufting to yon foolish lout :)
But, chiefly, for thy face, and thy behaviour,
Which, if my augury deceive me not,

Witnefs good bringing up, fortune, and truth:

[Exit Laun.

Therefore

Therefore, know thou, for this I entertain thee.

Go presently, and take this ring with thee;

Deliver it to madam Silvia.

She lov'd me well, deliver'd it to me.

Jul. It seems, you lov'd not her, to leave her token: She's dead, belike.

Pro. Not fo: I think, fhe lives.

Ful. Alas!

Pro. Why do'ft thou cry, alas?
Jul. I cannot choose

But pity her.

As

Pro. Why fhouldst thou pity her?

Jul. Because, methinks, if the loves you as well you do love your lady Silvia;

She dreams on him that has forgot her love;

You dote on her that cares not for your love: 'Tis pity love fhould be fo contrary;

And thinking on it makes me cry, alas!

Pro. Well, give her that ring, and give therewithal This letter; that's her chamber: tell my lady,

I claim the promise for her heav'nly picture.

Your meffage done, hie home unto my chamber,
Where thou shalt find me fad and folitary.

SCENE VIII.

Jul. How many women would do fuch a message?
Alas, poor Protheus! thou haft entertain'd

A fox to be the fhepherd of thy lambs:
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him
That with his very heart defpiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth me;
Because I love him, I must pity him.

This ring I gave him when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will.
And now I am, unhappy meffenger,

[Exit Pro.

To

To plead for that which I would not obtain;
To carry that which I would have refus'd;

To praise his faith, which I would have disprais'd.
I am my master's true confirmed love,

But cannot be true fervant to my master,

Unless I prove false traitor to myself.

Yet will I woo for him; but yet fo coldly,

As, heav'n it knows, I would not have him speed.
Enter Silvia.

Lady, good day! I pray you, be my mean
To bring me where to speak with madam Silvia.
Sil. What would you with her, if that I be she?
Jul. If you be fhe, I do entreat your patience
To hear me speak the message I am sent on.
Sil. From whom?

Jul. From my mafter fir Protheus, madam.
Sil. O, he fends you for a picture ?
ful. Ay, madam.

Sil. Urfula, bring my picture there.

Go, give your mafter this; tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber than this fhadow.

Jul. Madam, may't please you to peruse this letter.
Pardon me, madam, I have, unadvis'd,

Deliver'd you a paper that I should not;

This is the letter to your ladyfhip.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be; good madam, pardon me.
Sil. There, hold;

I will not look upon your master's lines;

I know they're stuff'd with protestations,

And full of new-found oaths, which he will break

As eafily as I do tear his paper.

Jul. Madam, he fends your ladyship this ring.
Sil. The more fhame for him that he fends it me;

VOL. I.

C c

For

For I have heard him fay a thousand times,
His Julia gave it him at his departure:
Though his false finger have prophan'd the ring,
Mine fhall not do his Julia fo much wrong.
ful. She thanks you.

Sil. What fay'ft thou?

ful. I thank you, madam, that you tender her; Poor gentlewoman! my mafter wrongs her much. Sil. Doft thou know her?

Jul: Almoft as well as I do know myself. To think upon her woes, I do protest,

That I have wept an hundred several times.

Sil. Belike, fhe thinks that Protheus hath forfook her.
Jul. I think, fhe doth; and that's her cause of forrow.
Sil. Is fhe not passing fair ?

Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is:
When she did think my master lov'd her well,
She, in my judgment, was as fair as you.
But fince the did neglect her looking-glass,
And threw her fun-expelling mask away,
The air hath ftarv'd the roses in her cheeks,
And pinch'd the lilly-tincture of her face,
That now fhe is become as black as I.

Sil. How tall was fhe?

ful. About my ftature: for, at Pentecoft,
When all our pageants of delight were play'd,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trim'd in madam Julia's gown,
Which ferved me as fit, by all mens judgments,
As if the garment had been made for me;
Therefore I know she is about my height.
And, at that time, I made her weep agood,
For I did play a lamentable part.
Madam, 'twas Ariadne, paffioning
For Thefeus' perjury, and unjuft flight;
Which I fo lively acted with my tears,

That