To-morrow be in readiness to go:
Excuse it not, for I am peremptory.

PRO. My Lord, I cannot be so soon provided:0

Please you, deliberate a day or two.

ANT. Look what thou want'st shall be sent after thee:2
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!
20site. 30.500.0
to
Mes of
#sby, sani Re-enter PANTHION.

SPEED. Sir, your glove.
VAL.

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. [exeunt.

Enter VALENTINE and SPEED.

ACT II

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

Ah, Silvia, Silvia !

SPEED. Madam Silvia, Madam Silvia!
VAL. How now, sirrah!

80

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!

90

ACT I
Sc. III

ACT II
Sc. I

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.

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?

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 ABC; 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-
mas. 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?

30

SPEED. They are all perceiv'd without ye.
VAL. Without me? They cannot.

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.

ΙΟ

know'st her not?

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

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

SPEED. Why, Sir, I know her not.

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

40

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.

49

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,

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?

I: 0

you

SPEED. Because Love is blind. O, that
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

60

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?

93

ACT II

Sc. I

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! 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 [aside.

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-

91

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 you:
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.

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:

100

120

DAL

mat

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

met

As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a too steeple !om sved al

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!

HOKE

VAL. How now, Sir! what are you reasoning with yourself?

SPEED. Nay, I was rhyming: 'tis you that have the 1711 IT I

reason.

VAL. To do what?son War de for

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?

SPEED. What need she, when she hath made you write to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the jest?

VAL. No, believe me.loc

SPEED. No believing you, indeed, Sir.
perceive her earnest?

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,sge Jaars

VAL. I would it were no worse.

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

140

But did you

150

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
w discover, h

Ito

Herself hath taught her love himself to write unto her lover.

ACT II
Sc. I