ACT III. SCENE I. Milan. An Ante-room in the DUKE's I nightly lodge her in an upper tower, Palace. Enter DUKE, THURIO, and PROTEUS. Duke. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have some secrets to confer about. [Exit THURIO. Now tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me? Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would dis cover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal : Which else no worldly good should draw from me. Duke. Proteus, I thank thee for thine honest care; Which to requite, command me while I live. The key whereof myself have ever kept; Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devised a mean How he her chamber-window will ascend, Enter VALENTINE. Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Val. Please it your grace, there is a messenger That stays to bear my letters to my friends, And I am going to deliver them. Duke. Be they of much import? Val. The tenor of them doth but signify I am to break with thee of some affairs, match Were rich and honorable; besides, the gentleman Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty; For me and my possessions she esteems not. Duke. Ay, but the doors be locked, and keys That no man hath recourse to her by night. Duke. Her chamber is aloft, far from the And built so shelving, that one cannot climb it Val. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made of Val. What would your grace have me to do in To cast up with a pair of anchoring hooks, this? Duke. There is a lady, sir, in Milan, here, Val. Win her with gifts, if she respect not Dumb jewels often, in their silent kind, her. Val. A woman sometimes scorns what best con tents her: Send her another; never give her o'er; For scorn at first makes after-love the more. For, Would serve to scale another Hero's tower, Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Val. When would you use it? pray, sir, tell me that. Duke. This very night; for love is like a child, That longs for every thing that he can come by. Val. By seven o'clock I'll get you such a lad der. Duke. But, hark thee; I will go to her alone; How shall I best convey the ladder thither? Val. It will be light, my lord, that you may bear it Under a cloak that is of any length. Duke. A cloak as long as thine will serve the turn. Val. Ay, my good lord. Duke. Then let me see thy cloak: I'll get me one of such another length. Val. Why, any cloak will serve the turn, my lord. Duke. How shall I fashion me to wear a cloak? I pray thee, let me feel thy cloak upon me.— "Get you gone," she doth not mean What letter is this same ? What's here?-"To "Away: " Flatter and praise, commend, extol their graces; Duke. But she I mean is promised by her Unto a youthful gentleman of worth ; Val. Why then I would resort to her by night. Silvia?" And here an engine fit for my proceeding! And slaves they are to me, that send them flying: Because myself do want my servants' fortune: I curse myself, for they are sent by me, That they should harbor where their lord should be:" What's here? "Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee: " 'Tis so; and here's the ladder for the purpose.— Thank me for this, more than for all the favors, Will give thee time to leave our royal court, But as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence. Val. And why not death, rather than living tor- To die, is to be banished from myself; Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE. Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. Pro. What seest thou? Laun. Him we go to find: there's not a hair on's head, but 't is a Valentine. Pro. Valentine? Val. No. Pro. Who then, his spirit? Pro. What then? Val. Nothing. Laun. Can nothing speak? Master, shall I Pro. Whom wouldst thou strike? Pro. Villain, forbear. Laun. Why, sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you Pro. Sirrah, I say, forbear: - Friend Valentine, a word. Val. My ears are stopped, and cannot hear good news, So much of bad already hath possessed them. Val. Is Silvia dead? Pro. No, Valentine. Val. No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia !— Hath she forsworn me? Pro. No, Valentine. Val. No Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn me! What is your news? Laun. Sir, there's a proclamation that you are vanished. Pro. That thou art banished. O, that is the news; Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offered to the doom, As if but now they waxéd pale for woe: And study help for that which thou lament'st. Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my Bid him make haste, and meet me at the north gate. Pro. Go, sirrah, find him out.- Come, Valentine. Val. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine! [Exeunt VALENTINE and PROTEUS. Laun. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think my master is a kind of a knave: but that's all one, if he be but one knave. He lives not now, that knows me to be in love; yet I am in love; but a team of horse shall not pluck that from me; nor who 't is I love, and yet 't is a woman: but that woman, I will not tell myself; and yet 't is a milkmaid; yet 't is not a maid, for she hath had gossips: yet 't is a maid, for she is her master's maid, and serves for wages. She hath more qualities than a water-spaniel, — which is much in a bare-christian. Here is the cat-log [pulling out a paper] of her conditions. Imprimis, Speed. Thou liest, I can. Laun. I will try thee: Tell me this: Who begot thee? Speed. Marry, the son of my grandfather. Laun. O illiterate loiterer! it was the son of thy grandmother: this proves that thou canst not read. Speed. Come, fool, come: try me in thy paper. Speed. Item, She brews good ale. Laun. And thereof comes the proverb,— "Blessing of your heart, you brew good ale." Speed. Item, She can sew. Laun. That's as much as to say, Can she so? Speed. Item, She can knit. Laun. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, when she can knit him a stock? Speed. Item, She can wash and scour. Laun. A special virtue; for then she need not be washed and scoured. Speed. Item, She can spin. Laun. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. Speed. Item, She hath many nameless virtues. Laun. That's as much as to say, bastard virtues; that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names. Speed. Here follow her vices. Laun. Close at the heels of her virtues. Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gra- cious. Speed. Item, She is not to be kissed fasting, in as nothing is impossible, respect of her breath. Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: Read on. Speed. Item, She hath a sweet mouth. Laun. That makes amends for her sour breath. Speed. Item, She is slow in words. Laun. O villain, that set this down among her vices! To be slow in words, is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with 't; and place it for her chief virtue. Speed. Item, She is proud. Speed. What then? Laun. Why, then I will tell thee, that thy master stays for thee at the north gate. Speed. For me? Laun. For thee? ay; who art thou? he hath stayed for a better man than thee. Speed. And I must go to him? Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast stayed so long that going will scarce serve the turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? 'pox of your love-letters! [Exit. Laun. Now will he be swinged for reading my letter: an unmannerly slave, that will thrust him Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, self into secrets!-I'll after, to rejoice in the and cannot be ta'en from her. Speed. Item, She hath no teeth. Laun. I care not for that, neither, because I love crusts. Speed. Item, She is curst. Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to bite. Speed. She will often praise her liquor. : Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall if she will not, I will; for good things should be praised. Speed. Item, She is too liberal. Laun. Of her tongue she cannot; for that's writ down she is slow of: of her purse she shall not; for that I'll keep shut: now of another thing she may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed. Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults. Laun. Stop there; I'll have her; she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article: Rehearse that once more. Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit, Laun. More hair than wit,- it may be; I'll prove it: The cover of the salt hides the salt, and therefore it is more than the salt; the hair that covers the wit, is more than the wit; for the greater hides the less. What's next? Speed. And more faults than hair. boy's correction. [Exit. SCENE II.The same. A Room in the DUKE'S Palace. Enter DUKE and THURIO; PROTEUS behind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banished from her sight. Thu. Since his exile she hath despised me most. Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Laun. That's monstrous: O, that that were Makes me the better to confer with thee. out! Speed. And more wealth than faults. Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace, Let me not look upon your grace. |