Duke. Thou know'st, how willingly I would Upon this warrant shall you have access, Where you with Silvia may confer at large; effect The match between Sir Thurio and my daughter. For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy, Pro. I do, my lord. And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you; Duke. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant Where you may temper her, by your persuasion, How she opposes her against my will. To hate young Valentine, and love my friend. Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Pro. The best way is, to slander Valentine Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Especially against his very friend. Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect: poesy. Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty For Orpheus lute 'was strung with poets' sinews; Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. him, Your slander never can endamage him; Therefore the office is indifferent, Being entreated to it by your friend. After your dire lamenting elegies, Visit by night your lady's chamber-window Pro. You have prevailed, my lord: if I can do it, Will well become such sweet complaining grievance. By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, Thu. Therefore, as you unwind her love from Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this Because we know, on Valentine's report, And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. This, or else nothing, will inherit her. Duke. This discipline shews thou hast been in love. Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver, To sort some gentlemen well-skilled in music: Pro. We'll wait upon your grace till after supper. Duke. Even now about it; I will pardon you. [Exeunt. SCENE I.—A Forest, near Mantua. Enter certain Outlaws. ACT IV. 1st Out. Fellows, stand fast; I see a passenger. 2nd Out. If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em. Enter VALENTINE and SPEED. But yet I slew him manfully in fight, 1st Out. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done So: But were you banished for so small a fault? Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom. 1st Out. Have you the tongues? Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy; 3rd Out. Stand, sir, and throw us that you have Or else I often had been miserable, about you; If not, we'll make you sir, and rifle you. 3rd Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, Speed. Sir, we are undone! these are the vil- This fellow were a king for our wild faction. To make a virtue of necessity, And live, as we do, in this wilderness? 3rd Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consórt? Say, ay, and be the captain of us all : 1st Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. 2nd Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offered. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided that you do no outrages On silly women, or poor passengers. 3rd Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring the to our crews, And shew thee all the treasures we have got; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. [Exeunt. Thu Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here. Pro. Sir, but I do; or else I would be hence. Thu. Whom? Silvia? Pro. Ay, Silvia,- for your sake. Thu. I thank you for your own. Now, gentle men, Let's tune, and to it lustily awhile. Enter Host, at a distance; and JULIA, in boy's clothes. Host. Now, my young guest! methinks you're allycholly: I pray you, why is it? Jul. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry Host. Come, we'll have you merry; I'll bring you where you shall hear music, and see the gentleman that you asked for. Jul. But shall I hear him speak? Host. Ay, that you shall. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, I have access my own love to prefer; She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; grows, dow, And give some evening music to her ear. Enter THURIO and Musicians. Thu. How now, Sir Proteus? are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for you know that love Will creep in service where it cannot go. Host. Ay; but peace, let's hear 'em. SONG. Who is Silvia? what is she, That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise is she, The heavens such grace did lend her, That she might admired be. Is she kind, as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness: Love doth to her eyes repair, To help him of his blindness; And, being helped, inhabits there. Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling; She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling: To her let us garlands bring. Host. How now? are you sadder than you were before? How do you, man? the music likes you not. Jul. You mistake; the musician likes me not. Host. Why, my pretty youth? Jul. He plays false, father. Host. How? out of tune on the strings? Jul. Not so; but yet so false that he grieves my For me, - by this pale queen of night I swear, very heart-strings. I am so far from granting thy request, That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit; Host. You have a quick ear. Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have And by and by intend to chide myself, a slow heart. Host. I perceive you delight not in music. Host. Hark, what fine change is in the music! Host. You would have them always play but one thing? Sil. Say that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, Jul. I would always have one play but one I am betrothed: And art thou not ashamed Host. Gone to seek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a present to his lady. Jul. Peace! stand aside! the company parts. Pro. At Saint Gregory's well. Thu. Farewell. To wrong him with thy importúnacy? 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 her's thence; Or, at the least, in her's sepulchre thine. [Aside. Jul. He heard not that. [Exeunt THURIO and Musicians. And to your shadow I will make true love. SILVIA appears above, at her window. Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship. Sil. I thank you for your music, gentlemen; Who is that, that spake? But, since your falsehood shall become you well Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's Send to me in the morning, and I'll send it: truth, You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice. Sil. Sir Proteus, as I take it. Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant. Pro. That I may compass yours. Sil. You have your wish; my will is even this, Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself. Sil. O, Eglamour, thou art a gentleman! repose. To Mantua, where I hear he makes abode; Laun. 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—ev 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, 't is a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies! I would have, as one would 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 gentlemenlike 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 Which heaven and fortune still reward with plagues. him up," says the Duke. I, having been ac I do desire thee, even from a heart As full of sorrows as the sea of sands, Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; quainted 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; "'t was 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 their servant? Nay, I'll be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for puddings he 1 |