Orl. And did you

Entreat the number of them that are come,
• With no such hope or purpose?'
Ami. Tush! your own

Experience of my heart can answer you.
Orl. This doubtful makes me clearly un-
Your disposition.
[derstand

Ami. If your cause be just,

I wish you a conclusion like your cause.
Orl. I can have any common charity
To such a prayer: from a friend I would
Expect a love to prosper in, without
Exceptions; such a love as might make all
My undertakings thankful to't: precisely just
Is seldom faithful in our wishes to
Another man's desires. Farewell!

[Exit.

Enter Montague, Dubois, Longueville, and

Veramour.

Dubois. Here comes your adversary's brother-in-law.

Long. The lord of Amiens.

Dubois. From the hall, I think?

Ami. I did so. Save your lordship!
Mont. That's a wish,

My lord, as courteous to my present state,
As ever honest mind was thankful for;
For now my safety must expose itself
To question: yet to look for any free
Or hearty salutation, sir, from you,
Would be unreasonable in me.
Ami. Why?

Mont. Your sister is my adversary's wife; That nearness needs must consequently draw Your inclination to him.

Ami. I will grant

Him all the nearness his alliance claims; And yet be nothing less impartial,

My lord of Montague.

Mont. Lord of Montague yet; But, sir, how long the dignity or state Belonging to it will continue, stands Upon the dangerous passage of this hour;

To both your persons my respect shall still Be equal; but the righteous cause is that Which bears my wishes to the side it holds: Where-ever, may it prosper! [Exit.

Mont. Then my thanks+ Are proper to you: if a man may raise A confidence upon a lawful ground, I have no reason to be once perplex'd With any doubtful motion. Longueville, That lord of Amiens (didst observe him?) has A worthy nature in him. Long. Either 'tis

His nature, or his cunning.

Mont. That's the vizard

Of most men's actions, whose dissembled lives
Do carry only the similitude

Of goodness on 'em; but for him,
Honest behaviour makes a true report
What disposition does inhabit him,
Essential virtue.

Long. Then 'tis pity that

Injurious Orleans is his brother.

Dubois. He's but his brother-in-law.
Long. Law? that's as bad.

[wish

Dubois. How is your law as bad? I rather

The hangman thy executor, than that
Equivocation should be ominous.

Enter Two Lawyers, and Two Creditors.
Long. Some of your lawyers!

1 Law. What is ominous?

2 Law. Let no distrust trouble your lordship's thought!

[land

1 Law. The evidences of your question'd Ha'not so much as any literal Advantage in 'em to be made against Your title.

2 Law. And your counsel understands The business fully.

1 Law. They are industrious, just-
2 Law. And very confident.
1 Law. Your state endures

A voluntary trial; like a man
Whose honours are maliciously accus'd.

2 Law. The accusation serves to clear his

cause

1 Law. And to approve his truth more. 2 Law. So shall all

Your adversary's pleadings strengthen your Possession.

1 Law. And be set upon record,

Το

Dubois. A creditor.

Long. I thought so; for he speaks

As if he were a partner in his state.

Mont. Sir, I am largely indebted to your loves

Long. More to their purses.

Mont. Which you shall not lose. 1 Cred. Your lordship

Dubois. That's another Creditor. 1 Cred. Has interest in me. Long. You have more of him.

1 Cred. And I have had so many promises From these and all your learned counsellors, How certainly your cause will prosper, that— Long. You brought no serjeants with youDubois. To attend

Not this a satisfaction to engage
Myself for this assurance, if he-

Mont. No, sir; my ruin never shall import
Another's loss, if not by accident,
And that iny purpose is not guilty of:
You are engag'd in nothing but your care.
[Exeunt Law.
Attend the procurator to the court;
Observe how things incline, and bring me word!
Long. I dare not, sir; if I be taken there,
Mine ears will be in danger.

Mont. Why? hast thou Committed something that deserves thine ears? [will be Long. No, but I fear the noise! my hearing Perish'd by th' noise; it is as good to want A member, as to lose the use

Mont. The ornament is excepted.
Long. Well, my lord,

I'll put 'em to the hazard.

1 Cred. Your desires

Be prosperous to you!

2 Cred. Our best prayers wait Upon your fortune.

[Exit.

[Exeunt Creditors. Dubois. For yourselves, not him. Mont. Thou canst not blame 'em ; I am in their debts. [whereof

Ver. But had your large expence (a part You owe 'em) for unprofitable silks And laces, been bestow'd among the poor, That would have pray'd the right way, for you, Not upon you-

Mont. For unprofitable silks

And laces? Now, believe me, honest boy,
Th' hast hit upon a reprehension that
Belongs unto me.

Ver. By my soul, my lord,

I had not so unmannerly a thought,
To reprehend you!

[words:

Mont. Why, I love thee for't;
Mine own acknowledgment confirms thy
For once, I do remember, coming from
The mercer's, where my purse had spent itself
On those unprofitable toys thou speak'st of,
A man half naked with his poverty
Did meet me, and requested my relief:
I wanted whence to give it; yet his eyes
Spoke for him; those I could have satisfied
With some unfruitful sorrow (if my tears
Would not have added rather to his grief,
Than eas'd it), but the true compassion that
I should have given I had not: this began
To make me think how many such men's wants
The vain superfluous cost wore upon
My outside would have cloath'd, and left my-
self

A habit as becoming. To encrease
This new consideration, there came one
Clad in a garment plain and thrifty, yet
As decent as these fair dear follies, made
As if it were of purpose to despise
The vanity of show; his purse had still
The power to do a charitable deed,
And did it.

Dubois. Yet your inclination, sir,
Deserv'd no less to be commended than
His action.

Mont. Prithee, do not flatter me! He that intends well, yet deprives himself Of means to put his good thoughts into deed, Deceives his purpose of the due reward That goodness merits. Oh, antiquity, Thy great examples of nobility Are out of imitation; or at least So lamely follow'd, that thou art as much Before this age in virtue, as in time!

Dubois. Sir, it must needs be lamely fol-
low'd, when

The chiefest men who love to follow it
Are for the most part cripples.

Mont. Who are they?

Dubois. Soldiers, my lord, soldiers.

Mont.

Thou bring'st a chearful promise in thy face;
There stands no pale report upon thy check,
To give me fear or knowledge of my loss;
'Tis red and lively. How proceeds my suit?
Long. That's, with leave, sir,

A labour, that to those of Hercules
May add another; or, at least, be call'd
An imitation of his burning shirt:
For 'twas a pain of that unmerciful
Perplexity, to shoulder thro' the throng
Of people that attended your success.
My sweaty linen fix'd upon my skin,
Still as they pull'd me took that with it; 'twas
A fear I should have left my flesh among 'em:
Yet I was patient, for methought, the toil
Might be an emblem of the difficult
And weary passage to get out of law.
And to make up the dear similitude,
When I was forth seeking my handkerchief
To wipe my sweat off, I did find a cause

To make me sweat more; for my purse was
Among their fingers.

Dubois. There 'twas rather found.
Long. By them.

Dubois. I mean so.

Mont. Well, I will restore

[lost

Thy damage to thee. How proceeds my suit?
Long. Like one at broker's; I think, for-
Your promising counsel at the first [feited.
Put strongly forward with a labour'd speed,
And such a violence of pleading, that
His fee in sugar-candy scarce will make
His throat a satisfaction for the hurt
He did it; and he carried the whole cause
Before him, with so clear a pallage, that
The people in the favour of your side [him
Cried Montague, Montague! in the spite of
That cried out silence, and began to laugh

Your adversary's advocate to scorn;
Who, like a cunning footman, set me forth
With such a temperate easy kind of course,
To put him into exercise of strength,
And follow'd his advantages so close,
That when your hot-mouth'd pleader thought
h'had won,

Before he reach'd it he was out of breath,
And then the other stript him.

Mont. So, ail's lost?

Long. But how I know not; for, methought, I stood

Confounded with the clamour of the court, Like one embark'd upon a storm at sea, Where the tempestuous noise of thunder, mix'd

With roaring of the billows, and the thick Imperfect language of the seamen, takes His understanding and his safety both Together from him.

Mont. Thou dost bring ill news!

Long. Of what I was unwilling to have The first reporter.

Mont. Didst observe no more?
Long. At least no better.

Mont. Then thou'rt not inform'd

[been

[cause,

So well as I am: I can tell thee that
Will please thee; for when all else left my
My very adversaries took my part.
Long. Whosoever told you that,
Abus'd you.

Mont. Credit me, he took my part
When all forsook inc.

Long. Took it from you?
Mont. Yes:

I mean so: and I think he had just cause
To take it, when the verdict gave it him.

Dubois. His spirit would ha' sunk him, ere he could

Have carried an ill fortune of this weight
So lightly.

Mont. Nothing is a misery,

Unless our weakness apprehend it so;
We cannot be more faithful to ourselves
In any thing that's manly, than to make
Ill fortune as contemptible to us

As it makes us to others.

Enter Lawyers.

Long. Here come they,

Whose very countenances will tell you how Contemptible it is to others.

Mont. Sir!

[him,

Long. The Sir of knighthood may be given Ere they hear you now.

Mont. Good sir, but a word!

[any man

Dubois. How soon the loss of wealth inakes

Grow out of knowledge!

Long. Let me sec: I pray, sir,

Never stood you upon the pillory?

1 Law. The pillory?

Long. Oh, now I know you did not; You've ears, I thought ye had lost 'em: pray

observe;

[eyes!

Here's one that once was gracious in your

1 Cred. Have an eye upon him! if We lose him now, he's gone for ever: stay, And dog him! I'll go fetch the officers. Long. Dog him, you blood-hound? by this point, thou shalt

More safely dog an angry lion, than
Attempt him.

Mont. What's the matter?
Long. Do but stir

To fetch a serjeant, and, besides your loss
Of labour, I will have you beaten till
Those casements in your faces be false lights!
Dubois. Falser than those you sell by!
Mont. Who gave you

Commission to abuse my friends thus?
Long. Sir,

Are those your friends that would betray you?
Mont. 'Tis

To save themselves, rather than betray me.

1 Cred. Your lordship makes a just construction of it.

2 Cred. All our desire is but to get our own. Long. Your wives' desires and yours do differ then.

A man may make himself a privilege
To ask a question at the prison-gates,
Without your good permission.

2 Cred. By your leave! [the time
Mont. Stay, sir! what one example, since
That first you put your hat off to me, have
You noted in me, to encourage you
To this presumption? By the justice now
Of thine own rule, I should begin with thee;
I should turn thee away ungratified
For all thy former kindnesses, forget
Thou ever didst me any service.-'Tis not
fear

Of being arrested, makes me thus incline
To satisfy you; for you see by him,
I lost not all defences with my state:
The curses of a man, to whom I am
Beholding, terrify me more than all
The violence he can pursue me with.-
Dubois, I did prepare me for the worst;
These two small cabinets do comprehend
The sum of all the wealth that it hath pleas'd
Adversity to leave me; one as rich

As th' other, both in jewels: take thou this,
And as the order put within it shall
Direct thee, distribute it half between
Those creditors, and th' other half among
My servants;-for, sir, they're my creditors
As well as you are; they have trusted ine
With their advancement. If the value fail
To please you all, my first encrease of means
Shall offer you a fuller payment. Be content
To leave me something; and imagine that
Ye put a new beginner into credit.

sense.

6 If you will reverse.] Seward reads, reserve.

scene 1.

R. VOL. III.