Speed. What then?

Lann. Why then will I tell thee, that thy Mafter ftays for thee at the North-Gate.

Speed. For me?

Laun. For thee? ay; who art thou? He hath ftaid for a better Man than thee,

Speed. And moft I go to him?

Lann. Thou must run to him; for thou haft ftaid fo long that going will scarce ferve the turn.

Speed. Why didft not tell me fooner? Pox on your LoveLetters.

Laun. Now will he be fwing'd for reading my Letter: An unmannerly Slave, that will thruft himself into Secrets. I'll after, to rejoyce in the Boy's Correction. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter Duke and Thurio.

Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that he will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her Sight.

Thu. Since his Exile the hath defpis'd me moft, Forfworn my Company, and rail'd at me,

That I am defperate of obtaining her.

Duke. This weak Imprefs of Love, is as a Figure
Trenched in Ice, which with an Hour's Heat
Diffolves to Water, and doth lofe his Form.
A little time will melt her frozen Thoughts,
And worthlefs Valentine fhall be forgot.

Enter Protheus.

How now, Sir Prothens, is your Countryman,
According to our Proclamation, gone?
Pro. Gone, my good Lord.

Duke. My Daughter takes his going heavily.
Pro. A little time, my Lord, will kill that Grief.
Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not sc.
Prothens, the good Conceit I hold of thee,
For thou haft fhown fome fign of good Defert,
Makes me the better to confer with thee.

Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your Grace,
Let me not live to look upon your Grace.

Duke. Thou know'ft how willingly I would effect

H 3

The

The Match between Sir Thurio and my Daughter.
Pro. I do, my Lord.

Duke. And alfo I do think thou art not ignorant How the opposes her againft my Will.

Pro. She did, my Lord, when Valentine was here.
Duke. Ay, and perverfely fhe perfeveres fo.
What might we do to make the Girl forget
The Love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio?
Pro. The best way is to flander Valentine
With Falfhood, Cowardife, and poor Descent:
Three things that Women highly hold in Hate.
Duke. Ay, but he'll think that it is spoken in Hate.
Pro. Ay, if his Enemy deliver it:

Therefore it muft with Circumftance be spoken
By one whom the esteems as his Friend.

Duke. Then you must undertake to flander him. Pro. And that, my Lord, I fhall be loth to do; 'Tis an ill Office for a Gentleman,

Efpecially against his very Friend.

Duke. Where your good Word cannot advantage him, Your Slander never can endamage him;

Therefore the Office is indifferent,

Being intreated to it by your Friend.

Pro. You have prevail'd, my Lord: If I can do it,
By ought that I can fpeak in his Difpraise,
She fhall not long continue Love to him.
But fay this wean her Love from Valentine,
It follows not that he will love Sir Thurio.

Thu. Therefore as you unwind her Love from him,
Left it should ravel, and be good to none,
You must provide to bottom it on me :

Which must be done, by praifing me as much

As you in Worth difpraife Sir Valentine.

Duke. And, Protheus, we dare truft you in this kind, Because we know, on Valentine's Report,

You are already Love's firm Votary,

And cannot foon revolt and change your Mind.
Upon this Warrant fhall you have Accefs,
Where you with Silvia may confer at large:
For fhe is lumpith, heavy, melancholy,
And, for your Friend's fake, will be glad of you;

Where

Where you may temper her, by your Perfuafion,
To hate young Valentine, and love my Friend.
Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect.
But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough;
You muft lay Lime, to tangle her Defires
By wailful Sonnets, whofe compofed Rhimes
Should be full fraught with ferviceable Vows.
Duke. Ay, much is the Force of Heav'n-bred Poefie.
Pro. Say, that upon the Altar of her Beauty
You facrifice your Tears, your Sighs, your Heart:
Write 'till your Ink be dry, and with your Tears
Moift it again, and frame fome feeling Line
That may difcover fuch Integrity:

For Orphens Lute was ftrung with Poets Sinews,
Whole golden Touch could foften Steel and Stones,
Make Tygers tame, and huge Leviathans
Forfake unfounded Deeps, and dance on Sands.
After your dire-lamenting Elegies,

Vifit by Night your Lady's Chamber-Window
With fome (weet Confort: To their Inftruments
Tune a deploring Dump; the Night's dead Silence
Will well become fome fweet complaining Grievance.
This, or elfe nothing, will inherit her.

Duke. This Difcipline fhews thou haft been in Love.
Thu. And thy Advice this Night I'll put in practice;
Therefore fweet Protheus, my Direction-giver,
Let us into the City prefently

To fort fome Gentlemen, well skill'd in Mufick;
I have a Sonnet that will serve the turn

To give the Onfet to thy good Advice.

Duke. About it Gentlemen.

Pro. We'll wait upon your Grace 'till after Supper,

And afterwards determine our Proceedings.

Duke. Even now about it. I will pardon you. [Exeunt.

2 Out.

ACT IV. SCENE Í.

SCENE

a Foreft.

Enter certain Out-laws

Ellows, ftand faft: I fee a Paffenger.
If there be ten, fhrink not, but down with 'em.
Enter Valentine and Speed.

3 Out. Stand, Sir, and throw us that you have about ye: If not, we'll make you, Sir, and rifle you.

Speed. Sir, we are undone; these are the Villains That all the Travellers do fear fo much.

Val. My Friends.

I Out. That's not fo, Sir; we are your Enemies
2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him,

3 Out. Ay by my Beard will we; for he is a proper Məni Val. Then know that I have little to lofe:

A Man I am, crofs'd with Adversity;

My Riches are these

poor Habiliments Of which, if you should here disfurnish me, You take the Sum and Substance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you?

Val. To Verona.

i Out. Whence came you?

Val. From Millan.

3 Out. Have you long fojourn'd there!

Val. Some fixteen Months, and longer might have ftaid. If crooked Fortune had not thwarted me.

I Out. What, were you banish'd thence?

Val. I was.

2 Out. For what Offence?

Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse Į kill'd a Man, whofe Death I much repent;

But

yet I flew him manfully in Fight,

Without falfe Vantage, or bafe Treachery.

1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done fo.
But were you banish'd for fo fmall a Fault?
Val. I was, and held me glad of fuch a Doom.
I Out. Have you the Tongues?

Val. My youthful Travel therein made me happy,
Or else I often had been miferable.

3 Out. By the bare Scalp of Robin Hood's fat Friar,
This Fellow were a King for our wild Faction.
1 Out. We'll have him. Sirs a Word.
Speed. Mafter, be one of them:

It's an honourable Kind of Thievery.
Val. Peace, Villain.

2 Out. Tell us this; have you any thing to take to?
Val. Nothing but my Fortune.

3 Out. Know then, that fome of us are Gentlemen,
Such as the Fury of ungovern'd Youth
Thrust from the Company of awful Men:
My felf was from Verona banished,

For practifing to fteal away a Lady,

An Heir, and Neice, ally'd unto the Duke.

2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a Gentleman, Who, in my Mood, I ftabb'd unto the Heart.

1 Out. And I for fuch like petty Crimes as thefe.
But to the Purpofe; for we cite our Faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless Lives;
And partly feeing you are beautify'd

With goodly Shape, and, by your own Report,
A Linguist, and a Man of fuch Perfection
As we do in our Quality much want.

2 Out. Indeed because you are a banifh'd Man,
Therefore, above the reft, we parley to you;
Are you content to be cur General?

To make a Virtue of Neceffity,

And live as we do in the Wildernofs?

3 Out. What fay't thou? wilt thou be of our Confort? Say, Ay, and be the Captain of us all :

We'll do thee Homage, and be rul'd by thee,

Love thee as our Commander and our King.

Out. But if thou fcorn our Courtefie, thou dy't.

2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd,

Val. I take your Offer, and will live with you, Provided that you do no Outrages

On filly Women, or poor Paffengers.

3 Out. No, we deteft fuch vile bafe Practifes. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our Crews, And thew thee all the Treasure we have got;

Which, with our felves, all reft at thy Difpofe. [Exeunt.

SCENE