THU. My jerkin is a doublet.

VAL. Well, then, I'll double your folly.

THU. HOW?

SIL. What, angry, fir Thurio? do you change colour?

VAL. Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of cameleon. THU. That hath more mind to feed on your blood, than live in your air.

VAL. You have said, fir.

THU. Ay, fir, and done too, for this time.

VAL. I know it well, fir; you always end ere you begin. SIL. A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly fhot off.

VAL. 'Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver.

SIL. Who is that, fervant?

VAL. Yourself, fweet lady; for you gave the fire: fir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyfhip's looks, and spends what he borrows, kindly in your company.

THU. Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt.

VAL. I know it well, fir: you have an exchequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers; for it appears by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words.

[father. SIL. No more, gentlemen, no more; here comes my

Enter DUKE.

DUKE. Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset. Sir Valentine, your father's in good health :

What say you to a letter from

Of much good news?

To

your friends

VAL. My lord, I will be thankful

any happy meffenger from thence.

DUKE. Know you Don Antonio, your countryman ?

VAL. Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman

To be of worth, and worthy eftimation,
And not without defert fo well reputed.
DUKE. Hath he not a fon?

VAL. Ay, my good lord; a fon, that well deferves
The honour and regard of fuch a father.

DUKE. You know him well?

VAL. I knew him, as myfelf; for from our infancy We have convers'd, and spent our hours together: And though myself have been an idle truant, Omitting the fweet benefit of time,

To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection;
Yet hath fir Proteous, for that's his name,
Made use and fair advantage of his days;
His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe;
And, in a word, (for far behind his worth.
Come all the praises that I now bestow,)
He is complete in feature, and in mind,
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.
DUKE. Befhrew me, fir, but, if he make this good,
He is as worthy for an emprefs' love,

As meet to be an emperor's counsellor.
Well, fir; this gentleman is come to me,
With commendation from great potentates;
And here he means to spend his time a-while :

I think, 'tis no unwelcome news to you.

VAL. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he. · DUKE. Welcome him then according to his worth ; Silvia, I fpeak to you; and you, fir Thurio:

For Valentine, I need not 'cite him to it:

I'll fend him hither to you prefently.

[Exit. DUKE.

VAL. This is the gentleman, I told your ladyship, Had come along with me, but that his mistress

Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks.

SIL. Belike, that now fhe hath enfranchis'd them Upon fome other pawn for fealty.

VAL. Nay, fure, I think, she holds them prisoners still, SIL. Nay, then he should be blind; and, being blind, How could he see his way to feek out you?

VAL. Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes.
THU. They say, that love hath not an eye at all.
VAL. To fee fuch lovers, Thurio, as yourself;

Upon a homely object love can wink.

Enter PROTEUs.

SIL. Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman. VAL. Welcome, dear Proteus!-Miftrefs, I befeech you, Confirm his welcome with some special favour.

SIL. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither,
If this be he you oft have wifh'd to hear from.
VAL. Mistress, it is; fweet lady, entertain him
To be my fellow-fervant to your ladyship.

SIL. Too low a mistress for fo high a fervant.
PRO. Not fo, fweet lady; but too mean a fervant
To have a look of fuch a worthy mistress.
VAL. Leave off difcourfe of difability:
Sweet lady, entertain him for your fervant.
PRO. My duty will I boast of, nothing else.
SIL. And duty never yet did want his meed :
Servant, you are welcome to a worthlefs mistress,
PRO. I'll die on him that says so, but yourself,
SIL. That you are welcome?

PRO, NO; that you are worthless.

Enter SERVANT.

SER. Madam, my lord your father would speak with you,

SIL. I'll wait upon his pleasure,

Come, Sir Thurio,

[Exit SERVANT,

Go with me:-Once more, new fervant, welcome :
I'll leave you to confer of home-affairs;
When you have done, we look to hear from
PRO. We'll both attend upon your ladyship.

you.

[Exeunt SILVIA, THURIO, and SPEED. VAL. Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came? PRO. Your friends are well, and have them much comVAL. And how do yours?

PRO. I left them all in health.

VAL. How does your lady? and how thrives

[mended.

your love?

PRO. My tales of love were wont to weary you;
I know, you joy not in a love-discourse.

VAL. Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter'd now:
I have done penance for contemning love;
Whose high imperious thoughts have punish'd me
With bitter fafts, with penitential groans,
With nightly tears, and daily heart-fore fighs;
For, in revenge of my contempt of love,

Love hath chac'd fleep from my enthralled eyes,
And made them watchers of mine own heart's forrow.

O, gentle Proteus, love's a mighty lord;

And hath fo humbled me, as, I confefs,

There is no woe to his correction,

Nor, to his fervice, no fuch joy on earth!

Now, no discourse, except it be of love;

Now can I break my faft, dine, fup, and fleep,
Upon the very naked name of love.

PRO. Enough; I read fortune in your eye:

your

Was this the idol that you worship fo?

VAL. Even she; and is the not a heavenly faint ?
PRO. No; but she is an earthly paragon.

VAL. Call her divine.

PRO. I will not flatter her.

VAL. O, flatter me; for love delights in praises. PRO. When I was fick, you gave me bitter pills; And I must minister the like to you.

VAL. Then speak the truth by her; if not divine, Yet let her be a principality,

Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth.

PRO. Except my mistress.

VAL, Sweet, except not any;

Except thou wilt except against my love.

PRO. Have I not reason to prefer mine own?
VAL. And I will help thee to prefer her too :
She shall be dignified with this high honour,-
To bear my lady's train; left the base earth
Should from her vefture chance to fteal a kifs,
And, of fo great a favour growing proud,
Difdain to root the fummer-fwelling flower,
And make rough winter everlastingly.

PRO. Why, Valentine, what braggardifm is this?
VAL. Pardon me, Proteus: all I can, is nothing
To her, whofe worth makes other worthies nothing;
She is alone.

PRO. Then let her alone.

VAL. Not for the world: why, man, fhe is mine own ; And I as rich in having fuch a jewel,

As twenty feas, if all their fand were pearl,
The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.
Forgive me, that I do not dream on thee,
Because thou feeft me dote upon my love,
My foolish rival, that her father likes,
Only for his poffeffions are fo huge,
Is gone with her along; and I must after,
For love, thou know'ft, is full of jealousy,
PRO, But the loves you?