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Speed. Item, She bath a fweet mouth.

Laun. That makes amends for her four breath.
Speed. Item, She doth talk in her sleep.

Laun. It's no matter for that, fo fhe fleep not in her talk.

Speed. Item, She is flow in words.

Laun. O villain! that fet down among her vices! To be flow 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.

Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her.

Speed. Item, She hath no teeth.

Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love crufts. Speed. Item, She is curft.

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Laun. Well, the beft is, fhe hath no teeth to bite.
Speed. Item, She will often praise her liquor.

Laun. If her liquor be good, fhe fhall: if she will not, I will; for good things fhould be praised.

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Speed. Item, She is too liberal.

Laun. Of her tongue she cannot; for that's writ down, fhe is flow of of her purfe fhe fhall not; for that I'll keep fhut: now of another thing she may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed.

Speed. Item, She bath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults.

Laun. Stop there; I'll have her: fhe was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article: Rehearse that once more.

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P She hath a fweet mouth.]-A dainty, or liquorish one.
a curft.]-a fhrew.
liberal.]-grofs in her expreffions, indelicate.
"That liberal fhepherds give a groffer name."

praife her liquor.]-drink freely.

HAMLET, A&t IV, S. 7. Queen.

"Is he not a moft profane and liberal counsellor ?"

OTHELLO, A& II, S. 1. Def.

Speed.

Speed. Item, She bath more hair than wit,—

Laun. More hair than wit,-it may be; I'll prove it: The cover of the falt hides the falt, and therefore it is more than the falt: the hair, that covers the wit, is more than the wit; for the greater hides the lefs. What's next? Speed. -And more faults than bairs

Laun. That's monftrous: Oh, that that were out!

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Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gracious: Well, I'll have her: And if it be a match, as nothing is impoffible,

Speed. What then?

Laun. Why, then will I tell thee,-that thy master stays for thee at the north gate.

Speed. For me?

Laun. For thee? ay; who art thou? he hath staid for a better man than thee.

Speed. And must I go

to him?

Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast staid so 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 flave, that will thruft himself into fecrets! -I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Enter Duke and Thurio, and Protheus behind.

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

Thu. Since his exile fhe hath despis'd me most,

Forfworn my company, and rail'd at me,

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gracious:]-agreeable; makes amends for them all.
K 4

That

That I am desperate 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 lose his form.
A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
And worthless Valentine fhall be forgot.-
How now, fir Protheus? 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 fo.—
Protheus, the good conceit I hold of thee,
(For thou haft fhewn 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
The match between fir Thurio and my daughter.
Pro. I do, my lord.

Duke. And alfo, I do think, thou art not ignorant
How the oppofes her against my will.

Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.
Duke. Ay, and perverfely fhe perfevers fo.
What might we do to make the girl forget
The love of Valentine, and love fir Thurio?
Pro. The best way is, to flander Valentine
With falfhood, cowardice, and poor defcent;
Three things that women highly hold in hate.

Duke. Ay, but fhe'll think, that it is spoke in hate.
Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it:

Trenched-Cut, engraved.

"With twenty trenched gashes on his head."

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MACBETH, Act III, S. 4. Mur.

Therefore

W

Therefore it must, with circumstance, be spoken
By one, whom the esteemeth 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;

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Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage him, Your flander 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 aught that I can speak in his difpraise,
She fhall not long continue love to him.
But fay, this weed her love from Valentine,
It follows not that fhe will love fir Thurio.

Thu. Therefore as you unwind her love from him,
Left it should ravel, and be good to none,

You must provide to

Which must be done,

As

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by praifing me as much.

you in worth difpraise fir 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 access,
Where you with Silvia may confer at large;
For fhe is lumpifh, heavy, melancholy,

And, for your friend's fake, will be glad of you;
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: ·

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with circumftance,]-in a delicate, plausible manner.

very friend. ]-moft intimate friend. Y unwind-wind off.

to bottom it on me :]-to make me the central fubftance, whereon you wind it.

But

But you, fir Thurio, are not fharp enough;

a

You must lay lime, to tangle her defires,

By wailful fonnets, whofe compofed rhimes
Should be full fraught with ferviceable vows.

Duke. Ay, much is the force of heaven-bred poefy.
Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty
You facrifice your tears, your fighs, your heart:
Write till your ink be dry; and with your tears
Moist it again; and frame some feeling line,
That may discover fuch integrity :-

For Orpheus's lute was ftrung with poets' finews;
Whose golden touch could foften fteel and ftones,
Make tygers tame, and huge leviathans

Forfake unfounded deeps to dance on fands.
your dire-lamenting elegies,

After

Vifit by night your lady's chamber-window
With fome sweet confort: to their inftruments
Tunea deploring dump; the night's dead filence
Will well become fuch fweet complaining grievance.
This, or else nothing, will inherit her.

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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 presently

To 'fort fome gentlemen well fkill'd in mufick:
I have a fonnet that will ferve the turn,

To give the onset to thy good advice.

Duke. About it, gentlemen.

Pro. We'll wait upon your grace, till after fupper;

And afterwards determine our proceedings.

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

lime,]-bird-lime.

b integrity-total devotion to her, whom you profess to love.

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confort:]-band of musicians-concert.

da deploring dump ;]-a mournful elegy.. e inherit]-obtain her. fort]-felect. & pardon you.]-I will difpenfe with your attendance.

ACT

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