Speed. Item, P Sbe bath a sweet mouth.
Laun. That makes amends for her sour breath.
Speed. Item, She doth talk in her feep.

Laun. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk.

Speed. Item, She is now in words.

Laun. O villain ! that set down among her vices ! To be now 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 crusts.
Speed. Item, She is a curst.
Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to bite.
Speed. Item, She will often ' praise her liquor.

Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall: if she will not, I will ; for good things should be praised.

Speed. Item, She is too liberal..

Laun. Of her tongue she cannot; for that's writ down, she is now of: of her purse she shall not ; for that I'll keep shut: now of another thing she may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed."

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

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

P She hath a sweet mouth.]–A dainty, or liquorish one.
I curft.]—a shrew. ' praise her liquor.)-drink freely.
s liberal.]-gross in her expressions, indelicate.
« That liberal shepherds give a groffer name.”

HAMLET, A& IV, S. 7. Queen. .." Is he not a most profane and liberal counsellor ?”

OTHELLO, Act II, S. 1. Def.

Speed.

Speed. Item, She hatb more hair than wit,

Laun. More hair than wit,-it may be ; I'll prove it : The cover of the salt hides the salt, and therefore it is more than the sale : the hair, that covers the wit, is more than the wit ; for the greater hides the less. What's next?

Speed. — And more faults than hairs
Laun. That's monstrous : Oh, that that were out !
Speed. — And more wealth then faults.

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

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 serve the turn.

Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? pox on your loveletters!

Laun. Now will he be swing'd for reading my letter ; An unmannerly save, that will thrust himself into secrets ! -I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exeunt.

S CE NE II.

Enter Duke and Thurio, and Protheus bebind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you. Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight.

Thu. Since his exile she hath despis’d me most, Fortworn my company, and rail'd at me,

'gracious :)-agreeable; makes amends for them all.

K4

That

That I am desperate of obtaining her.

Duke. This weak impress 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 shall 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 so.
Protheus, the good conceit I hold of thee,
(For thou haft shewn some sign of good desert)
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'st; how willingly I would effect The match between sir Thurio and my daughter.

Pro. I do, my lord.

Duke. And also, I do think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will.

Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.

Duke. Ay, and perversely she persevers so. What might we do to make the girl forget The love of Valentine, and love sir Thurio?

Pro. The best way is, to lander Valentine
With falshood, cowardice, and poor defcent;
Three things that women highly hold in hate.

Duke. Ay, but she'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.” MACBETH, Act III, S. 4, Mur.

Therefore

Therefore it must, "with circumstance, be spoken
By one, whom she esteemeth as his friend.

Duke. Then you must undertake to Nander him.

Pro. And that, my lord, I shall be loth to do: 'Tis an ill office for a gentleman; Especially, 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 aught that I can speak in his dispraise,
She shall not long continue love to him.
But say, this weed her love from Valentine,
It follows not that she will love sir Thurio.

Tbu. Therefore as you ' unwind her love from him,
Left it should ravel, and be good to none,
You must provide to a bottom it on me:
Which must be done, by praising me as much
As you in worth dispraise sir Valentine.

Duke. And, Protheus, we dare trust 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 shall you have access,
Where you with Silvia may confer at large; .
For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy,
And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you ;
Where you may temper her, by your persuasion,
To hate young Valentine, and love my friend.

Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect: —

with circumstance, )-in a delicate, plausible manner. * very friend.)-most intimate friend. Y unwind ]wind off.

2 to bottom it on me :]to make me the central substance, whereon you wind it.

But

But you, fir Thurio, are not sharp enough;
You must lay a lime, to tangle her desires,
By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhimes

Should be full fraught with serviceable vows.
· Duke. Ay, much is the force of heaven-bred poesy.

Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty
You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart :
Write till your ink be dry; and with your tears
Moist it again ; and frame some feeling line,
That may discover such integrity :-
For Orpheus's lute was strung with poets' sinews ;
Whose golden touch could foften steel and stones,
Make tygers tame, and huge leviathans
Forsake unfounded deeps to dance on sands.
After your dire-lamenting elegies,
Visit by night your lady's chamber-window
With some sweet consort: to their instruments
Tuned a deploring dump; the night's dead silence
Will well become such sweet complaining grievance.

This, or else nothing, will o inherit her.
· Duke. This discipline shews thou hast been in love.

Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in practice :
Therefore, sweet Protheus, my direction-giver,
Let us into the city presently
To'fort some gentlemen well skill'd in musick :
I have a sonnet that will serve the turn,
To give the onset 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.
a, lime,]—-bird-lime.
b integrity :]-total devotion to her, whom you profess to love.

conjort :)-band of musicians-concert...
d a deploring dump;]-a mournful elegy. ¢ inherit)-obtain her,
fort]--select. & pardon j'ou. ]-I will dispense with your attendance.

ACT