Laun. Clofe at the heels of her virtues.

Speed. Item, fhe is not to be kist fafting, in respect of her breath.

Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast; read on.

Speed. Item, fhe hath a fweet mouth.

Laun. That makes amends for her four breath.
Speed. Item, he doth talk in her fleep.

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

Speed. Item, he 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. Specd. Item, fhe is proud.

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

Specd. Item, he hath no teeth.

Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love crufts.

Speed. Item, fhe is curft.

*

Laun. Well; the beft is, fhe hath no teeth to bite. Speed. Item, fhe will often praise her liquor. Laun. If her liquor be good, fhe fhall; if fhe will not, I will; for good things fhould be praised. Speed. Item, he is too liberal. 9

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

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

-fweet mouth.] This I take to be the fame with what is now vulgarly called a feet tooth, a luxurious defire of danties and fweetmeats.

-praife her liquor.] That

is, fhew how well the likes it by drinking often.

9-fhe is too liberal.] Liberal, is licentious and grof in language. So in Othello, Is he not a profane and very liberal counfellor.

I

Laun.

Laun. Stop here; I'll have her; fhe was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that article. Rehearse

that once more.

Speed. Item, fhe hath 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 less. What's next?

Speed. And more faults than hairs.

Laun. That's monstrous: oh, that that were out! Speed. And more wealth than faults.

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 mafter ftays 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 muft I go to him?

Laun. 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 love-letters!

Laun. Now will he be fwing'd for reading my let-. ter: an unmannerly flave, that will thruft himself into fecrets. I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exeunt.

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 defpis'd me most, Forfworn my company, and rail'd at me,

Q3

That

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 lose his form.
A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
And worthlefs Valentine fhall be forgot.

Enter Protheus.

How now, Sir 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 Thyrio thinks not fo.
Protheus, 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 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 oppofes her against 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, 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:

2

Therefore it muft, with circumftance, * be spoken

1

Trenched in ice.] Cut, carved in ice. Trencher to cut, French. 2with circumftance.] With

the addition of fuch incidental particulars as may induce belief.

By

By one, whom fhe efteemeth 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;

Especially against his very friend.

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 difpraife, She fhall not long continue love to him. But fay, this weed her love from Valentine, It follows not, that fhe will love Sir Thurio.

Thu. Therefore as you unwind her love 3 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 difpraise 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 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,
But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough;
You must lay lime, to tangle her defires,
By wailful fonnets, whofe composed rhimes
Should be full fraught with ferviceable vows.

3

-as you unwind her love.] As you wind off her love from him, make me the bottom on which you wind it. The houfe

Q4

wife's term for a ball of thread
wound upon a central body, is
a bottom of thread.
* That is, birdlime.

Duke..

Duke. Much is the force of heav'n-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
Moift it again and frame fome feeling line,
That may difcover fuch integrity:

For Orpheus' lute was ftrung with poet's finews;
Whofe golden touch could foften steel and ftones,
Make tygers tame, and huge Leviathans
Forfake unfounded deeps, to dance on fands.
After your dire-lamenting elegies,

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

Duke. This difcipline fhews, thou hast 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 skill'd in musick;
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. Ev'n now about it.

I will pardon you.

4 For Orpheus' lute was ftrung with poet's finews.] This fhews Stakespeare's knowledge of antiguny. He here affigns Orpheus his re character of legislator. For under that of a poet only, or lover, the quality given to his lute is unintelligible. But, confidered as a law giver, the thought is noble, and the imag'ry ex

[Exeunt.

quifitely beautiful. For by his lute is to be understood his fyftem of laws and by the poet's finers, the power of numbers, which Orpheus actually employed in thofe laws to make them received by a fierce and barbarous people. WARBURTON. s- I will pardon you] I will excufe you from waiting.

ACT