to a place, till fome certain fhot be paid, and the hoftefs fay, welcome.

Speed. Come on, you mad-cap; I'll to the alehoufe with you prefently, where, for one shot of fivepence, thou fhalt have five thoufand welcomes. But, Sirrah, how did thy mafter part with madam Julia? Laun. Marry, after they clos'd in earnest, they parted very fairly in jest.

Speed. But fhall fhe marry him?

Laun. No.

Speed. How then? fhall he marry her?
Laun. No, neither.

Speed. What, are they broken?

Laun. No, they are both as whole as a fish. Speed. Why then how ftands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus: when it ftands well with him, it ftands well with her.

Speed. What an ass art thou? I understand thee not. Laun. What a block art thou, that thou canst not? My staff understands me.

Speed. What thou say'st?

Laun Ay, and what I do too; look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me.

Speed. It ftands under thee indeed.

Laun. Why, ftand-under, and understand, is all one. Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match?

Laun. Afk my dog: if he fay, ay, it will; if he fay, no, it will; if he shake his tail, and fay nothing, it will.

Speed. The conclufion is then, that it will.

Laun. Thou fhalt never get such a secret from me, but by a parable.

Speed. 'Tis well, that I get it fo; but Launce, how fay'ft thou, that my mafter is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwise.

Speed. Than how?

Laun. A notable Lubber, as thou reporteft him to be.
Speed. Why, thou whorfon afs, thou miftak'ft me.

Laun.

Laun. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy mafter.

Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover.

Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not tho' he burn himself in love: If thou thou wilt go with me to the ale-house, fo; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Chriftian.

Speed. Why?

Laun. Because thou haft not fo much charity in thee, as to go to the ale-house with a Chriftian: wilt thou go?

Speed. At thy fervice.

SCENE IX.

Enter Protheus folus.

[Exeunt.

Pro.T O leave my Julia, fhall I be forfworn;

To love fair Silvia, fhall I be forfworn: To wrong my friend, I shall be much forfworn: And ev'n that pow'r, which gave me firft my oath, Provokes me to this threefold perjury.

Love bad me fwear, and love bids me forswear:
O fweet-fuggefting love! * if I have sinn'd,
Teach me, thy tempted fubject, to excuse it.
At first I did adore a twinkling star,
But now I worship a celeftial fun.

Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken;
And he wants wit, that wants refolved will
To learn his wit t'exchange the bad for better.
Fie, fie, unreverend tongue! to call her bad,
Whofe Sov'reignty fo oft thou haft preferr'd
With twenty thoufand foul-confirming oaths.
I cannot leave to love, and yet I do:

But there I leave to love, where I should love :
Julia I lofe, and Valentine I lofe:

If I keep them, I needs must lose myself:

*

if thou haft finn,d,] We must certainly read, --if I have finn'd.

If I lose them, this find I by their loss,
For Valentine, myself; for Julia, Silvia.
I to myself am dearer than a friend;
For love is ftill most precious in its felf:
And Silvia, (witnefs heav'n, that made her fair!)
Shews Julia but a fwarthy Ethiope.

I will forget that Julia is alive,
Remembring that my love to her is dead:
And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,
Aiming at Silvia as a fweeter friend.
I cannot now prove conftant to myself,
Without fome treachery us'd to Valentine:
This night, he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celeftial Silvia's chamber-window;
Myself in counsel his competitor.

Now prefently I'll give her father notice
Of their difguifing, and pretended flight;
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine:
For Thurio, he intends, fhall wed his daughter.
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross,
By fome fly trick, blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.
Love, lend me wings to make my purpose fwift,
As thou haft lent me wit to plot this drift!

Changes to Julia's Houfe in Verona.
Enter Julia and Lucetta.

[Exit.

Jul. COUNSEL, Lucelta; gentle girl, affift me;

And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,

Who art the table wherein all my thoughts

Are vifibly character'd and engrav'd,

To leffon me; and tell me fome good mean,
How with my
honour I may undertake
A journey to my loving Protheus.

Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long.
Jul. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps;

Much

Much less shall she, that hath love's wings to fly;
And when the flight is made to one fo dear,
Of fuch divine perfection, as Sir Protheus.

Luc. Better forbear, 'till Protheus make return.
Jul. Oh, know ft thou not, his looks are my foul's
food?

Pity the dearth, that I have pined in,
By longing for that food fo long a time.
Didft thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou would't as foon go kindle fire with fnow,
As feek to quench the fire of love with words.

Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire, But qualify the fire's extream rage,

Left it fhould burn above the bounds of reason.
Jul. The more thou damm'ft it up, the more it
burns:

The current, that with gentle murmur glides,
Thou know'ft, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But when his fair courfe is not hindered,

He makes sweet mufic with th' enamel'd ftones;
Giving a gentle kifs to every sedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage:
And fo by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing fport, to the wild ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course;
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a paftime of each weary step,
'Till the laft ftep have brought me to my
And there I'll reft, as after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium.

love;

Luc. But in what habit will you go along? Jul. Not like a woman; for I would prevent The loofe encounters of lascivious men: Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds

As may befeem fome well-reputed page.

Luc. Why then your ladyship muft cut your hair. Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken ftrings, With twenty odd-conceited true-love-knots:

I 6

Το

To be fantastic, may become a youth

Of greater time than I fhall fhew to be. [breeches ?
Luc. What fafhion, Madam, fhall I make your
Jul. That fits as well, as" tell me, good my lord,
"What compass will you wear your farthingale ?
Why, even that fashion thou beft lik'ft, Lucetta.

Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece,
Madam.

Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill-favour'd. Luc. A round hofe, Madam, now's not worth a pin. Unless you have a cod-piece to ftick pins on.

Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think'ft meet, and is moft mannerly: But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me For undertaking fo unftaid a journey?

I fear me, it will make me fcandaliz'd.

Luc. If you think so, then stay at home, and go not.
Jul. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go.
If Protheus like your journey, when you come,
No matter who's difpleas'd, when you are gone:
I fear me, he will scarce be pleas'd withal.

Jul. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
And inftances as infinite of love,

Warrant me welcome to my Protheus.

Luc. All these are fervants to deceitful men. Jul. Bafe men, that use them to fo base effect! But truer flars did govern Protheus' birth; His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles; His love fincere, his thoughts immaculate; His tears, pure meffengers fent from his heart; His heart as far from fraud, as heav'n from earth. Luc. Pray heav'n he prove fo,when you come to him? Jul. Now, as thou lov'ft me, do him To bear a hard opinion of his truth; Only deferve my love, by loving him; And prefently go with me to my chamber,

not that

wrong.

To