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As full of forrows as the fea of fands,
To bear me company, and go with me:
If not, to hide what I have faid to thee,
That I may venture to depart alone.

Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances;
Which, fince, I know, they virtuously are plac'd
I give confent to go along with you;

Recking as little what betideth me,

As much I with all good befortune you.
When will you go?

Sil. This evening coming.

Egl. Where fhall I meet you? Sil. At friar Patrick's cell; Where I intend holy confeffion.

Egl. I will not fail your Ladyfhip:

Good morrow, gentle Lady.

Sil. Good morrow, kind Sir Eglamour.

Enter Launce with his dog.

[Exeunt

When a man's fervant fhall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard one that I brought up of a puppy, one that I fav'd from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and fifters went to it! I have taught him, even as one would fay precifely, thus I would teach a dog. (15) I went to deliver him, as a prefent to miftrefs Silvia from my mafter; and I came no fooner into the dining-chamber, but he fteps me to her trencher, and fteals her capon's leg. O, 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himfelf in all companies! I would have, as one should fay, one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had no more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily, he had been

(15) I was fent to deliver him as a prefent.-] Honeft Launce is here all along characterizing his dog Crab; but that he was not fent to deliver as a prefent to Silvia. The Poet therefore could not be fo forgetful to make this blunder. Launce had loft his Master's dog, and was gone in queft of him, as we have heard from the boft: and we find Launce himself presently confeffing, that it was ftollen by the hangman's boy. So having loft the intended prefent, he went to tender his own dog inftead of the other.

hang'd

hano'd for't; fure as I live, he had fuffer'd for't; you hall judge. He thruft me himfelf into the company of three or four gentleman-like dogs, under the Duke's table: he had not been there (blefs the mark) a piffing while, but all the chamber fmelt in. Out with the dog, fays one what cur is that? fays another; whip. him out, fays the third; hang him up, fays the Duke. 1, having been acquainted with the fmell before, knew it was Crab, and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs; Friend, quoth I, you mean to whip the dog? Ay, marry, do I, quoth he. You do him the more wrong, quoth I; 'twas I did the thing you wot of. He makes no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber How many mafters would do this for their fervant? nay, I'll be worn, I have fat in the stocks for te puddings he hath stoll'n, otherwife he had been exe-. cuted; I have flood on the pillory for the geefe he hath, kill'd, otherwise he had fuffer'd for't. Thou think'ft not of this now. Nay, I remember the trick you ferv'd me, when I took my leave of Madam Silvia; did not I bid thee still mark me, and do as I do? when didit thou fee me heave up my leg, and make water against a Gentlewoman's farthingale? didft thou ever fee me do fuch a trick?

Enter Protheus and Julia..

Pro. Sebaftian is thy name? I like thee well; And will imploy thee in fome fervice presently. Jul. In what you pleafe: I'll do, Sir, what I can.. Pro. I hope, thou wilt.-How now, you whorefon, peafant,

Where have you been these two days loitering?

Laun. Marry, Sir, I carry'd Miftrefs Silvia the dog, you bade me..

Pro. And what fays fhe to my little jewel?

Laun. Marry, the fays, your dog was a cur; and tells. you, currish thanks is good enough for fuch a prefent. Pro. But the received my dog?

Laun. No, indeed, the did not: here have I brought him back again.

Pro

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Pro. What, did'ft thou offer her this from me?

Laun. Ay, Sir; the other fquirrel was ftoll'n from me by the hangman's boy in the market-place; and then I offer'd her mime own, who is a dog as big as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater.

Pro Go, get thee hence, and find my dog again,. Or ne'er return again into my fight:

Away, I fay; ftay't thou to vex me here?
A flave, that, ftill an end, turns me to fhame.

[Exit Laun.

Sebaftian, I have entertained thee,
Partly, that I have need of fuch a youth;
That can with fome diferetion do my business
(For 'tis no trufting to yon foolish lowt :)
But, chiefly, for thy face and thy behaviour;
Which, if my augury deceive me not,

Witnefs good bringing up, fortune and truth:
Therefore know thou, for this I entertain thee.
Go prefently, and take this ring with thee;
Deliver it to Madam Silvia.,

She lov'd me well, deliver'd it to me.

Jul. It feems you lov'd not her, to leave her token :

She's dead, belike.

Pro. Not fo: I think, fhe lives..

ful. Alas!

Pro. Why do'st thou cry, alas

Jul. I cannot chufe but pity her.

Pro. Wherefore shouldft thou pity her?

Jul. Because, methinks, that fhe lov'd you as well

As you do, love your Lady Silvia:

She dreams on him, that has forgot her love;

You doat on her, that cares not for your love. 'Tis pity, love fhould be fo contrary;

And, thinking on it, makes me cry, alas!

Pro. Well, give her that ring, and give therewithal This letter; that's her chamber: tell my Lady,

I claim the promise for her heav'nly picture.

Your meffage done, hye home unto my chamber.
Where thou fhalt find me fad and folitary.

[Exit Pro.

Jul. How many women would do fuch a meffage ?

Alas, poor Protheus, thou haft entertain'd

A

A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs:
Alas, poor fool, why do I pity him,
That with his very heart defpifeth me?
Because he loves her, he defpifeth me ;
Because I love him, I must pity him:
This ring I gave him, when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will,
And now I am, unhappy meffenger,

To plead for that, which I would not obtain ;
To carry that, which I would have refus'd;

To praife his faith, which I would have difprais'd.:
I am my master's true confirmed love,
But cannot be true fervant to my mafter,
Unless I prove falfe traitor to myself.
Yet will I woo for him, but yet fo coldly,
As, heav'n it knows, I would not have him speed.
Enter Silvia.

Lady, good day; I pray you, be my meant
To bring me where to fpeak with Madam Silvias
Sil. What would you with her, if that I be fhe?
ful. If you be fhe, I do intreat your patience
To hear me speak the meffage I am fent on.
Sil. From whom?

Jul. From my mafter, Sir Protheus, Madam.
Sil. Oh! he fends you for a picture à
ful. Ay, Madam.

Sil. Urfula, bring my picture there.

Go, give your Matter this: tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,

Would better fit his chamber than this fhadow.

Jul. Madam, may't please you to perufe this letter, Pardon me, Madam, I have unadvis'd

Deliver'd you a paper that I fhould not;

This is the letter to your Ladyfhip.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be; good Madam, pardon me:
Sil. There, hold;

I will not look upon your mafter's lines;
I know, they're stufft with proteftar

༣.

And

And full of new-found oaths; which he will break,
As eafily as I do tear his paper.

Jul. Madam, he fends your Ladyfhip this ring.
Sil. The more fhame for him, that he fends it me;
For, I have heard him say a thousand times,
His Julia gave it him at his departure:

Tho' his falfe finger have prophan'd the ring,
Mine fhall not do his Julia fo much wrong.
Jul. She thanks you.

Sil. What fay'ft thou?

Jul. I thank you, Madam, that you tender her; Poor Gentlewoman, my mafter wrongs her much. Sil. Doft thou know her?

ful. Almoft as well, as I do know myself. To think upon her woes, I do protest,

That I have wept an hundred feveral times.

Sil. Belike, the thinks, that Protheus hath forfook her.
Jul. I think, the doth; and that's her cause of forrow."
Sil. Is he not paffing fair?

ful. She hath been fairer, Madam, than fhe is:
When he did think, my mafter lov'd her well,
She, in my judgment, was as fair as you.
But fince he did neglect her looking-glafs,
And threw her fun-expelling mask away;
The air hath ftarv'd the rofes in her cheeks,
And pinch'd the lilly-tincture of her face,
That now he is become as black as I.

Sil. How tall was fhe?

ful. About my ftature for at Pentecoft,
When all our pageants of delight were plaid,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trim'd in Madam Julia's gown;
Which ferved me as fit, by all mens judgments,
As if the garment had been made for me;
Therefore, I know, fhe is about my height.
And at that time I made her weep a-good,
For I did play a lamentable part.
Madam, 'twas Ariadne, paffioning
For Thefeus' perjury and unjust flight;
Which I fo lively acted with my tears,

That

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