Speed. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count. Val. How painted? and how out of count? Speed. Marry, sir, so painted to make her fair, that no man 'counts of her beauty. Val. How esteem'st thou me? I account of her beauty. Speed. You never saw her since she was deformed. Val. How long hath she been deformed? Speed. Ever since you loved her. Val. I have loved her ever since I saw her, and still I see her beautiful. Speed. If you love her, you cannot see her. Val. Why? Speed. Because love is blind. Oh! that you had mine eyes; or your own eyes had the lights they were wont to have, when you chid at sir Proteus for going ungartered! Val. What should I see then ? Speed. Your own present folly, and her passing deformity; for he, being in love, could not see to garter his hose; and you, being in love, cannot see to put on your hose. Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love; for last morning you could not see to wipe my shoes. Speed. True, sir; I was in love with my bed. I thank you, you swinged me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for your's. Val. In conclusion, I stand affected to her. Speed. I would you were set, so your affection would cease. Val. Last night she enjoin'd me to write some lines to one she loves. Speed. And have you? Val. I have. Speed. Are they not lamely writ? Val. No, boy, but as well as I can do them.-Peace! here she comes. Enter SILVIA. Speed. Oh excellent motion! oh exceeding puppet'! Now will he interpret to her. • Oh excellent MOTION! oh exceeding PUPPET!] A "motion" in Shakespeare's time, meant a puppet-show (see Vol. iii. p. 68), from the puppets being moved by the master, who interpreted to (or for) them, as Speed supposes Valentine will interpret for Silvia, the "exceeding puppet" on this occasion. “Motion" Val. Madam and mistress, a thousand good morrows. manners. Sil. Sir Valentine and servant', to you two thousand. Speed. He should give her interest, and she gives it him. Val. As you enjoin'd me, I have writ your letter Unto the secret nameless friend of your's; Which I was much unwilling to proceed in, But for my duty to your ladyship. Sil. I thank you, gentle servant. done. [Giring a paper. 'Tis very clerkly Val. Now trust me, madam, it came hardly off; For, being ignorant to whom it goes, I writ at random, very doubtfully. Sil. Perchance you think too much of so much pains? Sil. A pretty period. Well, I guess the sequel: Speed. And yet you will; and yet, another yet'. Nay, take them. Val. Madam, they are for you. [Giving back the paper. is here, of course, the proper word; but in the Rev. Mr. Dyce's edition of Marlowe's "Faustus" (Vol. ii. p. 57), “motion" in one place is any thing but the proper word, for there it ought to be mention. The Emperor wishes to see the spirit of Alexander the Great raised by the necromancer, and ought to say, "As when I hear but mention made of him, It grieves my soul I never saw the man." What he is made to say is very equivocal, for "motion" is allowed to remain in the text instead of mention; and though “to make a motion" ligible, it is not exactly what the Emperor bere means. may be very intel Sir Valentine and SERVANT,] Ladies were accustomed, in Shakespeare's time, to call their admirers their servants: instances are innumerable. 2 and yet, another yet.] So the passage is punctuated in the old copies, as if Speed had said, "and yet," and then paused to see if Silvia would not add "another yet." We only mention this trifle because some modern editors have not attended to it. Of course these speeches by Speed are supposed to be uttered aside, and they are so marked in the corr. fo. 1632: the other stage-directions here, which are certainly necessary for the complete intelligibility of what passes, are from the same authority. Sil. Ay, ay; you writ them, sir, at my request, Val. Please you, I'll write your ladyship another. Val. If it please me, madam; what then? Sil. Why, if it please you, take it for your labour: And so good morrow, servant. Speed. Oh jest! unseen, inscrutable, invisible, As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a steeple. He being her pupil, to become her tutor. Oh excellent device! was there ever heard a better, [Exit. That my master, being scribe, to himself should write the letter? Val. How now, sir! what, are you reasoning with yourself? Speed. Nay, I was rhyming: 'tis you that have the reason. Val. To do what? Speed. To be a spokesman from madam Silvia. Val. To whom? Speed. To yourself. Val. What figure? Why, she woos you by a figure. Speed. By a letter, I should say. Val. Why, she hath not writ to me? Speed. What need she, when she hath made you write to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the jest? Val. No, believe me. Speed. No believing you, indeed, sir: but did you perceive her earnest ? Val. She gave me none, except an angry word. Speed. Why, she hath given you a letter. Val. That's the letter I writ to her friend. Speed. And that letter hath she deliver'd, and there an end. Val. I would it were no worse! I'll warrant you, 'tis as well: For often have you writ to her, and she, in modesty, Or else for want of idle time, could not again reply; Or fearing else some messenger, that might her mind discover, Her self hath taught her love himself to write unto her lover. All this I speak in print', for in print I found it.- Val. I have dined. Speed. Ay, but hearken, sir: though the cameleon love can feed on the air, I am one that am nourish'd by my victuals, and would fain have meat. Oh! be not like your mistress: be moved, be moved. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Verona. A Room in JULIA'S House. Enter PROTEUS and JULIA. Pro. Have patience, gentle Julia. Jul. I must, where is no remedy. Pro. When possibly I can, I will return. Jul.. If you turn not, you will return the sooner. Keep this remembrance for thy Julia's sake. Pro. Why then, we'll make exchange: here, take you this. [Exchanging rings. Jul. And seal the bargain with a holy kiss. Enter PANTHINO. Pant. Sir Proteus, you are stay'd for. [Exit JULIA. Go; I come, I come.- 3 All this I speak in print,] i. e. With exactness: Speed adds, that he found it "in print," perhaps, in some book or ballad of that time, which has not survived to our's. He has rhymed before, and in the same style, just after Silvia made her exit: those lines could hardly have been, like these, a quotation. SCENE III. The Same. A Street. Enter LAUNCE, leading a Dog. Launce. Nay, 'twill be this hour ere I have done weeping: all the kind of the Launces have this very fault'. I have received my proportion, like the prodigious son, and am going with sir Proteus to the imperial's court. I think Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives: my mother weeping, my father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great perplexity, yet did not this cruel-hearted cur shed one tear. He is a stone, a very pebble-stone, and has no more pity in him than a dog; a Jew would have wept to have seen our parting: why, my grandam having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind at my parting. Nay, I'll show you the manner of it. This shoe is my father;-no, this left shoe is my father:no, no, this left shoe is my mother;-nay, that cannot be so, neither:-yes, it is so, it is so; it hath the worser sole. This shoe, with the hole in it, is my mother, and this my father. A vengeance on't! there 'tis: now, sir, this staff is my sister; for, look you, she is as white as a lily, and as small as a wand: this hat is Nan, our maid: I am the dog';-no, the ♦ — all the KIND of the Launces have this very fault.] i. e. All the family, or kindred of the Launces. How strangely editors have been puzzled with this little word, "kind," in Marlowe and Nash's "Dido," 1594. A. v. The heroine there accuses her Nurse of having conspired with the Trojans for the escape of Ascanius, and calls her, as the text appears in the old impressions, "Traitress to keend and cursed sorceress!" What can keend be, but a misprint for "kind?" the Nurse was a traitress to her kind, or sex, in the opinion of Dido; but the Rev. Mr. Dyce (Marlowe's Works, ii. p. 435) has simply this note upon it: "I suppose kenned, known, manifest (the modern editors print 'keen ')." "Keen " was a much better conjecture than kenned: but neither "keen " nor the unfortunate kenned can be right, for who will doubt that the true reading is, "Traitress to kind, and cursed sorceress ?" I am the DOG, &c.] Launce is himself puzzled with the characters of his own mono-polylogue; and perhaps Shakespeare did not mean him to get out of his confusion. Sir T. Hanmer proposed to read, I am the dog, no, the dog is himself, and I am me, the dog is the dog, and I am myself. Although this reading makes the text "more reasonable," (as Johnson remarks) the additions to it are unwarrantable. |