Is gone with her along; and I must after, Val. Ay, we are betroth'd; Nay, more, our marriage hour, With all the cunning manner of our flight, Some necessaries that I needs must use. Val. Will you make haste? Pro. I will. Even as one heat another heat expels, [Exit Val. Or as one nail by strength drives out another, Her true perfection, or my false transgression, [Exit. SCENE V. The same. A street. Enter Speed and Launce. Speed. Launce! by mine honesty, welcome to Milan. Laun. Forswear not thyself, sweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-that a man is never undone, till he be hanged; nor never welcome to a place, till some certain shot be paid, and the hostess say, welcome. Speed. Come on, you mad-cap, I'll to the alehouse with you presently; where for one shot of five pence, thou shalt have five thousand welcomes. But, sirrah, how did thy master part with madam Julia? Laun. Marry, after they closed in earnest, they parted very fairly in jest. Speed. But shall she marry him? Laun. No. Speed. How then? Shall 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 stands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus; when it stands well with him, it stands well with her. Speed. What an ass art thou! I understand thee not. Laun. What a block art thou, that thou canʼst 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 stands under thee, indeed. Laun. Why, stand under and understand is all one. Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match? Laun. Ask my dog: if he say, ay, it will; if he say, no, it will; if he shake his tail, and say nothing, it will. Speed. The conclusion is then, that it will. Laun. Thou shalt never get such a secret from me, but by a parable. Speed. "Tis well that I get it so. But, Launce, how say'st thou, that thy master is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwise. Speed. Then how? Laun. A notable lubber, as thou reportest him to be. Speed. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mistakest me. Laun. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy master. Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover. Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt go with me to the ale-house, so; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Christian. Speed. Why? Laun. Because thou hast not so much charity in thee, as to go to the ale with a Christian: Wilt thou Pro. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn ; To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn ; To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn; And even that power, which gave me first my oath, Provokes me to this threefold perjury : Love bade me swear, and love bids me forswear : Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken; But there I leave to love, where I should love. If I keep them, I needs must lose myself; I will forget that Julia is alive, I cannot now prove constant to myself, * Tempting.. + Confederate. Intended. [Exit. SCENE VII. Verona. A room in Julia's house. Enter Julia and Lucetta. Jul. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me ! And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,— Who art the table wherein all my thoughts Are visibly charácter'd and engrav'd,To lesson me: and tell me some good mean, How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Proteus. Luc. Alas! the way is wearisome and long. Jul. A true devoted pilgrim is not weary To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps; Much less shall she, that hath love's wings to fly; And when the flight is made to one so dear, Of such divine perfection, as sir Proteus. Luc. Better forbear, till Proteus make return. Jul. O, know'st thou not, his looks are my soul's food? Pity the dearth that I have pined in, By longing for that food so long a time. Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason. burns ; The current that with gentle murmur glides, He makes sweet music with the enamel'd stones, He overtaketh in his pilgrimage; And so by many winding nooks he strays, * Closest. |