VAL. Ha! let me see: ay, give it me, it's mine:- SPEED. Madam Silvia! madam Silvia! SPEED. She is not within hearing, sir. VAL. Why, sir, who bad you call her? SPEED. And yet I was last chidden for being too slow. VAL. Go to, sir; tell me, do you know madam Silvia? SPEED. She that your worship loves? VAL. Why, how know you that I am in love? SPEED. Marry, by these special marks: First, you have learn'd like sir Proteus, to wreath your arms like a male-content; to relish a love-song, like a Robin-red-breast; to walk alone, like one that had the pestilence; to sigh, like a school-boy that had lost his A B C; to weep, like a young wench that had buried her grandam ; to fast, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing ; to speak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas?. You 6 -TAKES DIET;] To take diet was the phrase for being under a regimen for a disease mentioned in Timon: 66 bring down the rose cheek'd youth "To the tub-fast and the diet." STEEVENS. Hallowmas.] That is, about the feast of All-Saints, when winter begins, and the life of a vagrant becomes less comfortable. JOHNSON. 7 It is worth remarking, that on All-Saints-Day the poor people in Staffordshire, and perhaps in other country places, go from parish to parish a souling as they call it; i. e. begging and puling (or singing small, as Bailey's Dict. explains puling) for soul-cakes, or any good thing to make them merry? This custom is mentioned by Peck, and seems a remnant of Popish superstition to pray for departed souls, particularly those of friends. The souler's song, in Staffordshire, is different from that which Mr. Peck mentions, and is by no means worthy publication. TOLLET. were wont, when you laugh'd, to crow like a cock; when you walk'd, to walk like one of the lions; when you fasted, it was presently after dinner; when you look'd sadly, it was for want of money: and now you are metamorphos'd with a mistress, that, when I look on you, I can hardly think you my master. VAL. Are all these things perceived in me? SPEED. They are all perceived without ye. VAL. Without me? they cannot. SPEED. Without you? nay, that's certain; for, without you were so simple, none else would9: but you are so without these follies, that these follies are within you, and shine through you like the water in an urinal; that not an eye, that sees you, but is a physician to comment on your malady. VAL. But, tell me, dost thou know my lady Silvia ? SPEED. She, that you gaze on so, as she sits at supper? VAL. Hast thou observed that? even she I mean. SPEED. Why, sir, I know her not. VAL. Dost thou know her by my gazing on her, and yet know'st her not? SPEED. Is she not hard-favour'd, sir? SPEED. That she is not so fair, as (of you) wellfavour'd. VAL. I mean, that her beauty is exquisite, but her favour infinite. SPEED. That's because the one is painted, and the other out of all count. 8 VAL. How painted? and how out of count? like one of the lions ;] If Shakspeare had not been thinking of the lions in the Tower, he would have written "like a lion." RITSON. 9 - none else would:] None else would be so simple. JOHNSON. 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 deform'd. 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. SPEED. Because love is blind. O, 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 1! 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 yours. VAL. In conclusion, I stand affected to her. SPEED. I would you were set2; so, your affection would cease. I for going UNGARTERED!] This is enumerated by Rosalind in As You Like It, Act. III. Sc. II. as one of the undoubted marks of love: "Then your hose should be ungartered, your bonnet unbanded, &c." MALONE. 2 I would you were SET;] Set for seated, in opposition to stand in the preceding line. M. MASON. I believe the opposition above-mentioned was intended; but the meaning was surely of a very different nature from any thing connected with being seated. How being seated would diminish Valentine's affection, Mr. Mason has not told us. The poet more probably used set metaphorically, with a view to the sense in which 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. O excellent motion! O exceeding puppet! Now will he interpret to her. VAL. Madam and mistress, a thousand good morrows. SPEED. O, 'give ye good even! here's a million of manners. [Aside. SIL. Sir Valentine and servant, to you two thousand. it is employed when applied to the sun, when it falls below the horison in the west. MALONE. 3 O excellent MOTION! &c.] Motion, in Shakspeare's time, signified puppet. In Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair it is frequently used in that sense, or rather perhaps to signify a puppetshow; the master whereof may properly be said to be an interpreter, as being the explainer of the inarticulate language of the actors. The speech of the servant is an allusion to that practice, and he means to say, that Silvia is a puppet, and that Valentine is to interpret to or rather for her. SIR J. HAWKINS. So, in The City Match, 1639, by Jasper Maine : 66 his mother came, "Who follows strange sights out of town, and went Nothing but a motion? "A puppet pilgrim? STEEVENS. A motion certainly signified a puppet-show, not a puppet. See the extracts from Sir Henry Herbert's Office Book, vol. iii. Speed means to say, what a fine puppet-show shall we have now? Here is the principal puppet to whom my master will be the interpreter. The master of the puppet-show, or the person appointed by him to speak for his mock actors, was in Shakspeare's time frequently denominated the interpreter to the puppets. MALONE. 4 Sir Valentine and SERVANT,] Here Silvia calls her lover 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 yours; Which I was much unwilling to proceed in, But for my duty to your ladyship. SIL. I thank you, gentle servant: 'tis very clerkly done 5. 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? VAL. No, madam; so it stead you, I will write, Please you command, a thousand times as much : And yet, SIL. A pretty period! Well, I guess the sequel; And yet I will not name it:-and yet I care not ; And yet take this again;-and yet I thank you; Meaning henceforth to trouble you no more. SPEED. And yet you will; and yet another yet. servant, and again below, her gentle servant. guage of ladies to their lovers at the time when [Aside. This was the lan- So, in Marston's What You Will, 1607: "Sweet sister, let's sit in judgement a little; faith upon my servant Monsieur Laverdure. "Mel. Troth, well for a servant; but for a husband! Again, in Ben Jonson's Every Man out of his Humour : Every man was not born with my servant Brisk's features." STEEVENS. 5 66 'tis very CLERKLY done.] i. e. like a scholar. So, in The Merry Wives of Windsor : "Thou art clerkly, sir John, clerkly." STEEVENS. 6 it CAME hardly OFF;] A similar phrase occurs in Timon of Athens, Act I. Sc. I.: "This comes off well and excellent." STEEVENS. |