War with good counsel, set the world at nought; Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought

Enter SPEED.

Speed. Sir Proteus, save you! Saw you my master? Pro. But now he parted hence, to embark for Milan.

Speed. Twenty to one, then, he is shipp'd already; And I have played the sheep, in losing him. Pro. Indeed a sheep doth very often stray, An if the shepherd be awhile away.

Speed. You conclude that my master is a shepherd then, and I a sheep?

Pro. I do.

Speed. Why, then my horns are

whether I wake or sleep.

his horns.

Pro. A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep.
Speed. This proves me still a sheep.
Pro. True; and thy master a shepherd.

Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. Pro. It shall go hard, but I'll prove it by another. Speed. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the shepherd; but I seek my master, and my master seeks not me: therefore I am no sheep.

Pro. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep; thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee: therefore thou art a sheep.

Speed. Such another proof will make me cry baa. Pro. But, dost thou hear? gav'st thou my letter to Julia?

Speed. Ay, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your let

In Warwickshire, and some other counties, sheep is pro nounced ship. Without this explanation the jest, such as it is might escape the reader.

ter to her, a lac'd mutton; and she, a lac'd mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour. Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such a store of muttons.

Speed. If the ground be overcharg'd, you were best stick her.

Pro. Nay, in that you are astray: 'twere best pound you.

Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.

Pro. You mistake: I mean the pound, a pinfold. Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and

over,

"Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover.

Pro. But what said she? - [SPEED nods.]— Did she nod? 10

Speed. Ay.

and

Pro. Nod-ay? why, that's noddy.

me,

Speed. You mistook, sir: I say she did nod; if she did nod; and I say, ay. ask you Pro. And that set together, is noddy. Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

"Laced mutton," we are told," was so established a term for a courtesan, that a lane in Clerkenwell, much frequented by loose women, was thence called Mutton Lane." Speed apparently understands the person he is talking with, for it is observable that he uses no such language in his speech with Valentine; and the reason of his daring to speak thus respecting Julia is to be found in the nature of Sir Proteus' passion, which, though doubtless characteristic of him, is not very honourable to him.

H.

10 These words were supplied by Theobald to introduce what fo.lows. The poor quibble just below is more apparent in the original, where, according to the mode of that time, the affirma tiva particle, ay, is spelt I. Noddy was a game at cards: applied to a person, the word meant fool; Noddy being the name of what is commonly called the Jack.

H

Pro. No, n; you shall have it for bearing the letter.

Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.

Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word noddy for my pains.

Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow

purse.

Pro. Come, come; open the matter in brief: What said she?

Speed. Open your purse, that the money and the matter may be both at once deliver'd.

Pro. Well, sir, here is for your pains: What said she?

Speed. Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her. Pro. Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her?

Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear she'll prove as hard to you in telling your mind." Give her no token but stones, for

she's as hard as steel.

Pro. What! said she nothing? Speed. No, not so much as "take this for thy pains." To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testern'd me; in requital whereof, henceforth

The meaning is, "Since she has been so hard to me, the bearer of your mind, I fear she will be equally hard to you whose mind I bore."

H.

That is, you have given me a testern. Testern, now called tester, was a coin of sixpence value, first issued in England in 1542, and so named from having a teste, that is, a head, stamped upon it. It was introduced from France, and was originally 18d but afterwards fell to 12d. 9d, and finally 6d, where it stuck. H.

carry your letters yourself: And so, sir, I'll commend you to my master.

Pro. Go, go, begone, to save your ship from wreck; Which cannot perish, having thee aboard, Being destined to a drier death on shore.I must go send some better messenger; I fear my Julia would not deign my lines, Receiving them from such a worthless post.

SCENE II.

The same. JULIA'S Garden.

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA

[Exeunt.

Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, Wouldst thou, then, counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully. Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen,

That every day with parle' encounter me,
In thy opinion which is worthiest love?

Luc. Please you repeat their names, I'll show my mind

According to my shallow simple skill.

Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour? Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine; But, were I you, he never should be mine.

Jul. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so, so. Jul. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus? Luc. Lord, lord! to see what folly reigns in u Jul. How now! what means this passion at his name?

Luc. Pardon, dear madam: 'tis a passing shame,

1 Parle is talk

That I, unworthy body as I am,

Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen.

Jul. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest? Luc. Then thus, — of many good I think him best. Jul. Your reason?

Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason:

I think him so, because I think him so.

Jul. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him?

Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not cast away. Jul. Why, he of all the rest hath never mov'd me. Luc. Yet he of all the rest, I think, best loves ye. Jul. His little speaking shows his love but small. Luc. Fire, that's closest kept, burns most of all. Jul. They do not love, that do not show their love. Luc. O! they love least, that let men know their love.

3

Jul. I would I knew his mind.

Luc.

Peruse this paper, madam.

That the contents will show.

Jul. "To Julia."- Say, from whom?
Luc.

Jul. Say, say; who gave it thee?

Luc. Sir Valentine's page; and sent, I think,

from Proteus:

He would have given it you, but I, being in the way, Did in your name receive it: pardon the fault, I pray. Jul. Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker

4

To censure, in Shakespeare's time, generally signified to give one's judgment or opinion. Thus in The Winter's Tale, Act ii. 1: 66 How blest am I in my just censure! in my true opinion!" 3 Fire is here a dissyllable. The play has other like cxamples: "But qualify the fire's extreme rage;" and again · "Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat," &c. These and similar words were continually used thus by the poets of Shakespeare's time and yet Steevens undertook to correct the Poet's measure in such cases by supplying another word!

4 A matchmaker. It was sometimes used for a procuress.

H.