I bear unto the banish'd Valentine ;
Nor how my father would enforce me marry
Vain Thurio, whom my very soul abhorr'd.
Thyself hast lov'd; and I have heard thee say,
No grief did ever come so near thy heart,
As when thy lady and thy true love died,
Upon whose grave thou vow'dst pure chastity
Sir Eglamour, I would to Valentine,

To Mantua, where, I hear, he makes abode;
And, for the ways are dangerous to pass,
I do desire thy worthy company,
Upon whose faith and honour I repose.
Urge not my father's anger, Eglamour,
But think upon my grief, a lady's grief;
And on the justice of my flying hence,
To keep me from a most unholy match,
Which heaven and fortune still reward with plagues.
I do desire thee, even from a heart

As full of sorrows as the sea of sands,
To bear me company, and go with me:
If not, to hide what I have said to thee,
That I may venture to depart alone.

1

Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances;
Which since I know they virtuously are plac'd,
I give consent to go along with you;
Recking as little what betideth me,
As much I wish all good befortune you.
When will you go?

It was common in former ages for widowers and widows to make vows of chastity in honour of their deceased wives or husbands This will account for Silvia's having chosen Sir Eglamour as a person in whom she could confide without injury to her

character.

4 In Shakespeare's time griefs frequently signified grievances; and the present instance shows that in return grievance was some. times used in the sense of grief.

5 To reck is to care for. own read "

So in Hamlet: "And recks not his

Sil. This evening coming.

Egl. Where shall I meet you ?
Sil. At friar Patrick's cell,

Where I intend holy confession.
Egl. I will not fail your ladyship.

Good morrow, gentle lady.

Sil. Good morrow, kind Sir Eglamour. [Exeunt

Enter LAUNCE, with his dog.

When a man's servant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy; one that I sav'd from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it. I have taught him, -even as one would say precisely, Thus I would teach a dog. I was sent to deliver him, as a present to mistress Silvia, from my master; and I came no sooner into the diningchamber, but he steps me to her trencher,' and steals her capon's leg. O! 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies. I would have, as one should say, one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily he had been hang'd for't; sure as I live, he had suffer'd for't: you shall Judge. He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentleman-like dogs, under the duke's table: he had not been there (bless the mark!) a

2

That the daughter of a duke should eat from a trencaer, need not seem strange, since in the privy-purse expenses of Henry VIII. we find the following entry: "Item, payed to the sergeant of the pantry for certain trenchers for the king, 23s. 6d.`

That is, restrain.

H.

"Out

pissing while, but all the chamber smelt him. with the dog! says one; "What cur is that?" says another; « Whip him out!" says the third; Hang him up!" says the duke. I, having been acquainted with the smell 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 me no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How many masters would do this for their servant? Nay, I'll be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed: I have stood on the pillory for geese he hath kill'd, otherwise he had suffer'd for't thou think'st not of this now! Nay, I remember the trick you serv'd me, when I took my leave of madam Silvia. Did not I bid thee still mark me, and do as I do? When didst thou see me heave up my leg, and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale ? didst thou ever see me do such a trick?

Enter PROTEUS and JULIA.

Pro. Sebastian is thy name? I like thee well, And will employ thee in some service presently. Jul. In what you please: — I will do what I can. Pro. I hope thou wilt.

son peasant!

How now, you whore

[TO LAUNCE

Where have you been these two days loitering? Laun. Marry, sir, I carried mistress Silvia the dog you bade me.

Pro. And what says she to my little jewel?

Laun. Marry, she says your dog was a cur; and tells you currish thanks is good enough for such a present

Pro. But she receiv'd my dog?

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

Pro. What! didst thou offer her this from me! Laun. Ay, sir: the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman boys in the market-place: and then I offer'd her mine 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 sight.

3

Away, I say! Stay'st thou to vex me here? A slave, that still an end turns me to shame. [Exit LAUNCE

Sebastian, I have entertained thee,

Partly, that I have need of such a youth,
That can with some discretion do my business,
For 'tis no trusting to yon foolish lout;
But, chiefly, for thy face and thy behaviour,
Which, if my augury deceive me not,

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

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

Jul. It seems you lov'd not her, to leave her token: She's dead, belike.

Pro.

Jul. Alas!

Not so I think she lives.

Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas?

Jul. I cannot choose but pity her.

Still an end, and most an end, are vulgar expressions, and mean perpetually, generally. See Gifford's Massinger, iv. 282. "Now help, good heaven! 'tis such an uncouth thing To be a widow out of Term-time! I

Do feel such aguish qualms, and dumps, and fits,
And shakings still an end.”

The Ordinary.

As

Pro. Wherefore shouldst thou pity her?

Jul. Because, methinks, that she fov'd you as well do love your lady Silvia :

you She dreams on him that has forgot her love; You dote on her that cares not for your love: "Tis pity, love should be so contrary; And thinking on it makes me cry, alas!

Pro. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal
This letter:- that's her chamber. - Tell my lady,
I claim the promise for her heavenly picture.
Your message done, hie home unto my chamber,
Where thou shalt find me sad and solitary. [Exit
Jul. How many women would do such a message?!
Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd
A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs.
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth 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 am I (unhappy messenger!)

To plead for that, which I would not obtain;

To carry that which I would have refus'd;

To praise his faith which I would have disprais'd.

I am my master's true confirmed love;

But cannot be true servant to my master,

Unless I prove false traitor to myself.

Yet I will woo for him; but yet so coldly,

As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed.

Enter SILVIA, attended.

Gentlewoman, good day! I pray you, be my mean To bring me where to speak with madam Silvia.

Sil. What would you with her, if that I be she'