remember the trick you served 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.—How now, you whoreson peasant!
[TO LAUNCE. Where have you been these two days loitering?
Laun. Marry, sir, I carried mistress Silvia the dog you
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 received 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's boys in the market-place : and then 1 offered 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. . 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 behavior:
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 loved me well, delivered it to me.
Jul. It seems you loved her not, to leave her token: She's dead, belike.
Pro. Not so; I think she lives. Jul. Alas! Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas? Jul. I cannot choose but pity her. Pro. Wherefore should'st thou pity her? Jul. Because, methinks that she loved you as well As
you do love your lady Silvia:
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 Proteus.
Jul. How many women would do such a message?
Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertained
A fox, to be the shepherd of thy lambs:
Alas, poor fool! why do 1 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 refused;
To praise his faith which I would have dispraised
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?
Jul. If you be she, I do entreat your patience
To hear me speak the message I am sent on.
Sil. From whom?
Jul. From my master, Sir Proteus, madam.
Sil. 0!—he sends you for a picture ?
Jul. Ay, madam.
Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there.
[Picture brought
Go, give your master this: tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber than this shadow.
Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.Pardon me, madam ; I have unadvised Delivered you a paper that I should not;
a
I
This is the letter to your ladyship.
Sil. I pray thee let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be; good madam, pardon me.
;;
Sil. There, hold.
I will not look upon your master's lines:
I know they are stuffed with protestations,
And full of new-found oaths; which he will break
As easily as I do tear his paper.
Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring.
Sil. The more shame for him that he sends it me
For, I have heard him say a thousand times,
His Julia gave it him at his departure:
Though his false finger hath profaned the ring,
Mine shall not do his Julia so much wrong.
Jul. She thanks you.
Sil. What say'st thou ?
Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her:
,
, Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much.
Sil. Dost thou know her?
Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself: To think upon her woes, I do protest, That I have wept a hundred several times. Sil. Belike, she thinks that Proteus hath forsook
her. Jul. I think she doth, and that's her cause of sorrow. Sil. Is she not passing fair ?
Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is:
When she did think my master loved her well,
She, in my judgment, was as fair as you ;
But since she did neglect her looking-glass,
And threw her sun-expelling mask away,
The air hath starved the roses in her cheeks,
And pinched the lily-tincture of her face,
That now she is become as black as I.
Sil. How tall was she?
Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost,
When all our pageants of delight were played,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trimmed in madam Julia's gown,
Which served me as fit, by all men's judgment,
As if the garment had been made for me;
Therefore, I know she is about my height.
And, at that time, I made her weep a good,
For I did play a lamentable part:
Madam, 'twas Ariadne, passioning
For Theseus' perjury, and unjust flight;
Which I so lively acted with my tears,
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow!
Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth !
Alas, poor lady! desolate and left :-
I weep myself, to think upon thy words.
Here, youth, there is my purse ; I give thee this
For thy sweet mistress sake, because thou lov'st her.
Farewell.
[Exit Silvia.
Jul. And she shall thank you for’t, if e'er you know
her.
A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful.
I hope my master's suit will be but cold,
Since she respects my mistress' love so much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture : Let me see; I think,
If I had such. a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers:
And yet the painter flattered her a little,
Unless I flatter with myself too much.
Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow :
If that be all the difference in his love,
I'll get me such a colored periwig.
Her eyes are gray as glass; and so are mine:
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high.
What should it be, that he respects in her,
But I can make respective in myself,
If this fond love were not a blinded god ?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow
up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou senseless form,
Thou shalt be worshipped, kissed, loved, and adored ;
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My substance should be statue ? in thy stead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That used me so; or else by Jove I vow,
I should have scratched out your unseeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee.
[Exit.
|
