EASE to perfuade, my loving Protheus; wits; Wer't not, affection chains thy tender days I rather would intreat thy company, To fee the wonders of the world abroad; I It is obfervable (I know not for what caufe) that the ftile of this comedy is lefs figurative, and more natural and unaffected than the greater part of this Author's, tho' fupposed to be one of the first he wrote. 2 Mr. Pope. fhapeless idleness.] The expreffion is fine, as implying that idleness prevents the giving any form or character to the manners. But But fince thou lov't, love ftill, and thrive therein Ev'n as I would, when I to love begin: 23:dsdal Prd Wilt thou be gone? fweet Valentine, adieu; Think on thy Protheus, when thou, håply; feeft ‚Ì Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel: ovd With me partaker in thy happiness,llot or b'atur al ' When thou doft meet good hap; and in thy danger, If ever danger do environ thee, to st Commend thy Grievance to my holy prayer For I will be thy bead's-man, Valentine: Val. And on a love-book pray for my fuccefs.on0 Pro. Upon fome book I love, I'll pray for thee. Val. That's on fome fhallow ftory of deep love, How young Leander crofs'd the Hellefpont Pro. That's a deep ftory of a deeper love A For he was more than over fhoes in lovelydı 10 Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love,ua And yet you never fwom the Hellefpont Szela I baA Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots. { Val. No, I will not; for it boots thee not. Y A.Pro. What? Val. To be in love, where fcorn is bought with groans;& A and naval sH Coy looks, with heart-fore fighs; one fading moment'sî mirth, odT With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights. sbaM If haply won, perhaps, an hapless gain: w W bsM Pro. So, by your circumftance, you call me fool. Val. So, by your circumftance, I fear, you'll prove. ProTis love you cavil at, I am not love? 5. Val. Love is your mafter; for he masters you. I And he that is fo yoaked by a fool, Methinks, fhould not be chronicled for wife. Pre Yet writers fay, as in the fweetest bud TM é The • The eating canker dwells; fo eating love • Inhabits in the finest wits of all. Val. And writers fay, as the most forward bud Is eaten by the canker, ere it blow; • Even fo by love the young and tender wit • Is turn'd to folly, blafting in the bud; Lofing his verdure even in the prime, Once more, adieu: my father at the road Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love; Speed. Sir Protheus, fave you; faw you my mafter? Pro. But now he parted hence, t' imbark for Milan Speed. 3 This whole Scene, like many others in thefe plays (some of which I believe were written by Shakespear, and others interpo VOL. I. N lated Speed. Twenty to one then he is shipp'd already, And I have play'd the sheep in lofing him. Pro. Indeed, a fheep doth very often ftray, An if the thepherd be awhile away. Speed. You conclude that my mafter is a fhepherd then, and I a fheep? Pro. I do. Speed. Why then my horns are his horns, whether I wake or fleep............ -¦ Pro. A filly anfwer, and fitting well a fheep. 1 Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. Pro. It fhall go hard, but I'll prove it by another. Speed. The fhepherd feeks the fheep, and not the fheep the shepherd; but I feek my mafter, and my mafter feeks not me; therefore I am no fheep... Pro. The fheep for fodder follows the fhepherd, the fhepherd for the food follows not the fheep; thou for wages followeft thy mafter, thy mafter for wages follows not thee; therefore thou art a fheep. Speed. Such another proof will make me cry Bea!! Pro. But doft thou hear? gaveft thou my letter to Julia? Speed. Ay, Sir, I, a loft mutton, gave your letter to her, a lac'd mutton, and fhe, a lac'd mutton, gave me, a loft mutton, nothing for my labour. Pro. Here's too fmall a pafture for fuch store of muttons. Speed. If the ground be over-charg'd, you were best stick her. lated by the players), is compofed of the lowest and most trifling conceits, to be accounted for only from the grofs tafte of the age he-lived in Populo ut placerent. I wish I had authority to leave them out but I have done all I could: fet a mark of reprobation upon them throughout this edition. an avis Mr. Pope, et ! Pro. Nay, in that you are a ftray, 'twere best pound you. Speed. Nay, Sir, less than a pound fhall serve me for carrying your letter. Pro. You miftake: I mean the pound, a pin-fold." 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 faid fhe: did the nod? [Speed nods. Speed. I. Pro. Nod-I? why, that's noddy. Speed. You miftook, Sir: I faid, she did nod: And you ask me, if fhe did nod; and I faid, I. Pro. And that fet together, is noddy. Speed. Now you have taken the pains to fet it together, take it for your pains. Pro. No, no, 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. Befhrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your flow purfe. Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief: what faid the? Speed. Open your purfe, that the money and the matter may be both at once deliver❜d. 1 Pro. Well, Sir, here is for your pains; what faid fhe? 5 Speed. Truly, Sir, I think you'll hardly win her. Pro. Why? could't thou perceive fo much from her? Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; No, not fo much as a ducket for delivering your letter. And being fo hard to me that brought your mind, I fear, fhe'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind. Give her no token but stones; for fhe's as hard as steel. |