Duke.
Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset.
Sir Valentine, your father's in good health:
What say you to a letter from your friends
Of much good news?

Val.
My lord, I will be thankful
To any happy messenger from thence.

Duke.
Know you Don Anthonio, your countryman?

Val.
Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman
To be of worth and worthy estimation;
And, not without desert, so well reputed.

Duke.
Hath he not a son?

Val.
Ay, my good lord, a son that well deserves
The honour and regard of such a father.

Duke.
You know him well?

Val.
I knew him, as myself; for from our infancy
We have converst, and spent our hours together:

And tho' my self have been an idle truant,
Omitting the sweet benefit of time,
To cloath mine age with angel-like perfection;
Yet hath Sir Protheus, for that's his name,
Made use and fair advantage of his days;
His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe;
And, in a word, (for far behind his worth
Come all the praises, that I now bestow;)
He is compleat in feature and in mind,
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

Duke.
Beshrew me, Sir, but if he makes this good,
He is as worthy for an empress' love,
As meet to be an Emperor's counsellor.
Well, Sir, this gentleman is come to me,
With commendations from great potentates;
And here he means to spend his time a while.
I think, 'tis no unwelcome news to you.

Val.
Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he.

Duke.
Welcome him then according to his worth:
Silvia, I speak to you; and you, Sir Thurio;
For Valentine, I need not cite him to it:
I'll send him hither to you presently. [Exit Duke.

Val.
This is the gentleman, I told your ladyship,
Had come along with me, but that his mistress
Did hold his eyes lockt in her crystal looks.

Sil.
Belike, that now she hath enfranchis'd them
Upon some other pawn for fealty.

Val.
Nay, sure, I think, she holds them pris'ners still.

Sil.
Nay, then he should be blind; and, being blind,
How could he see his way to seek out you?

Val.
Why, lady, love hath twenty pair of eyes.

Thu.
They say, that love hath not an eye at all.

Val.
To see such lovers, Thurio, as your self:
Upon a homely object love can wink.

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