Val.
Cease to persuade, my loving Protheus;
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits:
Wer't not, affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,
I rather would entreat thy company,
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully sluggardiz'd at home,
Wear out thy youth in shapeless idleness.14Q0031
But, since thou lov'st, love still, and thrive therein;
Even as I would, when I to love begin.

Pro.
Wilt thou be gone? sweet Valentine, adieu!
Think on thy Protheus, when thou, haply, see'st
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
Wish me partaker in thy happiness,
When thou dost meet good hap; and, in thy danger,
(If ever danger do environ thee)

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beads-man, Valentine.

Val.
And on a love-book pray for my success. ^note

Pro.
Upon some book I love, I'll pray for thee.

Val.
That's on some shallow story of deep love,
How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont.

Pro.
That's a deep story of a deeper love;
For he was more than over shoes in love.

Val.
'Tis true; for you are over boots in love,
And yet you never swom the Hellespont.

Pro.
Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots.

Val.
No, I will not; for it boots thee not.

Pro.
What?

Val.
To be in love,—where scorn is bought with groans:
Coy looks, with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth
With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights:
If haply won, perhaps a hapless gain;
If lost, why then a grievous labour won;
However, but a folly bought with wit,
Or else a wit by folly vanquished.

Pro.
So, by your circumstance, you call me fool.

Val.
So, by your circumstance, I fear, you'll prove.

Pro.
'Tis love you cavil at; I am not love.

Val.
Love is your master; for he masters you:
And he that is so yoked by a fool,
Methinks, should not be chronicl'd for wise.

Pro.
Yet writers say, As in the sweetest bud
The eating canker dwells; so eating love
Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

Val.
And writers say, As the most forward bud
Is eaten by the canker ere it blow;
Even so by love the young and tender wit

Is turn'd to folly; blasting in the bud,
Losing his verdure even in the prime,
And all the fair effects of future hopes.
But wherefore waste I time, to counsel thee
That art a votary to fond desire?
Once more, adieu: my father at the road
Expects my coming, there to see me ship'd.

Pro.
And thither will I bring thee, Valentine.

Val.
Sweet Protheus, no; now let us take our leave:
At Milan ^note let me hear from thee by letters,
Of thy success in love, and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend;
And I likewise will visit thee with mine.

Pro.
All happiness bechance to thee in Milan!

Val.
As much to you at home! and so, farewel. [Exit Valentine.

Pro.
He after honour hunts, I after love:
He leaves his friends, to dignify them more;
I leave myself ^note, my friends, and all for love.
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphos'd ^note me;
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,
War with good counsel, set the world at nought;
Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought. Enter Speed, bluntly.

Spe.
Sir Protheus! 'save you, sir: Saw you my master?

Pro.
But now he parted hence, to embark for Milan.

Spe.
Twenty to one then, he is ship'd already;
And I have play'd the sheep, in losing him,

Pro.
Indeed, a sheep doth very often stray,
An' if the shepherd be a while away.

Spe.
You conclude, that my master is a shepherd then, and I a sheep? ^note

Pro.
I do.

Spe.
Why then my horns are his horns, wheher I wake, or sleep.

Pro.
A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep.

Spe.
This proves me still a sheep.

Pro.
True; and thy master a shepherd.

Spe.
Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance.

Pro.
It shall go hard, but I'll prove it by another.

Spe.

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 follows ^note the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep; thou for wages follow'st thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee: therefore thou art a sheep.

Spe.

Such another proof will make me cry, ba.

Pro.

But dost thou hear? gav'st thou my letter to Julia?

Spe.

Ay, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your letter 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 store of muttons.

Spe.

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

Pro.

Nay, in that you are a-stray; 'twere best pound you.

Spe.

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

Pro.
You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold. ^note

Spe.
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?

Spe.

I.

Pro.

Nod? I? why, that's noddy,

Spe.

You mistook, sir; I said ^note, she did nod: and you ask me, if she did nod; and I said ^note, I.

Pro.

And that, set together, is—noddy.

Spe.

Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

Pro.

No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.

Spe.

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

Pro.

Why, sir, how do you bear with me?

Spe.

Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains.

Pro.

Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit.

Spe.

And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse.

Pro.

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

Spe.

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

Pro.

Well, sir, here &dagger2; is for your pains: What said she?

Spe.

Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her.

Pro.

Why, could'st thou perceive so much from her?

Spe.

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 ^note. Give her no token but stones, for she's as hard as steel.

Pro.

What, said she nothing?

Spe.

No, not so much as—take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have tester'd ^note me; in requital whereof, henceforth ^note carry your letters ^note

yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to my master.

Pro.
Go, go, begone, ^note to save your ship from wreck;
Which cannot perish, having thee aboard,
Being destin'd 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. [Exit.

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