The DUKE's palace. Enter SILVIA, VALENTINE, THURIO, and SPEED SILVIA Servant! VALENTINE Mistress? SPEED Master, Sir Thurio frowns on you. VALENTINE Ay, boy, it's for love. SPEED Not of you. VALENTINE Of my mistress, then. SPEED 'Twere good you knocked him.
Exit SILVIA Servant, you are sad. VALENTINE Indeed, madam, I seem so. THURIO Seem you that you are not? VALENTINE Haply I do. THURIO So do counterfeits. VALENTINE So do you. THURIO What seem I that I am not? VALENTINE Wise. THURIO What instance of the contrary? VALENTINE Your folly. THURIO And how quote you my folly? VALENTINE I quote it in your jerkin. THURIO My jerkin is a doublet. VALENTINE Well, then, I'll double your folly. THURIO How? SILVIA What, angry, Sir Thurio! do you change colour? VALENTINE Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of chameleon. THURIO That hath more mind to feed on your blood than live in your air. VALENTINE You have said, sir. THURIO Ay, sir, and done too, for this time. VALENTINE I know it well, sir; you always end ere you begin. SILVIA A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly shot off. VALENTINE 'Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver. SILVIA Who is that, servant? VALENTINE Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Sir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship's looks, and spends what he borrows kindly in your company. THURIO Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt. VALENTINE I know it well, sir; you have an exchequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers, for it appears by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words. SILVIA No more, gentlemen, no more:--here comes my father.
Enter DUKE 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? VALENTINE My lord, I will be thankful.
To any happy messenger from thence. DUKE Know ye Don Antonio, your countryman? VALENTINE 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? VALENTINE Ay, my good lord; a son that well deserves The honour and regard of such a father. DUKE You know him well? VALENTINE I know him as myself; for from our infancy We have conversed and spent our hours together:
And though myself have been an idle truant, Omitting the sweet benefit of time To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection, Yet hath Sir Proteus, 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 Comes all the praises that I now bestow, He is complete in feature and in mind With all good grace to grace a gentleman. DUKE Beshrew me, sir, but if he make 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 commendation from great potentates;
And here he means to spend his time awhile:
I think 'tis no unwelcome news to you. VALENTINE 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 will send him hither to you presently.
Exit VALENTINE This is the gentleman I told your ladyship Had come along with me, but that his mistress Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks. SILVIA Belike that now she hath enfranchised them Upon some other pawn for fealty. VALENTINE Nay, sure, I think she holds them prisoners still. SILVIA Nay, then he should be blind; and, being blind How could he see his way to seek out you? VALENTINE Why, lady, Love hath twenty pair of eyes. THURIO They say that Love hath not an eye at all. VALENTINE To see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself:
Upon a homely object Love can wink. SILVIA Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman.
Exit THURIO Enter PROTEUS VALENTINE Welcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you, Confirm his welcome with some special favour. SILVIA His worth is warrant for his welcome hither, If this be he you oft have wish'd to hear from. VALENTINE Mistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship. SILVIA Too low a mistress for so high a servant. PROTEUS Not so, sweet lady: but too mean a servant To have a look of such a worthy mistress. VALENTINE Leave off discourse of disability: