But fince thou loveft, love ftill, and thrive therein;
Even as I would, when I to love begin.

T

Pro. Wilt thou be gone? fweet Valentine, adieu;
Think on thy Protheus, when thou haply feest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
With me partaker in thy happiness,
When thou doft meet good hap; and in thy danger,.
If ever danger do environ thee,
Commend thy grievance to my holy prayer;
For I will be thy bead's-man, Valentine.

Val. And on a lové-book pray for my fuccefs?
Pro. Upon fome book I love, I'll pray for thee..
Val. That's on fome fhallow ftory of deep love,.
How young Leander crofled the Hellefpont.

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

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

Pro. Over the boots; nay, give me not the boots. (2)..

**

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

Vol. To be in love, where fcorn is bought with

groans;

Coy looks, with heart-fore fighs; one fading mo-
ment's mirth,

With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights.
If haply won, perhaps an hapleís gain:
If loft, why them a grievous labour won:
However, but a folly bought with wit,,
Or else a wit by, folly vanquished...

3

(2) Nay, give me not the boots.] A proverbial expreffion, though now difused, signifying, don't make a laughing-stock of me; don't play upon me. The French have a phrafe, Buller foin en corne; which Cotgrave thus interprets, Tagive, one the boots to fell him a bargain.

119

Pro. So by your circumftance you call me fool. Val. So by your circumftance I fear you'll prove.. Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at; I am not love. Val. Love is your master; for he mafters you And he that is fo yoaked by a fool, Methinks fhould not be chronicled for wife.

Pro. Yet writers fay, as in the sweetest bud. The eating canker dwells, fo eating love Inhabits in the fineft 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 turned to folly, blafting in the bud;
Lofing his verdure even in the prime,,
And all the fair. effects of future hopes..
But wherefore wafte I time to counfel thee
That art a votary to fond defire?
Once more adieu; my father at the road
Expects my coming, there to fee me hipped.

Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine,
Val. Sweet Protheus, no; now let us take our
At Milan let me hear from thee by letters [leave,
Of thy fuccefs in love; and what news elfe
Betideth here in abfence of thy friend;
And I likewife will vifit thee with mine..

Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! Val,, As much to you at home; and fo farewel!

[Exitos

Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love: He leaves his friends to dignify them more; 1leave myfelf, my friends, and all for love. Thou, Julia, thou haft metamorphofed me; Made me neglect my ftudies, lofe my time, War with good counfel, fet the world at nought; Made me with mufing weak; heart-fick with

}

thought.

Enter SPEED.

Speed. Sir Protheus, fave you; faw you my mafter?

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

Speed. Twenty to. one then he is fhipped already,. And I have played the sheep in lofing him..

Pro. Indeed a fheep doth very often stray,.. An if the fhepherd be a while 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, whe ther I wake or fleep.

Pro. A filly anfwer, and fitting well a fheep.'.
Speed. This proves me ftill a fheep.
Pro.. True; and thy mafter a fhepherd.
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 sheep, and not the
fheep the fhepherd; but I feek my mafter, and my
mafter feeks not me; therefore I am no theep.

Pro. The fheep for fodder follows the fhepherd, the fhepherd for food follows not the sheep; thou for wages followeft thy mafter, thy mafter for wagesfollows not thee; therefore thou art a fheep.

Speed. Such another proof will make me cry baâ.

Pro. But doft thou hear? gaveft thou my letter to Julia?

Speed. Ay, Sir, I, a loft mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton (3); and fhe, a laced mutton, gave me, a loft mutton, nothing for my labour..

3

(3) I, a loft mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mut ton;] Launce calls himself a loft mutton, because he had lost.

1

Pro. Here's too small a pasture for fuch store of

muttons.

Speed. If the ground be over-charged, you were beft ftick her.

4

Pro. Nay, in that you are a ftray (4), 'twere beft pound you.

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

Pro. You mistake: I mean the pound a pinfold. Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and [lover. "Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your Pro. But what faid fhe? did the nod?

over,

[Speed nods.

Speed. I.

his master, and because Protheus had been proving him a Sheep. But why does he call the lady a laced mutton? Your notable wenchers are to this day called Viuttonmongers: and confequently the object of their paffion muft, by the metaphor, be the mutton. And Cotgrave in his English-French dictionary, explains laced mutton, une garfe, putain, fille de joy. And Mr Motteaux has rendered this paffage of Rabelais in the prologue of his fourth book, cailles coiphees mignonnement chantans, in this manner, coated quails and laced mutton waggifhly finging. So that laced mutton has been a fort of standard phrafe for girls of pleasure. I fhall explain cailles coiphees in its proper place, upon a passage of Troilus and Creffida. That laced mutton was a term in vogue before Our Author appeared in writing, I find from an old play, printed in black letter in the year 1578, called Promos and Caffandra; in which a courtezan's fervants thus speak to her;

Prying abroad for playefellows, and such,
For you, miftrefs, I heard of one Phallax,
A man efteemde of Promos verie much :
Of whofe nature I was fo bolde to axe,
And I fmealte, he loved lafe mutton well.

(4) Nay, in that you are aftray:] For the reafon Protheus gives, Dr Thirlby advises that we should read ajiray; 1, e. a Aray theep; which continues Protheus's banter upon Speed

i Pro. Nod-L? why, that's noddy.

2.5

Speed. You mistook, Sir; I faid fhe did nod; and you afk me, if he 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 fhall 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. Rethrew 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 delivered.

Pro. Well, Sir, here is for your pains; what faid the?

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 she'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind, Give her no token but ftones; for the's as hard as fteel.

Pro. What, faid the nothing?

Speed. No, not fo much as take this for thy pains: to teftify your bounty, I thank you, you have tefterned me: in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letter yourself: and fo, Sir, I'll commend you to my master.

Pro. Go, go, be gone, to fave your fhip from wreck,