Launce. I never knew him otherwise.

Speed. Than how?

Launce. A notable lubber, as thou reportest him to be.

me.

Speed. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mistak'st

Launce. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy master.

Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot lover.

Launce. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt, go with me to the alehouse: if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not 50 worth the name of a Christian.

Speed. Why?

Launce. Because thou hast not so much charity in thee, as to go to the ale with a Christian. Wilt thou go?

Speed. At thy service.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. The Same. An Apartment in the Palace. Enter PROTEUS.

Pro. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn;

To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn:

To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn;
And ev'n that power, which gave me first my oath,
Provokes me to this threefold perjury:

Love bade me swear, and Love bids me forswear.

O sweet-suggesting Love! if thou hast sinn'd,

Teach me, thy tempted subject, to excuse it.

At first I did adore a twinkling star,

64 ale. "Ales" were inferior church festivals; to which Launce makes a quibbling allusion. (w)

But now I worship a celestial sun.
Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken;
And he wants wit, that wants resolved will
To learn his wit t' exchange the bad for better.
Fie, fie, unreverend tongue! to call her bad,
Whose sovereignty so oft thou hast preferr'd
With twenty thousand soul-confirming oaths.
I cannot leave to love, and yet I do ;

But there I leave to love, where I should love.
Julia I lose, and Valentine I lose :

If I keep them, I needs must lose myself;
If I lose them, thus find I, by their loss,
For Valentine, myself, for Julia, Silvia.
I to myself am dearer than a friend,
For love is still most precious in itself;

And Silvia, (witness heaven that made her fair!)
Shows Julia but a swarthy Ethiope.

I will forget that Julia is alive,
Remembering that my love to her is dead;
And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,
Aiming at Silvia, as a sweeter friend.

I cannot now prove constant to myself
Without some treachery us'd to Valentine.
This night, he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celestial Silvia's chamber-window;
Myself in counsel, his competitor.
Now, presently I'll give her father notice
Of their disguising, and pretended flight,
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine,

For Thurio, he intends, shall wed his daughter:
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross
By some sly trick blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.
85 competitor,
r, i. e. confederate.

(R)

87 pretended, intended. III. i. 47.]