The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and ftirs of his mind.

Could best exprefs how flow his foul fail'd on,
How fwift his fhip.

Imo. Thou should't have made him

As little as a crow, or lefs, ere left

To after-eye him.

Pif. Madam, fo I did.

Imo. I would have broke mine eye-ftrings; crack'd them, but

To look upon him; 'till the diminution

Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle:

Nay, follow'd him, 'till he had melted from

The smallness of a gnat to air; and then

Have turn'd mine eye, and wept.-But, good Pifanio, When shall we hear from him?

Pif. Be affur'd, madam,

With his next vantage.

Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had
Moft pretty things to fay: ere I could tell him,
How I would think on him, at certain hours,
Such thoughts, and fuch; or I could make him fwear,
The fhe's of Italy fhould not betray

Mine intereft, and his honour; or have charg'd him,
At the fixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
'To encounter me with orifons, for then

I am in heaven for him; or ere I could

Give him that parting kifs, which "I had fet
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father,

the diminution of Space]-occafioned by the distance between us.
vantage-opportunity.

To encounter me with orifons,]-To keep time with me in his prayers.
I bad fet]-I fhould have fet, like a jewel between two sparks.

And,

And, like the tyrannous breathing of the north,

Shakes all our buds from growing.

Enter a Lady.

Lady. The queen, madam,

Defires your highness' company.

Imo. Those things I bid you do, get them dispatch'd.—

I will attend the queen.

Pif. Madam, I fhall.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

ROM E.

An Apartment in Philario's Houfe.

Enter Philario, lachimo, and a Frenchman.

Iach. Believe it, fir: I have feen him in Britain; he was then "of a crefcent note; expected to prove fo worthy, as fince he has been allowed the name of: but I could then have look'd on him without the help of admiration; though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his fide, and I to perufe him by items.

Phil. You fpeak of him when he was lefs furnish'd, than now he is, with that which makes him both without and within.

French. I have feen him in France: we had very many there, could behold the fun with as firm eyes as he.

lach. This matter of marrying his king's daughter,

▾ Shakes all our buds from growing.]-Deftroys the hoped-for harveft of our loves-Shuts all, &c. from blowing.

"

as whirlwinds fake fair buds."

TAMING OF THE SHREW, Vol. II. p. 362.
of a crefent note;]-rifing into fame.
tabled]-infcribed on a table.

Y makes bim]-forms, accomplishes him.

POEMS, P. 594.

(wherein

(wherein he must be weigh'd rather by her value, than his own) words him, I doubt not, a great deal from the

matter.

French. And then his banishment.

Iach. Ay, and the approbation of those, that weep this lamentable divorce, under her colours, are wonderfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgment, which elfe an eafy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without more quality. But how comes it, he is to fojourn with you? How creeps acquaintance?

Phil. His father and I were foldiers together: to whom I have been often bound for no less than my life :

Enter Pofthumus.

Here comes the Briton: Let him be fo entertained amongst you, as fuits, with gentlemen of your knowing, to a ftranger of his quality.-I befeech you all, be better known to this gentleman; whom I commend to you, as a noble friend of mine: How worthy he is, I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than ftory him in his own. hearing.

French. Sir, we have known together in Orleans.

d

Poft. Since when I have been debtor to you for courrefies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay still. French. Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness: I was glad I did atone my countryman and you; it had been pity, you should have been put together with fo mortal a purpose, as then each bore, upon importance of fo flight and trivial a nature.

e

1 words bim,]-caufes the reprefentation of him to vary widely from the truth.

• under her colours,]-from their attachment to her, contributes greatly to fet him off, to enhance his reputation.

D knowing,]-good breeding.

have known together-were acquainted.
importance]-a matter.

atone-reconcile.

Poft.

Poft. By your pardon, fir, I was then a young travel

ler; f rather fhunn'd to go even with what I heard, than in my every action to be guided by others' experiences: but, upon my mended judgment, (if I offend not to say it is mended) my quarrel was not altogether flight.

French. 'Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of fwords; and by fuch two, that would, by all likelyhood, have confounded one the other, or have fallen both.

Iach. Can we, with manners, afk what was the difference?

French. Safely, I think: 'twas a contention in publick, which may, without contradiction, fuffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praife of our country mistresses : This gentleman at that time vouching, (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation) his to be more fair, virtuous, wife, chaste, conftant-qualified, and lefs attemptible, than any the rareft of our ladies in France.

k

i

Iach. That lady is not now living; or this gentleman's opinion, by this, worn out,

Poft. She holds her virtue ftill, and I my mind.

Iach. You must not fo far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy. Post. Being so far provok'd as I was in France, I would abate her nothing; though I profefs myself her adorer, not her friend.

frather bunn'd]-avoided conducting myself by the advice of others, than fuffered their experience to be my guide.

8 confounded]-defpatched, deftroyed.

h without contradiction, Juffer the report.]-undoubtedly be as publickly told.

i (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation)—and declared himself ready to fhed his blood in fupport of his affertion.

k conftant-qualified, and lefs attemptible,]-endued with constancy, and lefs liable to be feduced.

though I profess myself her adorer, not her friend.]—though I should difclaim all title to her friendship, and rank myself only among her diftant admirers-ber friend, not her adorer.

lach. As fair, and as good, (a kind of hand-in-hand comparison) had been fomething too fair, and too good, for any lady in Britany. If fhe went before others I have seen, as that diamond of yours out-luftres many I have beheld, I could not believe fhe excelled many: but I have not feen the most precious diamond that is, nor you the lady.

Poft. I prais'd her, as I rated her: fò do I my stone. Iath. What do you esteem it at?

Poft. More than the world enjoys.

Iach. Either your unparagon'd mistress is dead, or fhe's out-priz'd by a trifle.

Poft. You are mistaken: the one may be fold, or given; if there were wealth enough for the purchase, or merit for the gift the other is not a thing for fale, and only the gift of the gods.

Iach. Which the gods have given you?

Poft. Which, by their graces, I will keep.

Iach. You may wear her in title yours: but, you know, ftrange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your ring may be stolen too: fo, of your brace of unprizeable estimations, the one is but frail, and the other cafual; a cunning thief, or a that-way-accomplish'd courtier, would hazard the winning both of firft and last.

D

Post. Your Italy contains none fo accomplish'd a cour tier, to convince the honour of my mistress; if, in the holding or lofs of that, you term her frail. I do nothing doubt, you have ftore of thieves; notwithstanding, I fear not my ring.

Phil. Let us leave here, gentlemen.

Poft. Sir, with all my heart. This worthy fignior, I

I could not believe she excelled many :]-I could yet believe there were many whom she did not excel.-I could believe-I could but-1 could not but believe. n convince]-overcome.