Imo. I Would thou grew'ft unto the shores o' th' haven, And questioned'it every fail: if he should write,

And I not have it, "twere as a paper loft

With offer'd mercy in it. What was the laft
That he spake with thee?

Pif 'Twas, His Queen, bis Queen!

Imo. Then wav'd his handkerchief?
Pif. And kifs'd it, Madam.

Imo. Senfelefs linnen, happier therein than I :
And that was all?

Pif. No, Madam; for fo long

As he could mark me with his eye, or I
Diftinguish him from others, he did keep
The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and ftirs of's mind
Could beft exprefs how flow his foul fail'd on,
How fwift his fhip.

Imo. Thou should't have 3 'made him ev❜n
As little as a crow, or lefs, ere left

To after-eye him.

Pif. Madam, fo I did.

[but

Imo. I would have broke mine eye-strings; crackt 'em,

To look upon him; 'till the diminution,

*From space, had pointed him fharp as my needle; Nay, follow'd him, 'till he had melted from

The fmallnefs of a gnat, to air; and then

Have turn'd mine eye, and wept-but, good Pifanio, When fhall we hear from him?

Pif. Be affur'd, Madam,

'twere a paper

As offer'd mercy is.

loft

2 make me with this eye, or ear, 3 made him as

With

4 Of

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 She's of Italy fhould not betray

Mine intereft, and his honour; or 5 'could charge him`
At the fixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
T'encounter me with orifons, (for then

I am in heav'n for him) or ere I could
Give him that parting kifs which I had fet
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father,
And like the tyrannous breathing of the north,

Shakes all our buds from "blowing.

Enter a Lady.

Lady. The Queen, Madam,

Defires your Highness' company.

Imo. Those things I bid you do,

I will attend the Queen.

Pif. Madam, I shall.

Iach.

SCENE

ROME.

Enter Philario, Iachimo, and a French man.

Believe

Elieve it, Sir,. I have seen him in Britain ; he was then but crefcent, none expected him to prove fo worthy as fince he hath been allowed the name of: 7'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 peruse 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.

5 have charg'd him, 7 But I could

French.

6 growing... old edit. Warb. emend.

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

Iach. This matter of marrying his King's daughter, (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 fortifie her judgment, which else an eafie 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 beseech 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 been known together in Orleans. Poft. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtefies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay ftill.

French. Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindnefs; I was glad I did attone my countryman and you; it had been pity you fhould have been put together with fo mortal a purpose, as then each bore, upon importance of fo fight and trivial a nature.

Poft. By your pardon, Sir, I was then a young traveller; rather fhunn'd to go even with what I heard, than in my every action to be guided by other's experiences; but upon my mended judgment, (if I offend not to fay it is mended,) my quarrel was not altogether flight.

French.

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

Iach. Can we with manners ask 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 laft night, where each of us fell in praife of our country-miftreffes: This gentleman at that time vouching, and upon warrant of bloody affirmation, his to be more fair, virtuous, wife, chaft, conftant, qualified, and less attemptable than any the rarest of our Ladies in France.

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.

Tach. You must not fo far prefer her, 'fore ours of Italy.

Poft. Being fo far provok'd as I was in France, I would abate her nothing, tho' I profefs myself her adorer, not her friend.

Tach. 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 he went before others I have feen, as that diamond of yours out-lufters many I have beheld, I could believe the excelled many; but I have not feen the most precious diamond that is, nor you the Lady.

8

Poft. I prais'd her, as I rated her; fo do I my stone. Iach. What do you efteem it at ?

Post. More than the world enjoys.

lach. Either your unparagon'd miftrefs 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.

8 could not believe . . . old edit. Warb. emend.

Iach.

C

S

Jach. 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 ftol'n too; fo of your brace of unprizeable eftimations, 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 first and laft.

Poft Your Italy contains none fo accomplish'd a courtier to convince the honour of my miftrefs, 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 thank him, makes no stranger of me, we are familiar at first.

Iach. With five times fo much converfation, I fhould get ground of your fair miftrefs; make her go back, even to the yielding: had I admittance, and opportunity to friend.

Poft. No, no.

lach. I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my eftate to your ring, which in my opinion o'er-values it fomething: but I make my wager rather againft your confidence, than her reputation. And to bar your offence herein too, I durft attempt it against any lady in the world.

Poft. You are a great deal abus'd in too bold a perfwafion; and I doubt not you'd fuftain what you're worthy of, by your attempt.

Iach. What's that?

Poft. A repulfe; though your attempt, as you call it, deferves more; a punishment too.

Phil. Gentlemen, enough of this; it came in too fuddenly, let it die as it was born, and I pray you be better acquainted.

lach.