4CEease to perswade, my louing Protheus;

5Home-keeping youth, haue euer homely wits,

6Wer't not affection chaines thy tender dayes

7To the sweet glaunces of thy honour'd Loue,

8I rather would entreat thy company,

9To see the wonders of the world abroad,

10Then (liuing dully sluggardiz'd at home)

11Weare out thy youth with shapelesse idlenesse.

12But since thou lou'st; loue still, and thriue therein,

13Euen as I would, when I to loue begin.

14Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine adew,

15Thinke on thy Protheus, when thou (hap'ly) seest

16Some rare note-worthy obiect in thy trauaile.

17Wish me partaker in thy happinesse,

18When thou do'st meet good hap; and in thy danger,

19(If euer danger doe enuiron thee)

20Commend thy grieuance to my holy prayers,

21For I will be thy beades-man, Valentine.

22Val. And on a loue-booke pray for my successe?

23Pro. Vpon some booke I loue, I'le pray for thee.

24Val. That's on some shallow Storie of deepe loue,

25How yong Leander crost the Hellespont.

26Pro. That's a deepe Storie, of a deeper loue,

27For he was more then ouer-shooes in loue.

28Val. 'Tis true; for you are ouer-bootes in loue,

29And yet you neuer swom the Hellespont.

30Pro. Ouer the Bootes? nay giue me not the Boots.

31Val. No, I will not; for it boots thee not.

32Pro. What?

33 Val. To be in loue; where scorne is bought with(grones:

34Coy looks, with hart-sore sighes: one fading moments (mirth,

35With twenty watchfull, weary, tedious nights;

36If hap'ly won, perhaps a haplesse gaine;

37If lost, why then a grieuous labour won;

38How euer: but a folly bought with wit,

39Or else a wit, by folly vanquished.

40Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me foole.

41Val. So, by your circumstance, I feare you'll proue.

42Pro. 'Tis Loue you cauill at, I am not Loue.

43Val. Loue is your master, for he masters you;

44And he that is so yoked by a foole,

45Me thinkes should not be chronicled for wise.

46Pro. Yet Writers say; as in the sweetest Bud,

47The eating Canker dwels; so eating Loue

48Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

49Val. And Writers say; as the most forward Bud

50Is eaten by the Canker ere it blow,

51Euen so by Loue, the yong, and tender wit

52Is turn'd to folly, blasting in the Bud,

53Loosing his verdure, euen in the prime,

54And all the faire effects of future hopes.

55But wherefore waste I time to counsaile thee

56That art a votary to fond desire?

57Once more adieu: my Father at the Road

58Expects my comming, there to see me ship'd.

59Pro. And thither will I bring thee Valentine.

60 Val. Sweet Protheus, no: Now let vs take our leaue:

61To Millaine let me heare from thee by Letters

62Of thy successe in loue; and what newes else

63Betideth here in absence of thy Friend:

64And I likewise will visite thee with mine.

65Pro. All happinesse bechance to thee in Millaine.

66Val. As much to you at home: and so farewell. Exit.

67Pro. He after Honour hunts, I after Loue;

68He leaues his friends, to dignifie them more;

69I loue my selfe, my friends, and all for loue:

70Thou Iulia, thou hast metamorphis'd me:

71Made me neglect my Studies, loose my time;

72Warre with good counsaile; set the world at nought;

73Made Wit with musing, weake; hart sick with thought.

74Sp. Sir Protheus: 'saue you: saw you my Master?

75 Pro. But now he parted hence to embarque for Millain.

76Sp. Twenty to one then, he is ship'd already,

77And I haue plaid the Sheepe in loosing him.

78Pro. Indeede a Sheepe doth very often stray,

79And if the Shepheard be awhile away.

80 Sp. You conclude that my Master is a Shepheard then,

81and I Sheepe?

82Pro. I doe.

83 Sp. Why then my hornes are his hornes, whether I

84wake or sleepe.

85Pro. A silly answere, and fitting well a Sheepe.

86Sp. This proues me still a Sheepe.

87Pro. True: and thy Master a Shepheard.

88Sp. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance.

89Pro. It shall goe hard but ile proue it by another.

90 Sp. The Shepheard seekes the Sheepe, and not the

91Sheepe the Shepheard; but I seeke my Master, and my

92Master seekes not me: therefore I am no Sheepe.

93 Pro. The Sheepe for fodder follow the Shepheard,

94the Shepheard for foode followes not the Sheepe: thou

95for wages followest thy Master, thy Master for wages

96followes not thee: therefore thou art a Sheepe.

97Sp. Such another proofe will make me cry baâ.

98 Pro. But do'st thou heare: gau'st thou my Letter

99to Iulia?

100 Sp. I Sir: I (a lost-Mutton) gaue your Letter to her

101(a lac'd-Mutton) and she (a lac'd-Mutton) gaue mee (a

102lost-Mutton) nothing for my labour.

103 Pro. Here's too small a Pasture for such store of

104Muttons.

105 Sp. If the ground be ouer-charg'd, you were best

106sticke her.

107 Pro. Nay, in that you are astray: 'twere best pound

108you.

109 Sp. Nay Sir, lesse then a pound shall serue me for car-

110rying your Letter.

111Pro. You mistake; I meane the pound, a Pinfold.

112Sp. From a pound to a pin? fold it ouer and ouer,

113'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your louer

114Pro. But what said she?

115Sp.I.

116Pro. Nod-I, why that's noddy.

117Sp. You mistooke Sir: I say she did nod;

118And you aske me if she did nod, and I say I.

119Pro. And that set together is noddy.

120 Sp. Now you haue taken the paines to set it toge-

121ther, take it for your paines.

122Pro. No, no, you shall haue it for bearing the letter.

123 Sp. Well, I perceiue I must be faine to beare with you.

124Pro. Why Sir, how doe you beare with me?

125Sp. Marry Sir, the letter very orderly,

126Hauing nothing but the word noddy for my paines.

127Pro. Beshrew me, but you haue a quicke wit.

128Sp. And yet it cannot ouer-take your slow purse.

129 Pro. Come, come, open the matter in briefe; what

130said she.

131 Sp. Open your purse, that the money, and the matter

132may be both at once deliuered.

133 Pro. Well Sir: here is for your paines: what said she?

134Sp. Truely Sir, I thinke you'll hardly win her.

135 Pro. Why? could'st thou perceiue so much from her?

136Sp. Sir, I could perceiue nothing at all from her;

137No, not so much as a ducket for deliuering your letter:

138And being so hard to me, that brought your minde;

139I feare she'll proue as hard to you in telling your minde.

140Giue her no token but stones, for she's as hard as steele.

141Pro. What said she, nothing?

142Sp. No, not so much as take this for thy pains:

143To testifie your bounty, I thank you, you haue cestern'd (me;

144In requital whereof, henceforth, carry your letters your

145selfe; And so Sir, I'le commend you to my Master.

146 Pro. Go, go, be gone, to saue your Ship from wrack,

147Which cannot perish hauing thee aboarde,

148Being destin'd to a drier death on shore:

149I must goe send some better Messenger,

150I feare my Iulia would not daigne my lines,

151Receiuing them from such a worthlesse post. Exit.