2 Lord. As many inches as you have oceans, puppies!

Afide.

Clot. I would they had not come between us. 2 Lord. So would I, till you had measur'd how long a fool you were upon the ground.

[Afide.

Clot. And that she should love this fellow, and refuse me!

2 Lord. If it be a fin to make a true election, fhe's damn'd. [Afide. I Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together. She's a good fhine, but I have seen small reflection of her wit.

2 Lord. She fhines not upon fools, left the reflection fhould hurt her.

[Afide. Clot. Cóme, I'll to my chamber: 'would there had been fome hurt done!

2 Lord. I with not fo, unless it had been the fall of an ass, which is no great hurt.

Clot. You'll go

with us?

1 Lord. I'll attend your Lordfhip. Clot. Nay, come, let's go together.

2 Lord. Well, my Lord.

SCENE V. Imogen's apartment.

Enter Imogen and Pifanio.

[Afide.

[Exeunt.

Imo. I would thou grew'ft unto the fhores o' th' haven, And queftion'dft every fail: if he should write,

And I not have it, 'twere a paper loft

As offer'd mercy is. What was the last

That he fpake with thee?

Pif 'Twas, his Queen! his Queen !
Imo. Then wav'd his handkerchief?

Pif. And kifs'a it, Madam.

Imo. Senfelefs linen, happier therein than I! And that was all?

Pil. No, Madam; for fo long

As he could make me with this eye, or ear,
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,

P.3.

How

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 To look upon him; till the diminution--f'em, bat Of's space had pointed him fharp as my needle;

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

• The fmallness 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 swear, "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,' "T" encounter me with orifons; (for then "I am in heaven for him ;) or ere I could "Give him that parting kiss, which I had set "Betwixt two charming words †,

father;

comes in my "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, get them dispatch'd.

I will attend the Queen.

Pif. Madam, I fhall.

SCENE VI. Changes to Rome.

[Exeunt.

Enter Philario, Iachimo, and a Frenchman.

Iach. Believe it, Sir, I have seen 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

These words may be, Adieu, Pofthumus.

"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 with-out and within.

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 weighed 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 approbations of thofe 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 lefs 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 story 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 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.

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 others' experiences;

but

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 arbitriment 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 afk what was the difference?

French. Safely, I think. 'Twas a contention in public, which may without contradiction fuffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out laft night, where each of us fell in praise of our country-mistresses : this Gentleman at that time vouching (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation) his to be more fair, virtuous, wife, chafte, conftant, qualified, and lefs 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.

Iach. You must not so far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy.

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

Iach. 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 your's 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.

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

Poft. More than the world enjoys.

Iach. Either your unparagon'd mistress is dead, or fhe's outpriz'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.

Jach. Which the gods have given you.

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

Jach. You may wear her in title your's; but, you

know,

know, ftrange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your ring may be ftoln 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 laft.

Pofl. Your Italy contains none fo accomplish'd a courtier 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 store of thieves, notwithstanding I fear not my ring.

Phil. Let us leave here, Gentlemen.

Poft. Sir, with all my heart. This worthy Signior, I thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar at first.

.

lach. With five times so much conversation, I should get ground of your fair miftrefs; make her go back, even to the yielding: had I admittance, and opportunity to friend.

Poft. No, no.

Iach. I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate 'to your ring, which, in my opinion, o'ervalues it fomething: but I make my wager rather against 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 perfuafion; and I doubt not you'd sustain what you're worthy of, by your attempt.

Tach. 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.

Iach. 'Would I had put my eftate and my neighbour's on the approbation of what I have spoke.

Poft. What lady would you chuse to affail?

Iach. Your's; who in conftancy, you think, ftands fo fafe. I will lay you ten thousand ducats to your ring, that, commend me to the court where your lady is, with

+ convince, for overcome.

no