Pier. No man else makes claim unto her?
Mat. The valiant speak truth in brief: no—
Bal. Truly, for Sir Jeffrey Balurdo, he disclaims to have had anything in her.
Pier. Then here I give her to Antonio.
Royal, valiant, most respected prince,
Let’s clip our hands, I’ll thus observe my vow:
I promised twenty thousand double pistolets, 360
With the endearing to my dearest love,
To him that brought thy head; thine be the gold,
To solemnise our houses’ unity;
My love be thine, the all I have, be thine.
Fill us fresh wine, the form we’ll take by this;
We’ll drink a health, while they two sip a kiss.[190]
Now there remains no discord that can sound
Harsh accents to the ear of our accord:
So please you,[191] niece, to match. 369
Ros. Troth, uncle, when my sweet-faced coz hath told me how she likes the thing called wedlock, may be I’ll take a survey of the checkroll of my servants; and he that hath the best parts of—I’ll prick him down for my husband.
Bal. For passion of love now, remember me to my mistress, lady Rossaline, when she is pricking down the good parts of her servants. As I am true knight, I grow stiff; I shall carry it.
Pier. I will.
Sound Lydian wires, once make a pleasing note 380
On nectar streams of your sweet airs to float.
Ant. Here ends the comic crosses of true love;
O! may the passage most successful prove!
[160] Cool.—To keel the pot was to stir the contents gently in order to keep them from boiling over.
[161] Motto.