Enter Angelo, solus.
My young and simple friend, Paulo Fer-
neze,
Bound me with mighty solemn conjurations
To be true to him, in his love to Rachel,
And to solicit his remembrance still
1 In his enforced absence. Much, i' faith!
True to my friend in cases of affection!
In women's cases! what a jest it is?
How silly he is that imagines it!
He is an a** that will keep promise strictly
In any thing that checks his private pleasure,
Chiefly in love. 'Sblood am not I a man?
Have I not eyes that are as free to look,
And blood to be enflam'd as well as his?
And when it is so, shall I not pursue
Mine own love's longings, but prefer my
friend's?
I, 'tis a good fool, do so; hang me then.
Because I swore? alas, who does not know
That lover's perjuries are ridiculous?
Have at thee, Rachel; I'll go court her sure,
For now I know her father is abroad.
Enter Jaques.
'Sblood see, he's here. O what damn'd luck
is thus?
This labour's lost, I must by no means see
him. Tau, dery, dery.
[ Exit.
1In his enforced absence much i' faith.] It should be printed thus:
In his enforced absence. Much, i' faith!
This ironical use of the word much, as a term of disdain, hath been remarked before.