Fear not; he bears an honourable mind,
And will not use a woman lawlesly.

Sil. O Valentine, this I endure for thee!

[Exeunte

SCENE IV. The fame. Another part of it.
Enter Valentine.

Val. How ufe doth breed a habit in a man!
This fhadowy defert, unfrequented woods,
I better brook than flourishing peopl'd towns:
Here can I fit alone, unfeen of any,

And, to the nightingale's complaining notes,
Tune my diftreffes, and record my woes.
O thou that dost inhabit in my breaft,
Leave not the manfion fo long tenantlefs;
Left, growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was!
Repair me with thy prefence, Silvia;
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn fwain!
What hallo'ing, and what ftir, is this to-day?

These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
Have fome unhappy paffenger in chace :

They love me well; yet I have much to do,

To keep them from uncivil outrages.

Withdraw thee, Valentine; who's this comes here?

66

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.

Pro. Madam, this fervice I have done for you,
(Though you refpect not ought your fervant doth)
To hazard life, and refcue you from him,

That would have forc'd your honour, and your love :
Vouchfafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,

And less than this, I am fure, you cannot give.
Val. How like a dream is this, I fee, and hear!
Love, lend me patience to forbear a while.

Sil. O miferable, unhappy, that I am!
Pro. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came;
But, by my coming, I have made you happy.

[Afide

Sil. By thy approach thou mak'ft me most unhappy. Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your pre

fence.
3

[Afide,

Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a breakfaft to the beast,
Rather than have false Protheus rescue me.
O, heaven be judge, how I love Valentine,
Whofe life's as tender to me as my foul;
And full as much (for more there cannot be)
I do deteft falfe perjur'd Protheus:`

Therefore be gone, folicit me no more t.

Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look ?

O, 'tis the curfe in love, and still approv❜d,

When women cannot love where they're belov'd ‡ !

Sil. When Protheus cannot love where' he's belov'd:

Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,
For whose dear fake thou didst then rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
Defcended into perjury, to love me.

Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou'dft two,
And that's far worse than none; better have none
Than plural faith, which is too much by one :..
Thou counterfeit to thy true friend!

Pro. In love,

Who refpects friend?

Sil. All men but Protheus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle fpirit of moving words Can no way change you to a milder form,

I'll woo you like a foldier, at arm's end;

And love you 'gainst the nature of love; force you.
Sil. O heaven!

Pro. I'll force thee yield to my defire.

Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch;

Thou friend of an ill fafhion.

Pro. Valentine!

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith, or

love;

(For fuch is a friend now) treacherous man,

†This is an exceeding just and spirited rebuff to the infamy of Protbeus.

any

This is a juft remark, though it had been more forceable in but a diftinguished deceptive and very bad character,

Thou haft beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye
Could have perfuaded me : Now I dare not fay,

I have one friend alive; thou would'ft difprove me:
Who fhould be trusted now, when one's right hand
Is perjur'd to the bofom? Protheus,

I am forry, I must never trust thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy fake.
The private wound is deepest: O time accurft!
'Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst * !
Pro. My fhame, and guilt, confounds me.—
Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty forrow

Be a fufficient ranfom for offence,

I tender't here; I do as truly fuffer,
As e'er I did commit +.

Val. Then I am pay'd;

And once again I do receive thee honest:-
Who by repentance is not fatisfy'd,

Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for thefe are pleas'd;

By penitence th' Eternal's wrath's appeas'd:

And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.

Jul. O me unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[faints.

Val. Why, boy! why, wag! how now? what is the

matter?

Look up; speak.

Jul. O good fir, my mafter charg'd me

To deliver a ring to madam Silvia;

Which, out of my neglect, was never done.

Pro. Where is that ring,, boy?

Jul. Here 'tis; this is it.

Pro. How! let me fee:

Why, this is the ring 1 gave to Julia.

Jul. O, cry you mercy, fir, I have mistook:

This is the ring you fent to Silvia.

The reproaches against deceptive friendship, are very just and inftructive.

This appears a conceffion rather too cafily wrought for fo deep ■ dye of guilt.

Pro. But, how cam'ft thou by this ring? at my depart, I gave this unto Julia.

Jul. And Julia herself did give it me;

And Julia herself hath brought it hither.
Pro. How! Julia?

Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
And entertain'd them deeply in her heart:
How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root?
O Protheus, let this habit make thee blush;
Be thou afham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest raiment; if shame live
In a difguife of love:

It is the leffer blot, modefty finds,

Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds ! 'tis true: O heaven!

were man

But conftant, he were perfect: that one error

Fills him with faults; makes him run through all fins :
Inconftancy falls off, ere it begins:

What is in Silvia's face, but I may fpy
More fresh in Julia's, with a conftant eye?
Val. Come, come, a hand from either:
Let me be bleft to make this happy close;
'Twere pity, two fuch friends fhould be long foes.
Jul. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for ever.
Pro. And I mine.
[embracing".

Shouts and enter Outlaws, with Duke, and Thurio.

Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val. Forbear, I fay; it is my lord the duke :Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd,

The banish'd Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine!

Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine.

Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death; Come not within the measure of my wrath: Do not name Silvia thine; if once again,

This reconciliation is amiable, and very well calculated to bring on the catastrophe.

Milan fhall not behold thee: Here the ftands,
Take but poffeffion of her with a touch;
I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.
Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I:
I hold him but a fool, that will endanger
His body for a girl that loves him not:

I claim her not, and therefore fhe is thine.
Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
To make fuch means for her as thou haft done,
And leave her on fuch flight conditions.-
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,

I do applaud thy fpirit, Valentine,

And think thee worthy of an emprefs' love:
Know then, I here forget all former griefs,
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again;
Plead a new ftate in thy unrival'd merit,
To which I thus fubfcribe,-Sir Valentine,
Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd;
Take thou thy Silvia, for thou haft deserv'd her.
Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me
happy.

I now befeech you, for your daughter's lake,
To grant one boon that I fhall ask of you.

Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. Val. Thefe banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endu'd with worthy qualities;

Forgive them what they have committed here,

And let them be recall'd from their exile:

They are reformed, civil, full of good,

And fit for great employment, worthy lord.

Duke. Thou haft prevail'd; I pardon them, and thee: Dispose of them, as thou know'ft their deferts. Come, let us go; we will include all jars With triumphs, mirth, and rare folemnity. Val. And, as we walk along, I dare be bold With our discourfe to make your grace to fmile: What think you of this page, my lord?

Duke. I think, the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. Val. I warrant you, my lord; more grace than boy. Duke. What mean you by that faying?