Othou, that doft inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the manfion so long tenantless ;
Left, growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was.
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia;
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain.
What hallo’ing, and what itir is this to-day!
These are my mates, that make their wills their law
Have some unhappy passenger in chase,
They love me well, yet I have much to do
To keep them from uncivil outrages.
Withdraw thee, Valentine : who's this comes here?

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.
Pro. Madam, this service have I done for you.
(Tho' you refpet not aught your servant doth)
To hazard-life, and rescue you from him,
That would have forc'd your honour and your love,
Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look :
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,
And less than this, I'm sure, you cannot give.

Val. How like a dream is this, I fee, and hear ? Love, lend me patience to forbear a while. [Afide.

Sil. O miserable, unhappy that I am!

Pro. Unhappy were you, Madam, ere I came; But by my coming I have made you happy.

Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me mos unhappy. Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your presence.

[Afde. Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion, I would have been a breakfast to the beast, Rather than have false Protheus rescue me. Oh, heav'n be judge, how I love Valentine, Whose life's as tender to me as my soul; And full as much, for more there cannot be, I do deteft falfe perjur'd Protheus : Therefore be gone, solicit me no more.

Pro. What dang'rous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look? Oh, 'tis the curse in love, and ftill approv'd,

When

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 beft love,
For whose dear sake thou then didît rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths ; and all those oaths
Descended into perjury, to love me.
Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou’dst 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 respects friend?

Sil. All men but Protheus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words
Can no way change you to a milder form ;
I'll move

you

like a soldier, at arms end,
And love you'gainst the nature of love; force ye,

Sil. Oh heav'n!
Pro. I'll force thee yield to my desire.

Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch,
Thou friend of an ill fashion !

Pro. Valentine!.

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love; For such is a friend now : thou treach'rous man! Thou hast beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye Could have persuaded me,

Now I dare not say,
I have one friend alive ; thou wouldit disprove me.
Who should be trusted now, when the right hand
Is perjur’d to the bosom? Protheus,
I'm sorry, I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy fake.
The private wound is deepeft. Oh time, most accurft!
'Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst !

Pro. My shame and guilt confound me :
Forgive me, Valentine ; if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
I tender't here; I do as truly suffer,
As e'er I did commit.

Val. Then I am paid :
And once again I do receive thee honefu

Who by repentance is not fatisfy'd,
Is nor of heav'n, nor earth ; for these 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. Oh me unhappy!

(Swoons. Pro. Look to the boy.

Val. Why, boy! how now? what's the matter ? look up; speak.

Jul. O good Sir, my master 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 see:
This is the ring I gave to Julia.

Jul. Oh, cry you mercy, Sir, I have mistook;
This is the ring you sent to Silvia.

Pro. How cam't thou by this ring at my depart, I gave this unto tdia.

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 'em deeply in her heart: How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root ? Oh Protheus, let this habit make thee blush ! Be thou afham'd, that I have took upon me Such an immodeft rayment: if shame live In a disguife of love. It is the lefser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true; oh heav'n!

were man But constant, he were perfe&; 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 spy More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye? Val. Come, come, a hand from either

Let

Let me be bleft to make this happy close;
"Twere pity, two such friends should long be foes.

Pro. Bear witness, heav'n, I have my wish for ever.
Ful. And I mine.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio.
Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val. Forbear, forbear, it is my Lord the Duke.
Your Grace is welcome to a man disgrac’d,
The banish'd Valentines

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,
Milan shall not behold thee. Here the stands, (17)
Take but posression 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 she is thine.

Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
To make such means for her as thou haft done,
And leave her on such 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 state in thy unrival'd merit,

(17) Verona Mall not bold tbec.] Thus all the editions, but, whether, thro' the mistake of the firft Editors, or the Poet's own carelessness, this reading is absurdly faulty. For the threat here is to Thurio, who is a Milanese; and has no concerns, as it appearsy with Verona. Besides, the scene is betwixt the confines of Milan, and Mantua, to which Silvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thither. And, upon these circumstances, I ventur'd to adjust the text, as I imagine, the Poet must have intended : i. e, Milan, iby, country, pall never see thee again : thou shalt never live 10 bork shirber,

TO

To which I thus fubscribe; Sir Valentine,
Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd ;
Take thou thy Silvia, for thou haft deferv'd her.

Val. I thank your Grace, the gift hath made me happy.
I now befeech you, for your daughter's fake,
To grant one boon that I fall afk of you.

Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be.

Val. These 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 reform’d, çivil, 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'f their deserts.
Come, let us go: we will include all jars
With triumphs, mirth, and all folemnity,

Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold
With discourse to make your Grace to smile.
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 saying?

Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along;
That

you

will wonder what hath fortuned.
Come, Protheus, 'tis your penance but to hear
The story of your loves discovered:
That done, our day of marriage shall be yours,
One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.

[Exeunt omnes.

our

THE