That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very forrow!

Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth.
Alas, poor Lady! defolate and left!

I wept myself, to think upon thy words.
Here, youth, there is my purfe; I give thee this
For thy fweet miftrefs' fake, because thou lov'ft her.
Farewel.
[Exit Silvia.
Jul. And the fhall thank you for't, if e'er you know her.
A virtuous Gentlewoman, mild and beautiful.
I hope, my mafter's fuit will be but cold;
Since he refpects my mistress' love fo much.
Alas! how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture; let me fee; I think,
If I had fuch a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers ::
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,.
Unless I flatter with myfelf too much.
Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow.
If that be all the diff'rence in his love,
I'll get me fuch a colour'd perriwig.

Her eyes are grey as glafs, and fo are mine; (16)
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine is high.
What fhould it be, that he refpects in her,
But I can make refpective in myself,

If this fond love were not a blinded god?
Come, fhadow, come; and take this fhadow up;
For 'tis thy rival. O thou fenfeless form,
Thou shalt be worship'd, kifs'd, lov'd and ador'd:
And were there fenfe in his idolatry,
My fubftance fhould be ftatue in thy ftead.
Il ufe thee kindly for thy miftrefs' fake,
That us'd me fo; or elfe, by Jove I vow,

I should have fcratch'd out your unfeeing eyes,
To make my mafter out of love with thee.

are

[Exit..

(16). Her eyes grey as grafs.] Mr. Rowe and Mr. Pope's editions,. for what reafon I know not, vary from the old copies, which have: it rightly, glafs. So Chaucer, in the character of his Priorefs;

Full femely her wimple pinchid was,

Her nofe was tretes, her eyen grey as glass..

ACT

SCENE, near the Friar's Cell, in Milan.

Enter Eglamour.

EGLAMOUR.

HE fun begins to gild the western sky,

TH

And now it is about the
very hour
Silvia, at Friar Patrick's cell, fhould meet me.
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come before their time:
So much they fpur their expedition.-
See, where he comes. Lady, a happy evening.
Enter Silvia.

Sil. Amen, Amen! Go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the poftern by the Abbey-wall;

I fear, I am attended by fome fpies,

Eg Fear not; the foreft is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we're fure enough.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Duke's Palace.

Enter Thurio, Protheus, and Julia.

Thu. Sir Protheus, what fays Silvia to my fuit ?
Pro. Oh, Sir, I find her milder than she was,
And yet he takes exceptions at your perfon.
Thu. What, that my leg is too long?

Pro. No; that it is too little.

Thu. I'll wear a boot to make it fomewhat rounder. Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths. Thu, What fays fhe to my face?

Pro. She fays, it is a fair one.

Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black. Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old faying is,

Black

"Black men are pearls in beauteous Ladies eyes. Jul. 'Tis true, fuch pearls as put out Ladies eyes; För I had rather wink, than look on them. [Afide.

Thu. How likes fhe my difcourfe?

Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I difcourfe of love and peace ? Jul. But better, indeed, when you hold your peace. Thu. What fays he to my valour?

Pro. Oh, Sir, fhe makes no doubt of that.

ful. She needs not, when he knows it cowardice. Thu. What fays fhe to my birth?

Pro. That you are well deriv'd.

Jul. True; from a gentleman to a fool.

Tha. Confiders fhe my poffeffions ?

Pro. Oh, ay, and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Jul. That fuch an afs fhould own them.

Pro. That they are out by leafe.

Jul. Here comes the Duke.

Enter Duke.

Duke. How now, Sir Protheus? how now, Thurio? Which of you faw Sir Eglamour of late i

Thu. Not I.

Pro. Nor I.

Duke. Saw you my daughter?

Pro. Neither.

Duke. Why then.

She's filed unto that peafant Valentine ;
And Eglamour is in her company.

'Tis true; for Friar Laurence met them both,
As he in penance wander'd through the foreft:1
Him he knew well and guefs'd that it was the;
But, being mak'd, he was not fure of it.
Befides, the did intend confeffion

At Patrick's cell this ev'n, and there fhe was not:
Thefe likelihoods confirm her flight from hence."
Therefore, I pray you, fland not to discourse,
But mount you prefently, and meet with me
Upon the rifing of the mountain-foot

That

That leads tow'rds Mantua, whither they are fled.
Dispatch, fweet gentlemen, and follow me. [Exit Duke.
Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish girl,
That flies her fortune where it follows her:
I'll after, more to be reveng'd of Eglamour
Than for the love of recklefs Silvia.

Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love,
Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her.

ful. And I will follow, more to crofs that love, Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love.

Out.

SCENE changes to the Foreft.

Enter Silvia and Out-laws.

[Exeunt.

NOME, come, be patient; we must bring you to our Captain.

Sil. A thousand more mifchances, than this one, Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently.

2 Out. Come, bring her away.

1 Out. Where is the gentleman, that was with her? Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath out-run us; But Moyfes and Valerius follow him.

3

Go thou with her to th' weft end of the wood,

There is our captain: follow him, that's fled.
The thicket is befet, he cannot 'fcape.

1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's cave," Fear not; he bears an honourable mind, And will not ufe a woman lawlessly.

Sil. O Valentine! this I endure for thee.

Val.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, the Outlaw's Cave in the Foreft.

Enter Valentine.

a

This fhadowy defart, unfrequented woods, I better brook than flourishing peopled towns. Here can I fit alone, unseen of any, And to the nightingale's complaining notes Tune my diftreffes, and record my woes.

O thou, that doft inhabit in my breast,
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 chafe,

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 fervice have I done for you.
(Tho' you refpect not ought your fervant doth)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him,
That wou'd have forc'd your honour and your love.
Vouchfafe me for my meed but one fair look:
A fmaller boon than this I cannot beg,

And less than this, I'm fure, 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 miferable, 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 moft unhappy. Jal. And me, when he approacheth to your p.efence. [Afide.

Sil. Had I been feized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a breakfast to the beaft,
Rather than have falfe Protheus refcue me.
Oh, heav'n 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, follicit me no more.

Pro. What dang'rous action, stood it next to death,

Would I not undergo for one calm look ?

Oh, 'tis the curfe in love, and still approv'd,

When