SCENE IV.-THE SAME.

Enter Launce and Crab.

Launce. When a man's servant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy; one that I saved from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it. I have taught him, even as one would say precisely,-thus I would teach a dog. I was sent to deliver him as a present to Mistress Silvia from my master, and I came no sooner into the dining-chamber, but he steps me to her trencher, and steals her capon's leg. O! 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies. I would have, as one should say one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily, he had been hang'd for't: sure as I live, he had suffer'd for't. I have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen; otherwise he had been executed: I have stood on the pillory for geese he hath kill'd; otherwise he had suffer'd for't: thou think'st not of this now!

Enter Proteus and Julia.

Pro. Sebastian is thy name? I like thee well, And will employ thee in some service presently. Jul. In what you please:-I'll do what I can. Pro. I hope thou wilt.-How, now, you idle peasant!

Where have you been these two days loitering? Launce. Marry, sir, I carried Mistress Silvia the dog you bade me.

Pro. And what says she to my little jewel? Launce. Marry, she says, your dog was a cur; and tells you, currish thanks is good enough for such a present.

Pro. But she receiv'd my dog?

Launce. No, indeed, did she not. Here have I brought him back again.

Pro. What! didst thou offer her this from me? Launce. Ay, sir: the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman boys in the marketplace; and then I offer'd her mine own, who is a dog as big as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater.

Pro. Go; get thee hence, and find my dog again, Or ne'er return again into my sight. Away, I say! Stayest thou to vex me here ?A slave that still an end turns me to shame.[Exit Launce.

Sebastian, I have entertained thee,

Partly, that I have need of such a youth,
That can with some discretion do my business
(For 'tis no trusting to yond foolish lowt),
But, chiefly, for thy face, and thy behaviour,
Which (if my augury deceive me not)
Witness good bringing up, fortune, and truth:
Therefore know thou, for this I entertain thee.
Go presently, and take this ring with thee:
Deliver it to Madam Silvia.

She lov'd me well deliver'd it to me.

Jul. It seems, you lov'd not her, to leave her She's dead belike? [token.

Pro.

Jul. Alas!

Not so; I think she lives.

Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas!

[well

Jul. I cannot choose but pity her. Pro. Wherefore should'st thou pity her? Jul. Because, methinks, that she lov'd you as As you do love your lady Silvia. She dreams on him that has forgot her love; You dote on her that cares not for your love. 'Tis pity, love should be so contrary; And thinking on it makes me cry, alas!

Pro. Well, give her that ring; and therewithal This letter:-that's her chamber.-Tell my lady I claim the promise for her heavenly picture. Your message done, hie home unto my chamber, Where thou shalt find me sad and solitary. [Exit. Jul. How many women would do such a message?

Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd
A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs.
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him,
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth me;
Because I love him, I must pity him.
This ring I gave him when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good-will;
And now am I (unhappy messenger!)
To plead for that which I would not obtain ;
To carry that which I would have refus'd;
To praise his faith which I would have disprais'd
I am my master's true confirmed love,
But cannot be true servant to my master,
Unless I prove false traitor to myself.
Yet will I woo for him; but yet so coldly,
As, Heaven it knows, I would not have him speed.

Enter Silvia, attended.

Gentlewoman, good day. I pray you, be my mean To bring me where to speak with Madam Silvia.

Sil. What would you with her, if that I be she? Jul. If you be she, I do entreat your patience To hear me speak the message I am sent on. Sil. From whom?

Jul. From my master, Sir Proteus, madam.
Sil. O! he sends you for a picture?
Jul. Ay, madam.

Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there.

[A picture brought. Go, give your master this: tell him from me, One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget, Would better fit his chamber, than this shadow.

Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.Pardon me, madam, I have unadvis'd Deliver'd you a paper that I should not: This is the letter to your ladyship.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.

D. Why, then she's fled unto that peasant ValAnd Eglamour is in her company. [entine, 'Tis true; for Friar Laurence met them both, As he in penance wander'd through the forest. Him he well knew, and guess'd that it was she; But, being mask'd, he was not sure of it: Besides, she did intend confession

At Patrick's cell this even, and there she was not.
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence:
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount you presently, and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain foot,
That leads towards Mantua, whither they are
fled.

Dispatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me.[Exit.
Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish girl,
That flies her fortune when it follows her.
I'll after, more to be reveng'd on Eglamour,
Than for the love of reckless Silvia. [Exit.
Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love,
Than hate of Eglamour, that goes with her. [Exit.
Jul. And I will follow, more to cross that love,
Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love. [Exit.

SCENE III.-THE FOREST.

Enter Silvia and Outlaws.

1 Out. Come, come; be patient, we must bring you to our Captain.

Sil. A thousand more mischances than this one Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently. 2 Out. Come, bring her away.

10. Where is the gentleman that was with her? 3 Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath outrun us; But Moyses and Valerius follow him. Go thou with her to the west end of the wood; There is our Captain. We'll follow him that's fled: The thicket is beset; he cannot 'scape.

1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our Captain's cave.

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

Sil. O Valentine! this I endure for thee.

[Exeunt. SCENE IV.-ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST.

Enter Valentine.

Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man! These shadowy desert unfrequented woods, I better brook than flourishing peopled towns. Here can I sit alone, unseen of any, And to the nightingale's complaining notes Tune my distresses, and record my woes. O thou that dost inhabit in my breast.

Leave not the mansion so long tenantless,
Lest, 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 halloing and what stir is this to-day?
These are my mates, that make their wills their
Have some unhappy passenger in chase. [law,
They love me well; yet I have much to do,
To keep them from uncivil outrages. [here?
Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes
[Steps aside.

Enter Proteus, Silvia, and Julia.
Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you,
(Though you respect not aught your servant doth)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him, [love.
That would have forc'd your honour and your
Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,
And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.
Val.[Aside.] How like a dream is this, I see, and
Love, lend me patience to forbear a while. [hear!
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 most
unhappy.
[your presence.
Jul. [Aside.] And me, when he approacheth to
Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a breakfast to the beast,
Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.
O, Heaven! 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 detest false, perjur'd Proteus:
Therefore, be gone! solicit me no more.

Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to Would I not undergo for one calm look! [death, O! 'tis the curse in love, and still approv'd, When women cannot love, where they're belov'd.

Sil. When Proteus cannot love, where he's beRead over Julia's heart, thy first best love,[lov'd. For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths [faith Descended into perjury to love me. Thou hast 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. Who respects friend? Sil.

In love

All men but Proteus. Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words Can no way change you to a milder form, I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end, And love you 'gainst the nature of love-force Sil. O Heaven! [you. I'll force thee yield to my desire.

Pro.

Who should be trusted, when one's right hand
Is perjur'd to the bosom? Proteus,

I am sorry I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deepest. O time most
accurs'd!

'Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst!

Pro. My shame and guilt confounds 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 honest.
Who by repentance is not satisfied,

Is nor of heaven, 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. O me unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

Val. Why, boy! why, wag! 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.-Why, this is
The ring I gave to Julia.

Jul. O! cry your mercy, sir; I have mistook:
This is the ring you sent to Silvia.
[Shows another ring.
Pro. But how cam'st thou by this ring?
At my depart I gave this unto Julia.

Jul. And Julia herself did give it to 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 hast thou with perjury cleft the root! O Proteus! let this habit make thee blush: Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me Such an immodest raiment; if shame live In a disguise of love.

It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,

Women to change their shapes, than men their minds.

Pro. Than men their minds: 'tis true. 0 Heaven! were man

But constant, he were perfect: that one error Fills him with faults, makes him run through all th' sins:

Inconstancy 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 me be blest to make this happy close: "Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.

Pro. Bear witness, Heaven, I have my wish for ever.

Jul. And I mine.

Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine.
V. 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 she stands:
Take but possession 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 hast done,
And leave her on such slight conditions.
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,
I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,
And think thee worthy of an empress' love.
Know, then, I here forget all former griefs,
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,
Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit,
To which I thus subscribe.-Sir Valentine,
Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd:
Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her.
Val. I thank your grace, the gift hath made
me happy.

I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, To grant one boon that I shall ask of you.

Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be. V. These banish'd men, that I have kept Are men endu'd with worthy qualities: [withal, 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 hast prevail'd: I pardon them

and thee:

Dispose of them as thou know'st their descrts. Come; let us go: we will include all jars With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity.

Val. And as we walk along, I dare be hold With our discourse to make your Grace to sinile. 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, Proteus; '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.

Act First.

SCENE I.-WINDSOR. BEFORE PAGE'S
HOUSE.

Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, and Sirl
Hugh Evans.

Shallow. Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber matter of it; if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, Esquire.

Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and coram.

Shal. Ay, Cousin Slender, and Cust-alorum.2 Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, armigero.

Shal. Ay, that we do: and have done any time these three hundred years.

Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may: they may give the dozen white

luces in their coat.

Shal. It is an old coat.

Eva. The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, passant: it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies-love. Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat.

Coz?

Slen. I may quarter
Shal. You may, by marrying.

Eva. It is marring indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.

Eva. Yes, py'r lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but this is all one: If Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you.

1 A title formerly applied to the clergy.
2 Custos Rotulorum, officer of the county.
8 Esquire.

Shal. The Council shall hear it; it is a riot. Era. It is not meet the Council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot; the Council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your vizaments in that. Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it: and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions with it: There is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

Eva. It is that fery person for all the 'orld, as just as you will desire: and seven hundred pounds of monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire upon his death's bed, give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between master Abraham and Mrs Anne Page.

Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.

Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is good gifts,

Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: Is Falstaff there?

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or as I despise one that is not true. The kuight Sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your wellwillers. I will peat the door [knocks] for master Page. What, hoa! pless your house here! Enter Page.

Page. Who's there?

Eva. Here's your friend, and justice Shallow: and here young master Slender; that peradven

D