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 hallowing, and what ftir, is this to-day?
These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
Have some 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?

[Val. Steps afide.

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.

Pro. Madam, this fervice have I done for you,
(Though you refpect not aught 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 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'st me most unhappy. Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your prefence.

Sil. Had I been feized by a hungry lion, I would have been a breakfast to the beast, Rather than have falfe Protheus rescue me.

bmeed]-reward.

[Afide.

Oh,

Oh, 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 false perjur'd Protheus :
Therefore be gone, folicit me no more.

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

Oh, '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 thofe oaths
Defcended into perjury, to love me.

Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou had'ft 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 arms end;

And love you 'gainst the nature of love, force you.
Sil. Oh heaven!

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

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 fuch is a friend now) treacherous man!

Thou haft beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye

с

fill approv'd,]-felt to this day.

d

that's]-that art. Could

i

Could have perfuaded me: Now I dare not say,

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

I am forry, I must never truft thee more,

But count the world a ftranger for thy fake.

The private wound is deepest: Oh time, most curft!
'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 it here; I do as truly fuffer,

As e'er I did commit.

Val. Then I am paid:

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 the Eternal's wrath's appeas'd.

Jul. Oh 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.

[Gives a ring.

Pro. How! let me fee:

Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.

This is the ring you fent to Silvia.

Jul. Oh, cry your mercy, fir, I have miftook;

[Shews another ring.

Julia pretends to faint, the better to bring about the discovery of

herfelf to Protheus, by means of the ring.

VOL. I.

M

Pro.

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?
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 disguise of love:

It is the leffer blot, modefty finds,

Women to change their fhapes, than men their minds.
Pro. Than men their minds! 'tis true: oh 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 spy
More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye?

Val. Come, come, a hand from either:
Let me be bleft to make this happy close;
'Twere pity two fuch friends fhould long be foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heaven,

I have my wifh for ever.

ful. And I mine.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio.

Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

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

f

if fhame live &c.]-if there be any fhame in wearing a disguise for the purposes of love.

Banished

Banished 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,
Milan fhall not behold thee. Here she stands,
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 she is thine:
And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.

Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
h 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 state in thy unrival'd merit,
To which I thus fubfcribe,-fir 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 beseech you, for your daughter's fake,

To grant one boon that I shall afk of you.

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

the measure of my wrath :]-the length of my fword.
To make fuch means]-To make ufe of, to purfue.

repeal thee-recall, reflore thee.