That used 'me so; or else, by Jove I vow, [Exit. The Lady Silvia,-still fearing a forced marriage with the hateful Thurio, having escaped from her father's imprisonment,-resolves to follow her banished lover to Mantua. She takes, for protector as well as companion, an old gentleman named Eglamour: and, having to pass through the forest in which Valentine had been appointed leader of the banditti, she is seized by one of the outlaws, (her guardian, Eglamour, having escaped,) and is about to be brought to the Captain's cave,-when she is rescued by Proteus, attended by the disguised Julia. We precede them to another part of the Forest, where we overhear the banished Valentine musing on his strange fortune : Val. How use doth breed a 'habit in a man! a These shadowy, desert, unfrequented woods I better brook, than flourishing peopled 'towns: Shouts and noises are heard. Withdraw thee, Valentine: Who's this comes here? [Steps aside into the Cave. Proteus, accompanied by his disguised page Sebastian, now enters, conducting the Lady Silvia. Proteus at once renews his solicitations to her : Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you— Though you respect not aught your servant doth- Pro. Unhappy 'were you, madam, ere I came; O. R. this shadowy desert. d O. R. hollowing. bregister in musical notes. CO. R. dost. But, 'by my coming, I have made you 'happy. I would have been a 'breakfast to the beast Proteus seizes Lady Silvia: Valentine rushes forward: Valentine is about to strike, when, recognizing his faithless companion Proteus, he drops his sword: Pro. Thou "friend" of an ill fashion! Valentine! Val. Thou 'common friend,-one" without faith or love,- But count the world a 'stranger for thy sake. The 'private wound is deepest: O time most accurst, 'Mongst 'all foes, that a 'friend should be the worst! Pro. My shame and guilt confound me. Val. Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow Then I am paid; Kneels to Is nor of Heaven, nor earth; for 'these are pleased; a inserted word. d offer. e He who. b tender, exciting. CO. R. that's. So speaks the banished Valentine, now feeling himself unworthy of Lady Silvia by leading a dishonoured, dishonourable, outlawed life. But the disguised Julia is almost speechless at this unexpected renunciation; at length she says: Jul.... O good sir! my master charged me to deliver a 'ring to Madam Silvia, which, out of my neglect, was never done. Proteus asks: Pro. Where is that ring, boy? How! let me see:- At my depart, I gave this unto Julia. Jul. Behold 'her, that gave aim to all thy oaths, It is the 'lesser blot, as modesty still finds, e Julia gives a ring. Shows another ring. Women to change their shapes, than men their 'minds. Pro. Than men their minds! 't is true. O Heaven, were man But 'constant, he were 'perfect: that 'one error Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins. Valentine advances: Val. Come, come, a hand from either. hands. Let me be blest to make this happy close; [He He joins their 'T were pity two such 'friends should be long 'foes. The Robbers enter rejoicingly, bringing to their Captain two well-equipped prisoners the bedizened Duke, and the dumfounded Thurio. Valentine at once recognizes his former patron. Val. Forbear, I say! it is my lord the Duke.— Your grace is welcome to a man disgracedThe banished Valentine. direction. O. R. the root: (in archery the root is her disguised dress as a Page. e O. R. It is the lesser blot modesty findes. the central part of the butt.) The ill-judging Thurio exclaims: Thu. Yonder is 'Silvia; and Silvia 's 'mine! Milan shall not behold thee." Here she stands. ... I hold him but a 'fool, that will endanger I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an 'Empress' love: 'Forgive them what they have committed here, He takes Julia by the hand. -he blushes! With our discourse to make your Grace to smile. Come, Proteus; 't is your penance, but to 'hear END OF THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. a O. R. Verona shall not hold thee. e public pageants. [Exeunt. 1 grievances. c recall, d O. R. include. finserted word. THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. The "Comedy" of Errors would be, according to the modern use of the word, more correctly named a "Farce." It is, undoubtedly, one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, probably untouched and unrevised by its author: the text throughout is manifestly corruptdoubtless suffering from the stage "gaggery" of clowns who speak "more than is set down for them." Many of the scenes abound in doggerel rhymes or long hobbling couplets—a distinguishing mark of early English comedy. The plot is evidently suggested by the “Menechmus " of Plautus, a loose translation of which had been performed in 1577: One of the most reliable chronologers of Shakespeare's plays assigns his composition to the year 1593; it differs from its Latin original by the introduction of the Two Dromios, whose fun is all Shakespeare's. It is the second Comedy mentioned in Meres' list, (1598,) but it was not printed till the collected works appeared in 1623.-The adherence to the old classical unities of Time and Place will be observed as very peculiar. The Characters retained in this Condensation are: SOLINUS, Duke of Ephesus. EGEON, a Merchant of Syracuse. A Merchant, Friend to Antipholus of Syracuse. A Merchant trading with Angelo. PINCH, a Schoolmaster, and a Conjurer. EMILIA, Wife to Egeon. ADRIANA, Wife to Antipholus of LUCIANA, her Sister. LUCE, Servant to Adriana. Gaoler, Officers, and Attendants. Scene-Ephesus."-Time-One Day. a This version-a free translation from Plautus-was not printed till 1595-after the production of Shakespeare's Comedy, (which was written presumably in 1593.) It appeared as "A pleasant and fine-conceited Comedie called Menechmus, taken out of the most excellent poet Plautus. By W. W. (William Warner) 1595."-But there can be little doubt that the early manuscript had been perused by Shakespeare. The earliest (supposed) performance of Shakespeare's Comedy is presumed to have taken place in 1594, at Gray's Inn, London: for we are told, in the "Gesta Grayorum," that, in the December of that year, "a Comedy of Errors, like to Plautus, his Menechmus, was played by the players,"-(and not, as usual, by the law students of the Inn,)-probably by the company of which Shakespeare was then a member. The writer adds: "So that night was begun, and continued to the end, in nothing but confusion and errors. Whereupon it was ever afterwards called the Night of Errors." b Ephesus, in Asia Minor; once the metropolis of the East, but now a miserable Turkish village. In it stood the great Temple to the goddess Diana. Syracuse, a seaport in the island of Sicily; then the centre of Mediterranean commerce, |