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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
belov'd.

Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,

Pro. How! Julia!

Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
Ard entertain'd them deeply in her heart:
How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!"
O Proteus, let this hab.t make thee blush!

For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon ine

faith

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Could have persuaded me: Now I dare not say
I have one friend alive; thou would'st disprove me.
Who should be trusted now, 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 curst!
"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 it 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,

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Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for these are pleas'd;
By penitence the 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.

[Faints.

Val. Why, boy! why, wag! how now? what is the matter?

Look up; speak.
Jul.

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
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.

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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 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 sight 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,

O good sir, my master charg'd me Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd;
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 see:
Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.
Jul. O, cry you 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 me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

(1) Felt, experienced. (2) Direction.
(3) An allusion to cleaving the pin in archery.

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.
Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept
withal,

Are men endued with worthy qualities;
And let them be recall'd from their exile:
Forgive them what they have committed here,
They are reformed, civil, full of good,
And fit for great employment, worthy lord.

Duke. Thou hast prevail'd: I pardon them and

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In this play there is a strange mixture of know ledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country: he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Proteus, after an interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture: and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed and sometimes forsook; sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot.

That this play is rightly attributed to Shakspeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest. JOHNSON.

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SIR Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Starchamber 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.

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Eva. 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 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 with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions 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 Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and cust-alorum.? just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful resurof monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, born, master parson; who writes himself'armigero; rections!) give, when she is able to overtake sevenin any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, ar-teen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave migero. between master Abraham, and mistress Anne our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage Page.

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.

Slen. I may quarter, coz?
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 that 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.

Shal. The council shall hear it; it is a riot.

(2) A title formerly appropriated to chaplains.

rotulorum.

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 goot gifts.

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

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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 knight, sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. What, hoa! Got pless your house here! will peat the door [knocks] for master Page.

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