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

Sil. O Valentine! this I endure for thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, the Out-laws Cave in the Foreft.
Enter Valentine.

WOW ufe doth breed a habit in a man!

Val. This fhadowy defart, unfrequented woods,

I better brook than flourishing peopled towns.
Here can I fit alone, unfeen 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 chase.

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 aught your fervant doth)
To hazard life, and refcue you from him,
That wou'd have forc'd your houour 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.
Sil. O miferable, unhappy that I am!

Pro. Unhappy were you, Madam, ere I came;
But by my coming I have made you happy.

1

[Afide.

Sil. By thy approach thou mak'ft me most unhappy.
Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your prefence.

[Afide.

Sil. Had I been feized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a breakfaft to the beaft,
Rather than have falfe Protheus refcuè me.)
Oh, heav'n be judge, how I love Valentint,
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'; assign
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 ?

J'.

Oh, 'tis the curfe in love, and ftill 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 whofe dear fake thou then didft rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths:
Defcended into perjury, to love me.

Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou’dft 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 spirit of moving words Can no way change you to a milder form;

I'll move you like a foldier, at arms end,

And love you 'gainst the nature of love; force you. ·

Sil. Oh heav'n!

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

Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch, Thou friend of an ill fafhion!

Pro. Valentine!

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love; For fuch is a friend now: thou treach'rous man! Thou haft beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye Could have perfuaded me. Now I dare not fay, I have one friend alive; thou wouldft difprove me. Who should be trufted now, when the right hand Is perjur'd to the bofom? Protheus,

I'm sorry, I must never trust thee more, a thoi
But count the world a ftranger for thy fake.

The private wound is deepest. Oh time, most accurft!
'Mong'ft all foes, that a friend should be the worft !
Pro. My fhame and guilt confound me:
Forgive me, Valentine; if hearty forrow
Be à fufficient ransom for offence,

I tender't here; I do as truly fuffer, sanga
As e'er I did commit.

Val. Then I am paid:

And once again I do receive thee honeft.
Who by repentance is not fatisfy'd,

Is nor of heav'n, 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. Oh me unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy..

[Savoons.

Val. Why, boy! how now? what's the matter? look up; fpeak.

Jul. O good Sir, 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.

Pro. How let me fee:

This is the ring I gave to Julia.

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

This is the ring you fent to Silvia.

Pro. How cam'ft thou by this ring at my depart, 1

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 'em 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 fhame live

یدری

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 heav'n

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 conftant eye?

Val. Come, come, a hand from either: Let me be bleft to make this happy clofe; Twere pity, two fuch friends fhould long be foes. Pro. Bear witness, heav'n, I have my wish for ever. Jul. And I mine.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio.

Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val. Forbear, forbear, it is my lord the Duke. Your Grace is welcome to a man difgrac'd,

The banish'd Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine?

Thu. Yonder is Silvia: and Silvia's mine.

Val. Thurio, give back; or elfe 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 the ftands, (13)` 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

(13) Verona fhall not hold thee.] Thus all the Editions, but, whether thro' the Miftake of the firft Editors, or the Poet's own Carelessness, this Reading is abfurdly faulty. For the Threat here is to Thurio, who is a Milanefe; and has no Concerns, as it appears with Verona, Befides, the Scene is betwixt the Confines of Milan, and Mantua, to which Silvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thither. And, upon thefe Circumstances, I ventured to adjust the Text, as, I imagine, the Poet muft have intended: i.e. Milan, thy Country fhall never fee thee again: thou shalt never live to go back thither.

His body for a girl that loves him not.
I claim her not; and therefore she is thine.

Duke. The more degenerate and bafe art thou,
To make fuch means for her as thou hast 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: 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 fake,

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

Duke. Thou haft prevail'd, I pardon them and thee;
Difpofe of them, as thou know'ft their deferts.
Come, let us go; we will include all jars
With triumphs, mirth, and rare folemnity.
Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold
With our difcourfe to make your Grace to fmile.
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 faying?

Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pafs along,

That you will wonder what hath fortuned.
Come, Protheus, 'tis your penance but to hear

The ftory of your loves difcovered :

That done, our day of marriage fhall be yours,

One feaft, one houfe, one mutual happiness. [Exeunt omnes.

THE