1 sing

Tune my distrestes, and record1 my woes.
O thou that dost inhabit in my brest,

Leave not the Mansion so long Tenant-lesse,
Lest growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was,
Repaire me, with thy presence, Silvia:

Thou gentle Nimph, cherish thy for-lorne swaine.
What hallowing, and what stir is this to day?
These are my mates, that make their wills their Law,

Have some unhappy passenger in chace;

They love me well: yet I have much to doe

To keepe them from uncivill outrages.

Withdraw thee Valentine: who's this comes heere?

[Enter Proteus, Silvia, and Julia.]

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Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you (Though you respect not aught your servant doth) To hazard life, and reskew you from him, That would have forc'd your honour, and your love, Vouchsafe me for my meed, but one faire looke: (A smaller boone then this I cannot beg, And lesse then this, I am sure you cannot give.) Val. [Aside] How like a dreame is this? I see, and heare:

Love, lend me patience to forbeare a while.

Sil. O miserable, unhappy that I am.
Pro. Unhappy were you (Madam) ere I came:
But by my comming, I have made you happy.

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Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhappy. Jul. [Aside] And me, when he approcheth to your presence.

Sil. Had I beene ceazed by a hungry Lion,

9. distrestes: distresses-2-4F.

I would have beene a break-fast to the Beast,
Rather then have false Protheus reskue me:
Oh heaven be judge how I love Valentine,
Whose life's as tender to me as my soule,
And full as much (for more there cannot be)
I doe detest false perjur'd Protheus:
Therefore be gone, sollicit me no more.

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Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death Would I not undergoe, for one calme looke: Oh 'tis the curse 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 deare sake, thou didst then rend thy faith 50
Into a thousand oathes; and all those oathes,
Descended into perjury, to love me,

Thou hast no faith left now, unlesse thou' dst two,
And that's farre worse then none: better have none

Then plurall faith, which is too much by one:
Thou Counterfeyt, to thy true friend.

Pro. In Love,

Who respects friend?

Sil. All men but Protheus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words 60 Can no way change you to a milder forme;

Ile wooe you like a Souldier, at armes end,

And love you 'gainst the nature of Love: force
Sil. Oh heaven.

Pro. Ile force thee yeeld to my desire,

ye.

Val. Ruffian: let goe that rude uncivill touch, Thou friend of an ill fashion.

Pro. Valentine.

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love, For such is a friend now: treacherous man,

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Thou hast beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye
Could have perswaded me: now I dare not say
I have one friend alive; thou wouldst disprove me:
Who should be trusted, when ones right hand
Is perjured to the bosome? Protheus

I am sorry I must never trust thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy sake:

The private wound is deepest: oh time, most accurst: '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 Ransome for offence,

I tender't heere: I doe as truely suffer,
As ere I did commit.

Val. Then I am paid:

And once againe, I doe receive thee honest;
Who by Repentance is not satisfied,

Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for these are pleas'd:
By Penitence th' Eternalls wrath's appeas'd:

And that my love may appeare plaine and free,
All that was mine, in Silvia, I give thee.

Jul. Oh me unhappy.

Pro. Looke to the Boy.

Val. Why, Boy?

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90

[Swoons.]

Why wag: how now? what's the matter? look up: speak. ful. 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. Heere 'tis: this is it.

Pro. How? let me see.

Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.

Jul. Oh, cry you mercy sir, I have mistooke:

This is the ring you sent to Silvia.

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Pro. But how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart I gave this unto Julia.

Jul. And Julia her selfe did give it me, And Julia her selfe hath brought it hither. Pro. How? Julia?

Jul. Behold her, that gave ayme to all thy oathes, And entertain'd 'em deepely in her heart. How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the roote? Oh Protheus, let this habit make thee blush. Be thou asham'd that I have tooke upon me, Such an immodest rayment; if shame live In a disguise of love?

It is the lesser blot modesty findes,

Women to change their shapes, then men their minds. Pro. Then men their minds? tis true: oh heven, were

man

But Constant, he were perfect; that one error

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Fils 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 spie

More fresh in Julia's, with a constant eye?

Vai. Come, come: a hand from either:

Let me be blest to make this happy close:

'Twere pitty two such friends should be long foes. Pro. Beare witnes (heaven) I have my wish for ever. Jul. And I mine.

[Enter Outlaws with Duke ana Thurio.]

Out-l. A prize: a prize: a prize.

Val. Forbeare, forbeare I say: It is my Lord the Duke. Your Grace is welcome to a man disgrac❜d,

Banished Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine?

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

1 reach

Val. Thurio give backe; or else embrace thy death: Come not within the measure1 of my wrath: Doe not name Silvia thine: if once againe, Verona shall not hold thee: heere she stands, Take but possession of her, with a Touch: I dare thee, but to breath upon my Love. Thur. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I: I hold him but a foole that will endanger His Body, for a Girle that loves him not: I claime her not, and therefore she is thine.

Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou To make such meanes2 for her, as thou hast done, And leave her on such slight conditions.

Now, by the honor of my Ancestry,

I doe applaud thy spirit, Valentine,

And thinke thee worthy of an Empresse love:
Know then, I heere forget all former greefes,
Cancell all grudge, repeale thee home againe,
Plead a new state in thy un-rival'd merit,
To which I thus subscribe: Sir Valentine,
Thou art a Gentleman, and well deriv'd,

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2 efforts

150

Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. Val. I thank your Grace, the gift hath made me happy: now beseech you (for your daughters sake)

I

To grant one Boone that I shall aske of

Duke. I grant it (for thine owne) what ere it be. Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept withall,

Are men endu'd with worthy qualities:

Forgive them what they have committed here,

And let them be recall'd from their Exile:

They are reformed, civill, full of good,

And fit for great employment (worthy Lord.)

Duke. Thou hast prevaild, I pardon them and thee: