2. O. Have you the tongues?

Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy; Or elfe I often had been miferable.

3. O. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar", This fellow were a king for our wild faction.

1. O. We'll have him: Sirs, a word.
Spe. Mafter, be one of them;

It is an honourable kind of thievery.
Val. Peace, villain.

[talk apart:

2. O. Tell us this, Have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune.

3. O. Know then, that fome of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth

Thruft from the company of awful men :
Myself was from Verona banished,

For practifing to fteal away a lady,
An heir, and near ally'd unto the duke †.
2. O. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman
Who, in my mood, I ftab'd unto the heart.

1. O. And I, for fuch like petty crimes as these.
But to the purpose,-(for we cite our faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives)
And, partly, feeing you are beautify'd
With goodly fhape; and, by your own report,
A linguift; and a man of fuch perfection,
As we do in our quality much want ;-

2. O. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man,
Therefore, above the reft, we parly to you:
Are you content to be our general;

To make a virtue of neceffity,

And live, as we do, in this wilderness ?

3. O. What fay'ft thou wilt thou be of our confort Say, ay, and be the captain of us all :

We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee,

Love thee as our commander, and our king.

Shakespeare never forgot English references, elfe why Robin Hood and his friar at Verona ? unless we fuppofe the ftory of that notable and famous robber to have been read, or related in Verona.

It is remarkable that from Shakespeare's days to thefe, every culprit has made palliative circumftances his plea; however abfurd, and contrary to justice.

1. O. But, if thou fcorn our courtesy, thou dy't. 2. O. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided, that you do no outrages

On filly women, or poor paffengers.

3. O. No, we deteft fuch vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And fhow thee all the treasure we have got ; Which, with ourselves, all reft at thy difpofe. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Milan. Court of the Palace.

Enter Protheus.

;

Pro. Already I have been false to Valentine*, And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. Under the colour of commending him, I have access my own love to prefer; But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, To be corrupted with my worthless gifts: When I proteft true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falfhood to my friend When to her beauty I commend my vows, She bids me think, how I have been forfworn In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov❜d: And, notwithstanding all her fudden quips, (The leaft whereof would quell a lover's hope) Yet, fpaniel-like, the more she spurns my love, The more it grows, and fawneth on her ftill. But here comes Thurio: now muft we to her window, And give some evening mufick to her ear.

Enter Thurio, and Muficians.

Thu. How now, Sir Protheus ? are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love in fervice where it cannot go.

Will creep

Thu. Ay, but, I hope, fir, that you love not here.
Pro. Sir, but I do; or elfe I would be hence.

Thu. Who? Silvia?

This Protheus is to all appearance as confirmed a scoundrel as Jago, though not fo deep, and with lefs reafon; for the latter urges jealousy of his wife; the former wants at any rate to get any woman he happens to like.

VOL. VI.

D

Pro. Ay, Silvia,—for your fake.

Thu. I thank you, for your own.-Now, gentlemen, Let's tune, and to it luftily a while.

Enter Hoft, at a diftance; with Julia, apparel'd like a Boy.

Hoft. Now, my young gueft! methinks, you're allicholly; I pray you, why is it?

Jul. Marry, mine hoft, because I cannot be merry.

Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you fhall hear mufick, and fee the gentleman that you afk'd for.

Jul. But fhall I hear him speak?
Hoft. Ay, that you shall.

Jul. That will be mufick.

Hoft. Hark, hark!

Jul. Is he among these?

Hoft. Ay: but peace: let's hear 'em.

SONG.

Who is Silvia? what is fhe,

That all our fwains commend her ?

Holy, fair, and wife is fhe;

[Mufick plays.

The heaven fuch grace did lend her,
That he might admired be.

Hoft. How now? are you fadder than you were before? How do you, man? the mufick likes you not.

* This, like moft other fongs of our author, has more meaning than most mufical compofitions have.

66

Jul. You mistake; the musician likes me not.
Hoft. Why, my pretty youth?

Jul. He plays false, father.

"Hoft. How? out of tune on the ftrings?

"Jul. Not fo; but yet fo falfe, that he grieves my very heart-ftrings.

"Hoft. You have a quick ear.

"Ful. Ay, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a "flow heart.

"Hoft. I perceive, you delight not in mufick.

Jul. Not a whit, when it jars fo.

"Hoft. Hark, what fine change is in the mufick! "Jul. Ay; that change is the spight.

Hoft. You would have them always play but one thing.

Jul. I would always have one play but one thing. But, hoft, doth this Sir Protheus, that we talk on, often refort unto this gentlewoman?

Hoft. I tell you what Launce his man told me, he lov'd her out of all nick.

Jul. Where is Launce?

Hoft. Gone to feek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a prefent to his lady. [Mufick ceafes. Jul. Peace! ftand afide, the company parts. Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you; I will fo plead, That you fhall fay, my cunning drift excels.

Thu. Where meet we?

Pro. At faint Gregory's well.

Thu. Farewel.

[Exeunt Thurio, and mufick.

Silvia appears above, at her Window.

Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship!
Sil. I thank you for your mufick, gentlemen:

Who is that, that spake?

Pro. One, tady, if you knew his pure heart's truth,

You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice.

Sil. Sir Protheus, as I take it.

Pro. Sir Protheus, gentle lady, and your servant.
Sil. What is your will?

Pro. That I may compass yours.

Sil. You have your wish; my will is even this,-
That prefently you hie you home to bed.
Thou fubtle, perjur'd, falfe, disloyal man!
Think'ft thou, I am fo fhallow, fo conceitless,
To be feduced by thy flattery,

That haft deceiv'd fo many with thy vows?
Return, return, and make thy love amends:
For me, (by this pale queen of night I swear)
I am fo far from granting thy request,
That I defpife thee for thy wrongful fuit;
And by and by intend to chide myself,

Even for this time 1 fpend in talking to thee.
Pro. I grant, fweet love, that I did love a lady ;
But he is dead.

Jul. [Afide] 'Twere falfe, if I fhould speak it;
For, I am fure, fhe is not buried.

Sil. Say, that fhe be; yet Valentine, thy friend,
Survives; to whom, thyself art witness,

I am betroth'd; and art thou not asham'd
To wrong him with thy importúnacy?

Pro. I likewise hear, that Valentine is dead.
Sil. And fo, fuppofe, am I; for in his grave,
Affure thyfelf, my love is buried.

Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth.
Sil. Go to thy lady's grave, and call her's thence;
Or, at the least, in her's fepúlcher thine.
Jul. [Afide] He heard not that.

Pro. Madam, if that your heart be fo obdurate,
Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love,
The picture that is hanging in your chamber;
To that I'll fpeak, to that I'll figh, and weep:
For, fince the fubftance of your perfect felf
Is elfe devoted, I am but a shadow;

And to your fhadow will I make true love.

Jul. [Afide] If 'twere a substance, you would fure deceive

And make it but a fhadow, as I am.

Sil. I am very loth to be your idol, fir:

But, fince your falfhood fhall become you well
To worship shadows, and adore false shapes,

This is a fine fenfible fanciful rebuff to Protheus.

[it,

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