Sil. O, he fends you for a picture; does he not?
Jul. Ay, madam.

Sil. Urfula, bring my picture there.—[Picture brought.
Go, give your mafter this: tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber than this fhadow.

Jul. Madam, wilt please you to perufe this letter ?—
Pardon me, madam: I have, unadvis'd,
Deliver'd you a paper that I should not;
This is the letter to your ladyfhip.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be ; good madam, pardon me,
Sil. There, hold.

[giving back the firft Letter.

I will not look upon your master's lines:

I know, they are ftuff'd with proteftations,

And full of new-found oaths; which he will break,
As eafily as I do tear his paper.

Jul. Madam, he fends your ladyfhip this ring.
Sil. The more fhame for him, that he fends it me;
For I have heard him say a thousand times,

His Julia gave it him at his departure:

Though his falle finger have prophan'd the ring,

Mine thall not do his Julia fo much wrong.

Jul. She thanks you.

Sil. What fay'ft thou?

Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her: Poor gentlewoman! my mafter wrongs her much. Sil. Doft thou know her?

ful. Almoft as well as I do know myself:

To think upon her woes, I do proteft,

That I have wept a hundred feveral times.

Sil. Belike, the thinks that Protheus hath forfook her. Jul. I think, the doth; and that's her cause of sorrow. Sil. Is the not paffing fair?

Jl. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is:

When she did think my master lov'd her well,
She, in my judgment, was as fair as you ;
But fince he did neglect her looking-glass,
And threw her fun-expelling mafque away,
The air hath starv'd the refes in her cheeks

This is exceedingly fanciful, beautiful, and applicable,

And pinch'd the lilly tincture of her face,
That now fhe is become as black as I.

"Sil. How tall was she ?

"Ful. About my ftature: for, at pentecoft, "When all our pageants of delight were play'd, "Our youth got me to play the woman's part, "And I was trim'd in madam Julia's gown; "Which served me as fit, by all men's judgment, "As if the garment had been made for me:

Therefore, I know fhe is about my height. "And, at that time, I made her weep a-good; "For I did play a lamentable part: "Madam, 'twas Ariadne, paffioning "For Thefeus' perjury, and unjust flight: "Which I fo lively acted with my tears, "That my poor mistress, moved therewithal, "Wept bitterly; and, 'would I might be dead, "If I in thought felt not her very forrow.

Sil. She is beholding to thee, gentle youth :Alas, poor lady! defolate and left!

I weep myfelf, to think upon thy words.

Here, youth, there is my purfe; I give thee this
For thy fweet miftrefs' fake, because thou lov'st her.
Farewel.

[Exit Silvia. Jul. And the fhall thank you for't, if e'er you know A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful: [her.I hope, my master's fuit will be but cold,

Since the refpects my miftrefs' love fo much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture: Let me fee; I think,
If I had fuch a tyre, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers:
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,
Unless I flatter with myself too much.
Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow;
If that be all the difference in his love,
I'll get me fuch a colour'd periwig †:

This prognoftication of periwigs for female heads, feems to predict the monstrous unnatural accumulation of hair at this day. There is perhaps greater uniformity in these four acts than we commonly meet with,

D 6

Her

Her eyes are grey as glass; and so are mine :
Ay, but her forehead's low; and mine's as high:
What fhould it be, that he refpects in her,
But I can make refpective in myself,

If this fond love were not a blinded god?
Come, fhadow, come, and take this fhadow up,
For 'tis thy rival: O thou fenfeless form,

Thou shalt be worship'd, kifs'd, lov'd, and ador'd;
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My fubftance should be ftatue in thy ftead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' fake,
That us'd me fo; or elfe, by Jove I vow,
I should have scratch'd out your unfeeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee.

[Exit.

ACT V.

SCENE I. The fame. An Abbey.
Enter Eglamour.

EGLAMOUR.

HE fun begins to gild the western sky;

TH

And now it is about the very hour,

That Silvia, at friar Patrick's cell, fhould meet me:
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come before their time;

So much they fpur their expedition.

Enter Silvia.

See, where she comes:-Lady, a happy evening!
Sil. Amen, amen! go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the postern by the abbey wall;

I fear, I am attended by fome fpies.

Egl. Fear not the foreft is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we're fure enough.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. The fame. A Room in the Palace.

Enter Thurio, Protheus, and Julia.

fuit?

Thu. Sir Protheus, what fays Silvia to my Pro. O, fir, I find her milder than fhe was; But yet she takes exceptions at your person. "Thu. What, that my leg's too long? "Pro. No; that it is too little.

"Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it fomewhat rounder. "Pro. But love will not be spur'd to what it loaths.. "Thu. What fays fhe to my face?

"Pro. She fays, it is a fair one.

"Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black. "Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, "Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes.

66

[Afide.

Jul. 'Tis true, fuch pearls as put out ladies' eyes; "For I had rather wink, than look on them. "Thu. How likes the my difcourfe?

"Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

"Thu. But well, when I difcourfe of love, and peace? Jul. But better, indeed, when you do hold your

66 peace.

"Thu. What fays fhe to my valour?

"Pro. O, fir, fhe makes

"No doubt of that.

66

Jul. She needs not, when she knows it cowardice. Thu. What fays fhe to my birth?

Pro. That you are well deriv'd.

Jul. True; from a gentleman, to a fool.

Thu. Confiders the my poffeffions?

Pro. O, ay; and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Jul. That fuch an ass should owe them.

Pro. That they are out by lease.

Jul. Here comes the duke.

Enter Duke.

Duke. How now, Sir Protheus? how now, Thurio?

Which of you faw Sir Eglamour of late è

Thu. Not 1.

Pro. Nor I.

Duke. Saw you my daughter?

Pro. Neither.

Duke. Why, then she's fled unto the peasant Valentine; And Eglamour is in her company.

"'Tis true; for friar Laurence met them both,
"As he in penance wander'd through the foreft":
"Him he knew well; and guefs'd, that it was she;
"But, being mafk'd, he was not sure of it:
"Befides, fhe did intend confeffion

"At Patrick's cell this even; and there she was not:
"These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence.
"Therefore, I pray you, ftand not to difcourfe,
"But mount you prefently; and" meet with me
Upon the rifing of the mountain foot

That leads toward Mantua, whither they are fled:
Difpatch, fweet gentlemen, and follow me.

[Exit.

Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish girl, That flies her fortune when it follows her: I'll after; more to be reveng'd on Eglamour, Than for the love of reckless Silvia.

[Exit.

Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love,

Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her.

[Exit.

Jul. And I will follow, more to cross that love,

Than hate for Silvia that is gone for love.

[Exit.

SCENE ΙΠ. Frontiers of Mantua. The Foreft. Shouts. Enter Out-laws, with Silvia ‡.

1. O. Come, come;

Be patient, we must bring you to our captain.
Sil. A thousand more mifchances than this one
Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently.
2. O. Come, bring her away.

1. O. Where is the gentleman that was with her?
3. O. Being nimble-footed, he hath out-run us;

But Mofes, and Valerius, follow him.

Go thou with her to the weft end of the wood, There is our captain: we'll follow him that's fled; The thicket is beset, he cannot 'scape. [Exeunt. 1. O. Come, I must bring you to our captain's cave:

This fituation interefts much and properly for Silvia's fafety,