To keep them from uncivil outrages.

Withdraw thee, Valentine; who's this comes here? [Val. Steps afide.

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.

Pro. Madam, this fervice have I done for you, (Though you refpect not aught your fervant doth) To hazard life, and rescue you from him,

2.

That wou'd have forc'd your honour and your love.
Vouchfafe me for meed but one fair look;
my
A fmaller boon than this I cannot beg,
And lefs than this, I am fure, you cannot give.
Val. How like a dream is this, I fee, and hear!
Love, lend me patience to forbear a while.

[Afide.

Sil. O miferable, unhappy that I am! Pro. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came; But, by my coming, I have made you happy. Sil. By thy approach thou mak'ft me most unhappy. Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your pre

fence.

Sil. Had I been feized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a breakfast to the beaft,
Rather than have falfe Protheus refcue me.
Oh, heaven be judge, how I love Valentine,
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:
Therefore be gone, folicit me no more.

[Afide.

Pro. What dangerous action, ftood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look? Oh, 'tis the curfe in love, and still approv'd, When women cannot love, where they're belov'd.

2

thor:

my meed] i. e. reward. So in another play of our au -thanks to men

"Of noble minds is honourable meed." STEEVENS.

Sil. When Protheus cannot love, where he's belov'd.

Read over Julia's heart, thy firft beft love,

For whofe dear fake thou didst then 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 had'ft 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 woo you like a foldier, at arms end;

And love you 'gainst the nature of love, force you. Sil. Oh heaven!

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

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

Pro. Valentine!

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love;

(For fuch is a friend now) treacherous 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 would'ft difprove me.
Who should be trufted, when one's own right hand
Is perjur'd to the bofom? Protheus,

I am forry, I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy fake.

The private wound is deepeft: Oh time, most curft!

'Mongst all foes, that a friend fhould be the worst!

4 The private wound, &c.] I have a little mended the measure. The old edition, and all but fir T. Hanmer, read,

The private wound is deepest, oh time most accurft. JOHNSON.

Pro. My fhame and guilt confounds me.-
Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty forrow
Be a fufficient ranfom for offence,

I tender it here; I do as truly fuffer,
As e'er I did commit.

Val. Then I am paid:

And once again I do receive thee honeft:-
Who by repentance is not satisfy'd,

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,
5 All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.
ful. Oh me unhappy!
Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints.

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

Look up; fpeak.

Ful. O good fir, 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.

[Gives a ring.

5 All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.] It is (I think) very odd to give up his mistress thus at once, without any reafon alledged. But our author probably followed the ftories just as he found them in his novels as well as hiftories. POPE.

This paffage either hath been much fophifticated, or is one great proof that the main parts of this play did not proceed from Shakespeare; for it is impoffible he could make Valentine act and fpeak fo much out of character, or give to Silvia fo unnatural a behaviour, as to take no notice of this ftrange conceffion, if it had been made. HANMER.

Valentine, from feeing Silvia in the company of Protheus, might conceive fhe had efcaped with him, from her father's court, for the purpofes of love, though the could not forefee the violence which his villainy might offer, after he had feduced her under the pretence of an honeft paflion. If Valentine, however, be fuppofed to hear all that pafled between them in this fcene, I am afraid I have only to fubfcribe to the opinions of my predecetfors.

STEEVENS.

Pro.

Pro. How! let me fee:

Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.

Jul. Oh, cry your mercy, fir, I have mistook; This is the ring you fent to Silvia. [Shews another ring. Pro. But, how cam'ft thou by this ring? at my depart,

I gave this unto Julia.

ful. 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 them 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; 7 if fhame live
In a difguife 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 heaven!

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 close;
'Twere pity two fuch friends fhould long be foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heaven,

I have my wifh for ever.

ful. And I mine.

How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root?] Sir T. Hanmer reads, cleft the root on't. JOHNSON.

7

if fhame live] That is, if it be any fhame to wear a difguife for the purposes of love. JOHNSON.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio.

Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val. Forbear, forbear, I fay; it is my lord the
duke.

Your grace is welcome to a man difgrac'd,
Banifhed Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine!

Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine,

8

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 fhall not behold thee. Here the ftands,
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
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 haft 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,

the measure] The length of my fword, the reach of my anger. JoHNSON.

9 Milan fhall not behold thec.- -] All the editions, Verona Shall not hold thee. But, whether through the mistake of the first editors, or the poet's own careleffnefs, this reading is abfurdly faulty. For the threat here is to Thurio, who is a Milanefe; and has no concern, 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 these circumftances, I ventured to adjust the text, as I imagine the poet must have intended; i. e. Milan, thy country all never fee thee again: thou shalt never live to go back thither.

THEOBALD.

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