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SCENE IV.

The Out-laws Cave in the Forest.

Enter Valentine.

TOW ufe doth breed a habit in a man!

Val. Ho
HOW

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 hollo'ing, and what ftir, is this to day? These are my mates, that make their wills their law, They've fome unhappy paffenger in chace. They love me well, yet I have much to do To keep them from uncivil outrages.

Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes here?

[Val. fteps afide.

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.

Pro. Madam, this fervice have I done for you. Tho' you respect not aught your fervant doth) To hazard life, and refcue you from him, That wou'd have forc'd your honour and your love. Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look: A fmaller boon than this I cannot beg,

And lefs 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 awhile.

[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'it me most unhappy. ful. And me, when he approacheth to your prefence. [Afide.

Sil. Had I been feiz'd by a hungry lion, I would have been a breakfast to the beast, Rather than have false Protheus rescue me. Oh, heav'n 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, follicit me no more

Pro. What dang'rous action, flood 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.

Sil. When Protheus cannot love, where he's belov❜d. Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,

For whose 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'dst 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 fpirit 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 heav'n !

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

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Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch,

Thou

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 wouldst disprove me.
Who fhould be trusted, when one's own right hand
Is perjur'd to the bofom? Protheus,

I'm forry, I must never trust thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy fake.

The private wound is deep'ft. Oh time, most curft!
'Mongst all foes, that a friend fhould be the worst!
Pro. My fhame and guilt confound me:
Forgive me, Valentine; if hearty forrow
Be a fufficient ranfom for offence,

I tender't 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 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.

1 The private wound, &c.] I have a little mended the meafure. The old edition, and all but Sir T. Hanmer, read, The private wound is deepeft, oh

time most accurft.

2 It is (I think) very odd to give up his mistress thus at once, without any reafon alleg'd. But our Author probably follow'd 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 Shakespear; for it is impoffible

he could make Valentine a&t and speak so 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.

Ful.

Jul. Oh me unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints.

Val. Why, boy! why wag; 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.

[Gives a ring.

;

Jul. Oh, cry your mercy, Sir, I have mistook This is the ring you fent to Silvia. [Shews another ring. Pro. How cam'ft thou by this ring? at my depart, I 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 immodest rayment, if shame live*
In a disguise of love.

It is the leffer blot, modefty finds,

Women to change their shapes, 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?

3 How oft haft thou swith perjury cleft the root.] Sir T. Hanmer reads, cleft the root o`n't.

* That is, if it be any flame to wear a difguife for the purposes of love.

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, heav'n,

I have my wish for ever.

Jul. And I mine.

SCENE V.

Enter Outlaws, 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, 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 base art thou,

4 The measure, the length of my fword, the reach of my anger. 5 All the Editions, Verona fhall not hold thee. But, whether thro' the Miftake of the first Editors, or the Poet's own Careleffness, 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

VOL. I.

Scene is betwixt the Confines of Milan, and Mantua, to which Silvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thi ther. And, upon these Circumftances, I ventur'd to adjust the Text, as, I imagine, the Poet must have intended: i. e. Milan, thy Country shall never fee thee again: thou shalt never live to go back thither. THEOBALD.

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