1 Outlaw.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

A forest, leading towards Mantua.

Enter certain Outlaws.

FELLOWS, ftand faft: I fee a paffenger

2 Out. If there be ten, fhrink not, but down with 'em.

Enter Valentine and Speed.

3 Out. Stand, Sir, and throw us what you have about you; if not, we'll make you, Sir, and rifle you.

Speed. Sir, we are undone; thefe are the villains that all the travellers do fear fo much.

Val. My friends,

1 Out. That's not fo, Sir; we are your enemies, 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him.

3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; for he is a proper

man.

Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to löse; A man I am, crofs'd with adversity;

My riches are these poor habiliments,
Of which if you should here disfurnish me,
You take the fum and substance that I have,
2 Out. Whither travel you?

Val. To Verona.

1 Out. Whence came you? Val. From Milan.

3 Out. Have you long fojourn'd there?

Val Some fixteen months; and longer might have ftaid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.

1 Out. What were you banish'd thence?

Val. I was.

2 Out. For what offence?

Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse:

I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent;
But yet I flew him manfully in fight,
Without falfe vantage, or bafe treachery.

I Qut. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done fo.
But were you banifh'd for fo fmall a fault?
Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom,

1 O. Have you the tongues?

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

3 Out. By the bare fcalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a King for our wild faction.

1 Out. We'll have him. Sirs, a word.

Speed. Mafter, be one of them: it's an honourable kind of thievery.

Val. Peace, villain.

2 Out. Tell us this; have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing but my fortune.

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

Thruft from the

of awful men; company Myfelf was from Verona banish'd,...

For practifing to fteal away a lady,

An heir, and niece ally'd unto the Duke. ·

2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentlemanWhom, in my mood, I ftabb'd unto the heart.

1 Out. And I for fuch like petty crimes as thefe..
But to the purpofe; 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 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man,..., Therefore, above the reft, we parley to you;

Are

you content to be our general?

To make a virtue of neceffity,

And live, as we do, in the wilderness?

3 Out. 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.

1 Qut. But if thou fcorn our courtefy, thou di'ft.

2 Out. 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 Out. No; we deteft fuch vile bafe practices.

0.3

Come,

Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews,
And thew thee all the treasure we have got;
Which, with ourselves, fhall reit at thy difpofe.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Changes to an open place, under Silvia's

apartment in Milan.

Enter Protheus.

Pro. Already I've been falfe to Valentine,
And now I must be as unjuft 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 worthlefs gifts.
When I proteft true loyalty to her,
She twits me with my falfehood 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 least whereof would quell a lover's hope;
Yet, fpaniel like, the more fhe fpurns my love,
The more it grows, and fawneth on her ftill.

But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window,
And give fome evening-mufic to her ear.

Enter Thurio and musicians.

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

Thu. Ay, but I hope, Sir, that you love not here..

Pro. Sir, but I do; or elfe I would be hence..

Thu. Whom, Silvia?

Pro. Ay, Silvia, for your fake..

Thu. I thank you for your own: now,

Gentlemen,

Let's tune, and to it luftily a while.

SCENE III.

Enter Hof, and Julia in boy's clothes.

Hoft. Now, my young gueft, methinks you're ally

holly: I pray you, why is it?..

Jul

Jul. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry. Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry; I'll bring you where you shall hear mufic, 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 mulic.

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 fe;

The heav'n fuch grace did lend her,
That he might admired be.

Is fhe kind, as he is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness:
And, being help'd, inhabits there.

Then to Silvia let us fing
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwing:

To her let us garlands bring

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

Jul. You miftake; the musician likes me not..

Hoft. Why, my pretty youth?

Jul. He plays falfe, father.

Heft. How, out of tune on the strings?

Jul. Not fo; but yet fo falfe, that he grieves my

very heart-strings.

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 music.

Jul.

Jul. Not a whit, when it jars fo.

Hof. Hark, what fine change is in the mufic.
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 muit carry for a prefent to his lady.

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 St Gregory's well.

Thu. Farewell,

[Exeunt Thurio and mufiti

SCENE IV. Silvia above, at her window.
Pro. Madam, good even to your Ladyfhip.
Sil. I thank you for your mufic, Gentlemen:

Who is that that spake?

Pro. One, Lady, if you knew his pure heart's truthy. You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice.

Sil. Sir Protheus, as I take.

Pro. Sir Protheus, gentle Lady, and your

Sil. What is your will?

Pro. That I may compafs yours.

fervant..

Sil. You have your wifh; my will is even this,
That presently you hie you home to bed.
Thou fubtle, perjur'd, false, difloyal man?
Think'st thou I am fo fhallow, fo conceitlefs,
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 fwear,
I am fo far from granting thy requeft,
That I defpife thee for thy wronged fuit;
And, by and by, intend to chide my felf,