A fox to be the fhepherd of thy lambs:
Alas, poor fool, why do I pity him,
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he defpifeth me ;.
Because I love him, I must pity him:
This ring I gave him, when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will.
And now I am, unhappy messenger,

To plead for that, which I would not obtain ;:
To carry that, which I would have refufs'd;
To praise his faith, which I would have disprais'd.
I am my master's true confirmed love,

But cannot be true fervant to my master,
Unless I prove falfe traitor to myself..
Yet will I woo for him, but yet fo coldly,
As,, heav'n it knows, I would not have him speed.
Enter Silvia.

Lady, good day; I pray you, be my mean
To bring me where to fpeak with Madam Silvia..
Sil. What would you with her, if that I be she?
Jul. If you be fhe, I do intreat your patience.

To hear me speak the meffage I am fent on..
Sil. From whom?

Jul. From my mafter, Sir Protheus, Madam..
Sil. Oh! he fends you for a picture?.
Ju. Ay, Madam.

Sil. Urfula, bring my picture there.

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, may't please you to perufe this letter.. Pardon me, Madam, I have unadvis'd,

Deliver'd you a paper that I fhould not;

This is the letter to your Ladyship.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.

Jul. It may not be; good Madam, pardon me..
Sil. There, hold;:

I will not look upon your master's lines.
I know, they're ftufft with proteftations,

And

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 fay a thousand times, His Julia gave it him at his departure: Tho' his falfe finger have prophan'd the ring, Mine shall not do his Jalia 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 an hundred feveral times.

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

Jul. She hath been fairer, Madam, than fhe is;.
When fhe did think, my mafter lov'd her well,
She, in my judgment, was as fair as you.
But fince the did neglect her looking-glafs,
And threw her fun-expelling mafk away;
The air hath starv'd the roses in her cheeks,
And pinch'd the lilly-tincture of her face,.
That now fhe is become as black as I.

Sil. How tall was fhe?

Jul. About my ftature: for at Pentecoft,
When all our pageants of delight were plaid,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trim'd in Madam Julia's gown;
Which ferved me as fit, by all mens judgments,.
As if the garment had been made for me;
Therefore, I know, she 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

That my poor miftrefs, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very forrow!
Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth.
Alas, poor Lady! defolate and left!

I wept myself, to think upon thy words.
Here youth, there is my purfe; I give thee this
For thy fweet miftrefs' fake, because thou lov'ft her.
Farewel.
[Exit Silvia.
Jal. And the fhall thank you for't, if e'er you know her.
A virtuous Gentlewoman, mild and beautiful.
I hope, my master's fuit will be but cold;
Since the refpects my mistress' love fo much.
Alas! how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture; let me fee; I think,
If I had such a tire, 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 diff'rence in his love,
I'll get me fuch a colour'd perriwig.

Her eyes are grey as glafs, and fo are mine; (16)
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine is high.
What should it be, that he refpects in her,

But I can make respective in myself,

If this fond love were not a blinded god?

Come, fhadow, come; and take this shadow 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 fhould be ftatue in thy ftead.
I'll ufe thee kindly for thy mistress' fake,
That us'd me fo; or elfe, by Jove I vow,

I fhould have fcratch'd out your unfeeing eyes,

To make my mafter out of love with thee.

[Exit.

(16) Her eyes are grey as grafs.] Mr. Rowe and Mr Pope's editions, for what reafon I know not, vary from the old copies, which have rightly, glass. So Chaucer, in the character of his Priorefs;

Full femely her wimple pinchid was,
Her nofe was tretes," her eyen grey as glass,

ACT

A CT V.

SCENE, near the Friar's Cell, in Milan.

Enter Eglamour.

EGLAMOUR.

THE fun begins to gild the western sky,

And now it is about the very hour

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,

See, where he comes. Lady, a happy evening.
Enter Silvia.

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 changes to an Apartment in the Duke's

Palace.

Enter Thurio, Protheus, and Julia.

Thu. Sir Protheus, what fays Silvia to my fuit?
Pro. Oh, Sir, I find her milder than fhe was,
And yet she takes exceptions at your perfon.
Thu. What, that my leg is too long?

Pro. No; that it is too little.

Thu. I'll wear a boot to make it somewhat rounder. Pro. But love will not be spurr'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 faying is,

"Black

"Black men are pearls in beauteous Ladies eyes."
Jul. "Tis true, fuch pearls as put out Ladies eyes;
For I had rather wink, than look on them. [Afide.
Thu. How likes fhe 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 hold your peace.
Thu. What fays fhe to my valour?

Pro. Oh, Sir, fhe makes no doubt of that.
Jul. She needs not, when he 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. Oh, ay, and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Jul. That fuch an ass should own them.

Pro. That they are out by leafe.

Jul. Here comes the Duke.

Enter Duke.

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

Which of you faw Sir Eglamour of late?

Thu. Not I.

Pro. Nor I.

Duke. Saw you my daughter?

Pro. Neither.

Duke. Why then

She's fled unto that peafant Valentine;
And Eglamour is in her company.

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

At Patrick's cell this ev'n, and there fhe was not :.
Thefe likelihoods confirm her flight from hence..
Therefore, I pray you, ftand not to discourse,
But mount you prefently, and meet with me.
Upon the rifing of the mountain-foot

That