That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow.

Sil. She is beholding to thee, gentle youth.-
Alas, poor lady! desolate and left !—

I weep myself, to think upon thy words.

Here, youth; there is my purse: I give thee this

For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lov'st her. Farewell.

[Exit SILVIA. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know

her.

A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful.
I hope my master's suit will be but cold,
Since she respects my mistress' love so much".
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture. Let me see: 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 difference in his love,
I'll get me such a colour'd periwig.

Her eyes are grey as glass, and so are mine:
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high.
What should it be, that he respects in her,
But I can make respective in myself,
If this fond love were not a blinded god?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou senseless form!
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kiss'd, lov'd, and ador'd,
And, were there sense in his idolatry,

9 Since she respects my mistress' love so much.] It has been objected by Sir T. Hanmer, that after Silvia has gone out, and Julia left alone, she still keeps up her character of servant to Proteus, and talks of her " master " and "mistress," but nothing could surely be more natural; and in the very next line Shakespeare makes Julia excuse it :—

"Alas, how love can trifle with itself!"

My substance should be statue in thy stead1o.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That us'd me so; or else, by Jove I vow,

I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee.

[Exit.

ACT V. SCENE I.

The Same. An Abbey.

Enter EGLAMOUR.

Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky,

And now it is about the very hour,

That Silvia at friar Patrick's cell should meet me.

She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,

Unless it be to come before their time,
So much they spur 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 some spies.

Egl. Fear not the forest is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we are sure enough.

[Exeunt.

10 My substance should be statue in thy stead.] In the time of Shakespeare there was frequently some confusion when writers spoke of statues or paintings; possibly, because it was not unusual to paint statues, in the same way that our poet's bust was originally painted at Stratford-upon-Avon; and, as the statue of Hermione in "The Winter's Tale," must be supposed to be painted. Of this confusion of terms many instances might be quoted, although here the distinction seems meant to be preserved.

SCENE II.

The Same. A Room in the DUKE'S Palace.

Enter THURIO, PROTEUS, and JULIA.

Thu. Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit? Pro. O, sir! I find her milder than she was; And yet she takes exceptions at your person. 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.

Jul. [Aside.] But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths1.

Thu. What says she to my face?

Pro. She says 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.
Jul. [Aside.] 'Tis true, such pearls as put out ladies'

eyes;

For I had rather wink than look on them2.

Thu. How likes she my discourse?

Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love and peace? Jul. [Aside.] But better, indeed, when you hold your peace.

Thu. What says she to my valour?

Pro. O, sir! she makes no doubt of that.

Jul. [Aside.] She needs not, when she knows it cowardice.

Thu. What says she to my birth?

1 Jul. But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths.] This line is given in the old copies to Proteus; but, as Boswell suggested, it seems to belong to Julia, who stands by, and comments on what is said. A similar mistake is made, in all the folios, just afterwards, as regards Thurio.

2 than look on them.] This speech, assigned in the old editions to Thurio, certainly belongs to Julia.

VOL. I.

M

Pro. That you are well deriv'd.

Jul. [Aside.] True; from a gentleman to a fool.
Thu. Considers she my possessions?

Pro. O ay; and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Jul. [Aside.] That such an ass should owe them.
Pro. That they are out by lease3.

Jul. Here comes the duke.

Enter DUKE.

Duke. How now, sir Proteus! how now, Thurio! Which of you saw Eglamour of late1?

Thu. Not I.

Pro. Nor I.

Duke. Saw you my daughter?

Pro. Neither.

Duke. Why, then

She's fled unto that peasant 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 guess'd that it was she,
But, being mask'd, he was not sure of it:
Besides, she did intend confession

At Patrick's cell this even, and there she was not.
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence:
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount you presently; and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain-foot,

That they are out by lease.] Lord Hailes was of opinion that Thurio and Proteus meant different things by the word "possessions;" Thurio referring to his lands, and Proteus to his mental endowments. If so, the point of the answer of Proteus seems to be, that as Thurio's mental endowments were "out by lease," he had none of them in his own keeping. This interpretation seems rather overstrained, and the meaning of Proteus may be only, that Thurio's possessions were let (as Steevens says) on disadvantageous terms.

Which of you saw Eglamour of late!] The second folio reads, "Which of you, say, saw sir Eglamour of late ?" an attempt to mend the line of the folio, 1623, which only makes bad worse. The correct reading perhaps was,

"Which of you saw sir Eglamour of late ?"

That leads towards Mantua, whither they are fled.
Dispatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me.

Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish girl3,
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.

[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 III.

The Forest.

Enter SILVIA, and Outlaws.

1 Out. Come, come; be patient, we must bring you to our captain.

Sil. A thousand more mischances than this one Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently.

2 Out. Come, bring her away.

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

But Moyses, and Valerius, follow him.

Go thou with her to the west end of the wood;
There is our captain. We'll follow him that's fled:
The thicket is beset; he cannot 'scape.

1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's cave. Fear not; he bears an honourable mind,

And will not use a woman lawlessly.

5

Sil. O Valentine! this I endure for thee. [Exeunt.

a PEEVISH girl,] "Peevish" is equivalent to silly, or foolish. See also Vol. ii. p. 150; Vol. iv. p. 523; Vol. vi. p. 121, &c. Stephen Gosson, in his "School of Abuse," 1579, reprinted for the Shakespeare Society, says, "We have infant poets and pipers, and such peevishe cattell among us in Englande."