He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;

And fo by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing sport, to the wild ocean.

Then let me go, and hinder not my course :
I'll be as patient as a gentle ftream,
And make a pastime of each weary step,
Till the laft ftep have brought me to my love;
And there I'll reft, as, after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elysium.

Luc. But in what habit will you go along?
Jul. Not like a woman; for I would prevent
The loose encounters of lascivious men:
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds
As may beseem fome well-reputed page.

Luc. Why then your ladyfhip muft cut your hair. Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken ftrings, With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots : To be fantastic, may become a youth Of greater time than I fhall fhew to be.

Luc. What fafhion, madam, fhall I make your breeches ?

Jul. That fits as well, as-" tell me, good my lord, "What compass will you wear your farthingale ?" Why, even that fashion thou beft lik'ft, Lucetta. Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece, madam.

Jul. Out, out, Lucetta7! that will be ill-favour'd.

with a cod-piece, &c.] Whoever wishes to be acquainted with this particular, relative to dress, may confult Bulwer's Artificial Changeling, in which fuch matters are very amply dif cuffed. Ocular inftruction may be had from the armour hewn as John of Gaunt's in the Tower of London. The fame fashion appears to have been no lefs offenfive in France. See Montaigne, chap. XXII. The custom of sticking pins in this oftentatious piece of indecency, was continued by the illiberal warders of the Tower, till forbidden by authority. STEEVENS.

? Out, out, Lucetta! &c.] Dr. Percy observes, that this interjection is still used in the North. It feems to have the fame meaning as apage, Lat. STEEVENS.

Luc. A round hofe, madam, now's not worth

pin,

Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on,

ful. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think'ft meet, and is most mannerly: But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me, For undertaking fo unftaid a journey?

I fear me, it will make me fcandaliz'd.

Luc. If you think so, then stay at home, and go not. Jul. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go.
If Protheus like your journey, when you come,
No matter who's difpleas'd, when you are gone :
I fear me, he will scarce be pleas'd withal.

Ful. That is the leaft, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
And inftances as infinite of love,
Warrant me welcome to my Protheus.

Luc. All these are servants to deceitful men.
Jul. Bafe men, that use them to fo base effect!
But truer ftars did govern Protheus' birth:
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles;
His love fincere, his thoughts immaculate;
His tears, pure meffengers fent from his heart;
His heart as far from fraud, as heaven from earth,
Luc. Pray heaven, he prove fo, when you come
to him!

Jul. Now, as thou lov'ft me, do him not that wrong, To bear a hard opinion of his truth: Only deferve my love, by loving him; And prefently go with me to my chamber, To take a note of what I ftand in need of, To furnish me upon my longing journey. All that is mine I leave at thy difpose,

of infinite-] Old edit. JOHNSON.

my longing journey.] Dr. Gray obferves, that longing is a participle active, with a paffive fignification; for longed, wished or defired. STEEVENS.

My

My goods, my lands, my reputation;

Only, in lieu thereof, difpatch me hence.
Come, answer not, but to it presently;

I am impatient of my tarriance.

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

The duke's palace in Milan.

Enter Duke, Thurio, and Protheus.

Duke. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have fome fecrets to confer about.

[Exit Thur. Now, tell me, Protheus, what's your will with me? Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would discover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal : But, when I call to mind your gracious favours Done to me, undeferving as I am,

My duty pricks me on to utter that

Which elfe no worldly good fhould draw from me.
Know, worthy prince, fir Valentine, my friend,
This night intends to fteal away your daughter;
Myfelf am one made privy to the plot.
I know, you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And should fhe thus be ftolen away from you,
It would be much vexation to your age.
Thus, for my duty's fake, I rather chofe
To cross my friend in his intended drift,
Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
A pack of forrows, which would prefs you down,
Being unprevented, to your timeless grave.

Duke. Protheus, I thank thee for thine honeft care;
Which to requite, command me while I live.
This love of theirs myfelf have often seen,

Haply, when they have judg'd me fast asleep;
And oftentimes have purpos'd to forbid
Sir Valentine her company, and my court:
But, fearing left my jealous aim' might err,
And fo, unworthily, difgrace the man,
(A rashness that I ever yet have shunn'd)
I gave him gentle looks; thereby to find
That which thyfelf haft now difclos'd to me.
And, that thou may'ft perceive, my fear of this,
Knowing that tender youth is foon suggested,
I nightly lodge her in an upper tower,
The key whereof myself have ever kept;
And thence the cannot be convey'd away.

Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a mean
How he her chamber-window will ascend,
And with a corded ladder fetch her down;
For which the youthful lover now is gone,
And this way comes he with it presently;
Where, if it please you, you may intercept him.
But, good my lord, do it fo cunningly,
That my discovery 2 be not aimed at ;
For love of you, not hate unto my friend,
Hath made me publisher of this pretence.
Duke. Upon mine honour, he fhall never know
That I had any light from thee of this.

1

Pro. Adieu, my lord; fir Valentine is coming.

Enter Valentine.

[Exit Pro

Duke, Sir Valentine, whither away so fast?

-jealous aim] Aim is guess, in this inftance, as in the following. So in Romeo and Juliet:

2

"I aim'd fo near when I fuppos'd you lov'd." STEEVENS, be not aimed at ;] Be not gueled. JOHNSON. 3-of this pretence.] Of this claim made to your daughter.

JOHNSON.

to feel my affection

Pretence is defign. So in K. Lear: " to your honour, and no other pretence of danger."

Again, in the fame play; "pretence and purpose of unkindnefs," STEEVENS.

Val. Please it your grace, there is a meffenger
That stays to bear my letters to my friends,
And I am going to deliver them.

Duke. Be they of much import?

Val. The tenor of them doth but fignify My health, and happy being at your court.

Duke. Nay, then no matter; stay with me a while; I am to break with thee of fome affairs,

That touch me near, wherein thou must be secret. 'Tis not unknown to thee, that I have fought To match my friend, fir Thurio, to my daughter.

Val. I know it well, my lord; and, fure, the match Were rich and honourable; befides, the gentleman Is full of virtue, bounty, worth, and qualities Beseeming fuch a wife as your fair daughter : Cannot your grace win her to fancy him?

Duke. No, truft me; fhe is peevish, fullen, froward,
Proud, difobedient, ftubborn, lacking duty;
Neither regarding that the is my child,
Nor fearing me as if I were her father:
And, may I fay to thee, this pride of hers,
Upon advice, hath drawn my love from her;
And, where I thought the remnant of mine age
Should have been cherish'd by her child-like duty,
I now am full refolv'd to take a wife,

And turn her out to who will take her in:
Then let her beauty be her wedding-dower;
For me, and my poffeffions, the efteems not.
Val. What would your grace have me to do in

this?

4

Duke. There is a lady, fir, in Milan, here,
Whom I affect; but fhe is nice, and coy,
And nought efteems my aged eloquence:

-fir, in Milan, bere,] It ought to be thus, instead ofin Verona, here-for the fcene apparently is in Milan, as is clear from feveral paffages in the first act, and in the beginning of the first scene of the fourth act. A like mistake has crept into the eighth scene of act II. where Speed bids his fellow-fervant Launce welcome to Padua. POPE.

Now,