O fweet-fuggefting love! if thou haft finn'd
Teach me, thy tempted fubject, to excufe it.
At first I did adore a twinkling star,

But now I worship a celestial fun.

Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken;
And he wants wit that wants refolved will,
To learn his wit t'exchange the bad for better.
Fy, fy, unreverend tongue! to call her bad,
Whofe fov'reignty fo oft thou haft preferr'd
With twenty thousand foul-confirming oaths.
I cannot leave to love, and yet I do :

But there I leave to love, where I fhould love:
Julia I lofe, and Valentine I lose :

If I keep them, I needs must lose myself:
If I lose them, this find I by their loss,
For Valentine, myfelf; for Julia, Silvia:
I to myself am dearer than a friend;
For love is ftill more precious in its felf:
And Silvia, (witness heav'n, that made her fair!)
Shews Julia but a fwarthy Ethiope.

I will forget that Julia is alive,

Remembring that my love to her is dead:

And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,

Aiming at Silvia as a sweeter friend.

I cannot now prove conftant to myself,
Without fome treachery us'd to Valentine:
This night, he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celeftial Silvia's chamber-window;
Myfelf in counfel his competitor.

Now prefently I'll give her father notice
Of their difguifing, and pretended flight;
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine:
For Thurio, he intends, fhall wed his daughter.
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly crofs,
By fome fly trick, blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.
Love, lend me wings to make my purpofe fwift,
As thou haft lent me wit to plot this drift!

[Exit,

SCENE

SCENE changes to Julia's Houfe in Verona.

Jul. Cou

Enter Julia and Lucetta,

Ounfel, Lucetta; gentle girl, affift me;
And, even, in kind love, I do conjure thee,
Who are the table wherein all my thoughts
Are visibly character'd and engrav'd,

To leffon me; and tell me fome good mean,
How with my honour I may undertake
A journey to my loving Protheus.

Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long.
ful. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps;
Much lefs fhall The, that hath love's wings to fly;
And when the flight is made to one fo dear,
Of fuch divine perfection as Sir Protheus.

Luc. Better forbear, till Protheus, make return.
Jul. Oh,know'st thou not,his looks are my foul's food?
Pity the dearth, that I have pined in,

By longing for that food fo long a time.
Didft thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou would't as foon go kindle fire with fnow,
As feek to quench the fire of love with words.
Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire,
But qualify the fire's extreme rage,

Left it should burn above the bounds of reafon,

Jul. The more thou damm'ft it up, the more it burns:
'The current, that with gentle murmur glides,
Thou know'ft, being ftopp'd, impatiently doth rage ;.
But when his fair courfe is not hindered,

He makes fweet mufick with th' enamel'd ftones;
Giving a gentle kifs to every fedge

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 courfe;
I'll be as patient as a gentle ftream,
And make a paftime of each weary step,
"Till the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll reft, as, after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium.

Luc. But in what habit will you go along?
ful. Not like a woman; for I would prevent

The loofe encounters of lascivious men :
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds
As may befeem fome well-reputed page.

Luc. Why then your Ladyfhip muft cut your hair..
ful. 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 compafs will you wear your farthingale ?^ Why, even what fashion thou best like'st, Lucetta. Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-pièce,, Madam.

Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill-favour'd. Luc. A round hofe, Madam, now's not worth a pin,. Unless you have a cod-piece to flick pins on.

Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think'ft meet, and is moft 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 fo, 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 fcarce be pleas'd withal.
Jul. That is the leaft, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thoufand oaths, an ocean of his tears,,
And inftances as infinite of love,

Warrant me welcome to my Protheus.

Luc. All these are fervants to deceitful men.
Jul. Bafe men, that use them to so 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 heav'n from earth.
Luc. Pray heav'n 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 presently 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 difpofe,
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.

A CT III.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, the Duke's Palace, in Milan.
Enter Duke, Thurio, and Protheus.

DUKE.

IR Thurio, give us leave, I pray, a while;

STR

We have some secrets to confer about. [Exit Thur. Now tell me, Protheus, what's your will with me? Pro. My gracious Lord, that which I would difcover, 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, Sir 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 the thus be ftoll'n away from you,
It would be much vexation to your age.
Thus, for my duty's fake, I rather chofe
To croft my friend in his intended drift;

Than,

A

Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
A pack of forrows, which would prefs you down,
If unprevented, to your timeless grave.

Duke. Protheus, I thank thee for thine honest care;
Which to requite, command me while I live.
This love of theirs myfelf have often feen,
Haply, when they have judg'd me faft afleep;
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 fhunn'd ;)
gave him gentle looks; thereby to find
That which thyfelf haft now difclos'd to me.
And that thou may'it 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 fhe cannot be convey'd away.

Pro. Know, noble Lord, they have devis'd a mean
How he her chamber-window will afcend,
And with a corded ladder fetch her down;
For which the youthful lover now is gone,
And this way comes he with it prefently:
Where, if it please you, you may intercept him.
But, good my Lord, do it fo cunningly,
That my difcov'ry 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.

Pro. Adieu, my Lord: Sir Valentine is coming.

Enter Valentine.

[Exit Pro,

Duke. Sir Valentine, whether away fo faft?
Val. Pleafe it your Grace, there is a meffenger
That ftays to bear my letters to my friends,
And I am going to deliver them.

Duke. Be they of much import?

Val.