Othou, that doft inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the mansion so long tenantless;
Left, growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was,
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia;
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain.
What hallo'ing, and what stir is this to-day?
These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
Have some unhappy passenger in chase,
They love me well, yet I have much to do
To keep them from uncivil outrages.
Withdraw thee, Valentine : who's this comes herei

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.
Pro. Madam, this service have I done for you.
(Tho' you respect not ought your servant doth)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him,
That wou'd have forc'd your honour and your love.
Vouchsafe me for

my

meed but on fair look: A smaller boon than this I cannot beg, And less than this, I'm sure, you cannot give.

Val. How like a dream is this, I see, and hear? Love, lend me patience to forbear a while.

Sil. O miserable, unhappy that I am!

Pro. Unhappy were you, Madam, ere I came; But by my coming I have made you happy:

Sil. By thy approach thou makoft me most unhappy. Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your presence

. Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion, I would have been a breakfast to the beaật, Rather than have falfe Protheus rescue me. Oh, heav'n be judge, how I love Valentine, Whose life's as tender to me as my soul; And full as much, for more there cannot be, I do dereft false perjur'd Protheus : Therefore be gore, sollicit me no more,

Pro. What dang’rous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look? Qh, 'tis the curse in love, and fill approv'd,

When

When women cannot love, where they're belov’d.

Sil. When Protheus cannot love, where he's belov'd,
Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,
For whose dear sake thou then didît rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
Descended into perjury, to love me.
Thou hast no faith lefc now, unless thou'dst two,
And that's far worse than none : better have none
Than plural faith, which is too much by one.
Thou counterfeit to thy true friend !

Pro. In love,
Who respects friend !

Sil. All men but Protheus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words
Can no way change you to a milder form;
I'll move you like a ioldier, at arms end,
And love you 'gainst the nature of love ; force ye.

Sil. Oh heav'n!
Pro. I'll force thee yield to my desire.
Vah. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch,
Thou friend of an ill fashion !

Pro. Valentine!

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love; For such is a friend now : thou treach'rous man ! Thou hast beguild my hopes; nought but mine eye Could have persuaded me,

Now I dare not say,
I have one friend alive; thou wouldft difprove me.
Who should be trufted now, when the right hand
Is perjur’d to the bosom? Protheus,
I'm sorry, I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy fake.
The private wound is deepest. Oh time, moft accurft!
Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst !

Pro. My Thame and guilt confound me :
Forgive me, Valentine ; if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
I tender't here ; I do as truly suffer,
As e'er I did commit.
And once again I do receive thee honest.

Val. Then I am paid :

Who by repentance is not satisfy'd,
Is nor of heav'n, nor earth; for these are pleas'd;
By penitence th’Eternal's wrath's appeas'd.
And that my love may appear plain and free,
All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.
Jul. Oh me unhappy!

(Szudors. Pro. Look to the boy.

Val. Why, boy! how now? what's the matter? look up; speak.

Jul." o good Sir, my master charg'd me to delivet a ring to Madam Silvia, which, out of my neglect, was never done.

Pro. Where is that ring, boy?
Jul. Here 'tis : this is it.

Pro. How I let me see :
This is the ring I gave to Julia.

Jul. Oh, cry you mercy, Sir, I have mistook ;
This is the ring you sent to Silvia,

Pro. How cam't thou by this ring? at my depart, I gave

this unto Julia. Jul. And Julia herself did give it me. And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

Pro. How, Julia ?

Jul, Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
And entertain'd 'em deeply in her heart:
How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root ?
Oh Protheus, let this habit make thee blush!
Be thou asham'd, that I have took

upon me
Such an immodeft rayment: if shame live
In a disguise of love.
It is the lefser blot, modefty finds,
Women to change their shapes, than men their minds.

Pro. Than men their minds ? 'tis true; oh heav'n!

were man

But constant, he were perfect ; that one error
Fills him with faults ; makes him run through all fins:
Inconftancy falls off, ere it begins.
What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy
More fresh in Julia’s with a constant eyes
Val. Come, come, a hand from either :

Let

Let me be blest to make this happy close;
'Twere pity, two such friends should long be foes.

Pro. Bear witness, heav'n, I have my wish for ever.
Ful. And I mine.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio.
Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val. Forbear, forbear, it is my Lord the Duke.
Your Grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd,
The banish'd Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine?
Thu. Yonder is Silvia : and Silvia's mine.
Val. Thurio, give back; or else embrace thy death :
Come not within the measure of my wrath.
Do not name Silvia thine ; if once again,-
Milan shall not behold thee. Here the stands, (17)
Take but poffefsion of her with a touch ;
I dare thee but to breath upon my love,

Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I.
I hold him but a fool, that will endanger
His body for a girl that loves him not.
I claim her not; and therefore she is thine.

Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
To make such means for her as thou hast done,
And leave her on such slight conditions.
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,
I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,
And think thee worthy of an empress' love :
Know then, I here forget all former griefs ;
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,
Plead a new state in thy unrival'd merit,

(17) Verona fhall not bold thee.) Thus all the editions, but, whether, thro’ the mistake of the first Editors, or the Poet's own carelessness, this reading is absurdly faulty. For the threat here is to Thurie, who is a Milanese ; and has no concerns, as it appears, with Verona. Befides, the scene is betwixt the confines of Milan, and Mantua, to which Silvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thither. And, upon these circumstances, I ventur’d to adjust the text, as I imagine, the Poet must have intended : i.e. Milan, tby country, pall never fee ibce again : sbou shalt never live to go boskobirber.

To

To which I thus subscribe : Sir Valentine,
Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd;
Take thou thy Silvia, for thou haft deferv'd her.

Val. I thank your Grace; the gift hath made me happy
I now beseech you, for your daughter's fake,
To grant one boon that I Mall ask of you.

Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be.

Val, These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endu'd with worthy qualities : Forgive them what they have committed here, And let them be recall'd from their èxile. They are reformed, civil, full of good, And fit for great employment, worthy Lord.

Duke. Thou hast prevail'd, I pardon them and thee Dispose of them, as thou know'ft their deferts. Come, let us go: we will include all jars With triumphs, mirth, and all solemnity.

Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold With our discourse to make

your

Grace to smile. What think you of this page, my Lord ?

Duke. I think, the boy hath grace in him; he blushes.
Val. I warrant you, my Lord, more grace than boy.
Duke. What mean you by that saying?

Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along,
That you will wonder what hath fortuned.
Come, Protheus, 'tis your penance but to hear
The story of your loves discovered :
That done, our day of marriage shall be yours,
One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.

[Exeunt crknete