O thou, that doft inhabit in my breaft,
Leave not the manfion fo long tenantlefs;
Left, growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was,
Repair me with thy prefence, Silvia;
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn fwain.
What hallo'ing, and what ftir is this to-day?
Thefe are my mates, that make their wills their law,
Have fome unhappy paffenger 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 here?

Enter Protheus, Silvia, and Julia.

Pro. Madam, this fervice have I done for you. (Tho' you refpect not ought your fervant doth) To hazard life, and refcue you from him, That wou'd have forc'd your honour and your love. Vouchfafe me for my meed but one fair look: A fmaller boon than this I cannot beg, And lefs than this, I'm fure, you cannot give. Val. How like a dream is this, I fee, and hear? Love, lend me patience to forbear a while.

[Afide.

Sil. O miferable, unhappy that I am!
Pro. Unhappy were you, Madam, ere I came;
But by my coming I have made you happy.
Sif. By thy approach thou mak ́ft me most unhappy.
ful. And me, when he approacheth to your prefence.

Sil. Had I been feized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a break faft to the beaf,
Rather than have falfe Protheus refcue me.
Oh, heav'n be judge, how I love Valentine,
Whofe life's as tender to me as my foul;
And full as much, for more there cannot be,
I do deteft falfe perjur'd Protheus:
Therefore be gone, follicit me no more.

Pro. What dang'rous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look? Oh, 'tis the curfe in love, and ftill 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 whofe dear fake thou then didst rend thy faith
Into a thoufand oaths; and all those oaths
Defcended into perjury, to love me.

Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou'dft 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 refpects friend!

Sil. All men but Protheus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle fpirit of moving words
Can no way change you to a milder form;
I'll move you like a soldier, at arms end,

And love you 'gainst the nature of love; force
Sil. Oh heav'n!

Pro. I'll force thee yield to my defire.
that rude uncivil touch,
Thou friend of an ill fashion!

Val. Ruffian, let go

Pro. Valentine!

ye.

Val.Thou common friend, that's without faith or love; For fuch is a friend now: thou treach'rous man! Thou haft beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye Could have perfuaded me. Now I dare not say, I have one friend alive; thou wouldst difprove me. Who should be trufted now, when the right hand Is perjur'd to the bosom? Protheus,

I'm forry, I must never truft thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy fake.
The private wound is deepest. Oh time, most accurst!
'Mongft all foes, that a friend fhould be the worst !
Pro. My fhame and guilt confound me :
Forgive me, Valentine; if hearty forrow

Be a fufficient ranfom for offence,

I tender't here; I do as truly fuffer,
As e'er I did commit.

Val. Then I am paid:

And once again I do receive thee honest.

Wło

Who by repentance is not fatisfy'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!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[Savoons.

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

Jul. O good Sir, my mafter charg'd me to deliver 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 let me fee:

This is the ring I gave to Julia.

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

Pro. How cam'ft thou by this ring? at my depart,

I gave this unto Julia.

ful. And Julia herself did give it me.

And Julia herfelf 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 afham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodeft rayment: if fhame live
In a difguife of love.-

It is the leffer 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 conftant, 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 conftant eye
Val. Come, come, a hand from either :

Let

Let me be bleft to make this happy close;

'Twere pity, two fuch friends fhould long be foes. Pro. Bear witness, heav'n, I have my wish for ever. Jul. 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 banifh'd Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine?

Thu. Yonder is Silvia: and Silvia's mine.

Val. Thurio, give back; or elfe embrace thy death:
Come not within the measure of my wrath.
Do not name Silvia thine; if once again,-
Milan fhall not behold thee. Here the stands, (17)
Take but poffeffion 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 fhe is thine.
Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
To make fuch means for her as thou haft done,
And leave her on fuch flight conditions.
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,
I do applaud thy fpirit, Valentine,

And think thee worthy of an emprefs' love :
Know then, I here forget all former griefs;
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,
Plead a new ftate in thy unrival'd merit,

(17) Verona fhall not bold thee.] Thus all the editions, but, whether, thro' the mistake of the firft Editors, or the Poet's own careleffaefs, this reading is abfurdly faulty, For the threat here is to Thurio, who is a Milanefe; and has no concerns, as it appears, with Verona. Befides, the fcene is betwixt the confines of Milan, and Mantua, to which Slvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thither. And, upon these circumstances, I ventur'd to adjuft the text, as I imagine, the Poet muft have intended: i. e. Milan, thy country, shall never fee thee again : sbou shalt newer live to go back thither.

Το

To which I thus fubfcribe: 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 fhall ask of you.
Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be.
Val Thefe 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 exile.
They are reformed, civil, full of good,
And fit for great employment, worthy Lord.
Duke. Thou haft 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 folemnity.

Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold
With our difcourfe to make your Grace to fmile.
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 ftory of your loves difcovered:
That done, our day of marriage fhall be yours,
One feast, one houfe, one mutual happiness.

[Exeunt omnet.

THE