SCENE III.

Frontiers of Mantua. The Foreft.

Enter SILVIA, and Out-laws.

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 out-run us, But Moyfes, and Valerius, follow him.

Go thou with her to the weft end of the wood,
There is our captain: we'll follow him that's fled;
The thicket is befet, 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.

Sil. O Valentine, this I endure for thee!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Another part of the Foreft.

Enter VALENTINE.

Val. How ufe doth breed a habit in a man!
This shadowy defert, unfrequented woods,
I better brook than flourishing peopled towns:
Here can I fit alone, unfeen of any,

And, to the nightingale's complaining notes,

Tune

my diftreffes, and record my woes.
O thou that doft inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the mansion fo long tenantless;
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 hallowing, and what ftir, is this to-day?
These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
Have fome unhappy paffenger in chace :

They love me well; yet I have much to do,
To keep them from uncivil outrages.

Withdraw thee, Valentine; who's this comes here?

[Steps afide.

Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA.

Pro. Madam, this fervice I have done for you,
(Though you respect not aught your fervant doth,)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him

That would have forc'd your honour and your love.
Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A fmaller boon than this I cannot beg,
And less than this, I am 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 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 mak'st me most unhappy. ful. 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 beast,

[Afide.

Rather

Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.
O, heaven 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,)
do deteft falfe perjur'd Proteus :
Therefore be gone, folicit me no more.

Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look?

O, 'tis the curfe in love, and still approv'd,
When women cannot love where they're belov'd.

Sil. When Proteus cannot love where he's belov'd.
Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,

For whose dear fake thou didst then rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths

Defcended into perjury, to love me.

Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou had'st 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.

Who refpects friend?

Sil.

In love,

All men but Proteus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle fpirit of moving words Can no way change you to a milder form,

I'll woo you like a foldier, at arms' end;

And love you 'gainst the nature of love, force you.
Sil. O heaven!

Pro.

I'll force thee yield to my defire. Val. 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 fuch is a friend now,) treacherous man!

Thou hast beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye

Could

Could have perfuaded me: Now I dare not fay

I have one friend alive; thou would'st disprove me.
Who should be trusted now, when one's right hand
Is perjur'd to the bofom? Proteus,

I am forry, I must never truft thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy fake.

The private wound is deepest: O time, most curst!
'Mongft all foes, that a friend should be the worst!
Pro. My fhame and guilt confounds me.-
Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty forrow

Be a fufficient ranfom for offence,

I tender it here; I do as truly suffer,
As e'er I did commit.

And once again I do receive thee honest :-
Who by repentance is not fatisfy'd,

Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for thefe are pleas'd;
By penitence the 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. O me, unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints.

Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now? what is the

matter?

Look up; fpeak.

Jul.

O good fir, my master 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. O, cry you mercy, fir, I have mistook;

This is the ring you sent to Silvia.

[Shows another ring.

Pro. But, how cam'ft 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 them deeply in her heart :
How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root?
O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush!
Be thou afham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest rayment; if shame live
In a disguise of love:

It is the leffer blot, modefty finds,

Women to change their fhapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds! 'tis true: O heaven! 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 constant eye?
Val. Come, come, a hand from either:

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

Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for ever.
Jul. And I have mine.

Out.

Enter Out-laws, with DUKE and THURIO.

A prize, a prize, a prize!

Your

Val. Forbear, I fay; it is my lord the duke.