By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeas'd. Pro. Look to the boy. [Faints. Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now? what is the matter? Look up; speak. ful. 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. [Gives a ring. Jul. Oh, cry your mercy, Sir, I have miftook; This is the ring you fent to Silvia. [Shews another ring. 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 herself hath brought it hither. Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths, 2 All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.] It is (I think) very odd to give up his mistress thus at once, without any reafon alledged. But our author probably followed the ftories just as he found them in his novels as well as hiftories. POPE. This paffage either hath been much fophifticated, or is one great proof that the main parts of this play did not proceed. from Shakespeare; for it is impoffible he could make Valentine act and speak fo much out of character, or give to Silvia fo unnatural a behaviour, as to take no notice of this strange conceffion, if it had been made. HANMER. 3 How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root ?] Sir T. Hanmer reads, cleft the root on't. JOHNSON. Such Such an immodest rayment; if shame live It is the leffer blot, modefty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true; oh heaven! were man But conftant, he were perfect: that one error What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy Val. Come, come, a hand from either: Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wifh 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. Banished Valentine. Duke. Sir Valentine! Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death: Come not within 5 the measure of my wrath. Do not name Silvia thine; if once againMilan fhall not behold thee. Here fhe ftands, Take if fhame live] That is, if it be any shame to wear a difguife for the purposes of love. JOHNSON. 5the meafure-] The length of my fword, the reach of my anger. JOHNSON. • Milan fhall not behold thee.-] All the editions, Verona fhall not hold thee. But, whether through the mistake of the firft editors, or the poet's own careleffnefs, this reading is abfurdly faulty. For the threat here is to Thurio, who is a Milanefe; and has no concern, as it appears, with Verona. Be Take but poffeffion of her with a touch; Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I- Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, And think thee worthy of an emprefs' love. I now befeech you, for your daughter's fake, Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be. Are men endu'd with worthy qualities: Forgive them what they have committed here, They are reformed, civil, full of good, Dispose of them as thou know'ft their deferts. fides, the scene is betwixt the confines of Milan and Mantua, to which Silvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thither. And, upon thefe circumftances, I ventured to adjust the text, as I imagine the poet must have intended; i. e. Milan, thy country fhall never fee thee again: thou shalt never live to go back thither. THEOBALD. Come, Come, let us go; we will 7 include all jars Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold 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. 1 Come, Protheus, 'tis your penance but to hear That done, our day of marriage fhall be yours, [8 Exeunt omnes, -include all jars] Sir Tho. Hanmer reads conclude. JOHNSON. In this play there is a ftrange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The verfification is often excellent, the allufions are learned and juft; but the author conveys his heroes by fea from one inland town to another in the fame country; he places the emperor at Milan, and fends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Protheus, after an interview with Silvia, fay he has only feen her picture; and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by miftaking places, left his fcenery inextricable. The reafon of all this confusion feems to be, that he took his ftory from a novel, which he fometimes followed, and fometimes forfook, fometimes remembered, and fometimes forgot. That this play is rightly attributed to Shakespeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom fhall it be given? This question may be asked of all the difputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakespeare might fometimes fink below his highest flights, than that any other should rife up to his loweft. JOHNSON. |