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Which pierces fo, that it affaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence fet me free!

invention, and preferved with profound fkill in nature, extenfive knowledge of opinions, and accurate obfervation of life. In a fingle drama are here exhibited princes, courtiers, and failors, all fpeaking in their real characters. There is the agency of airy fpirits, and of an earthly goblin. The operations of magick, the tumults of a storm, the adventures of a defart island, the native effufion of untaught affection, the punishment of guilt, and the final happiness of the pair for whom our paffions and reafon are equally interested. JOHNSON.

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THE

TWO GENTLEMEN

O F

VERONA.

Perfons Represented.

DUKE of Milan, father to Silvia,

Valentine,
Protheus,

}

the two gentlemen.

Anthonio, father to Protheus.
Thurio, a foolish rival to Valentine.
Eglamore, agent for Silvia in her efcape.
Hoft, where Julia lodges in Milan.
Out-laws.

Speed, a clownish fervant to Valentine.
Launce, the like to Protheus.

Panthino, fervant to Anthonio.

Julia, a lady of Verona, beloved of Protheus. Silvia, the duke of Milan's daughter, beloved of Valentine.

Lucetta, waiting-woman to Julia.

Servants, musicians.

SCENE, fometimes in Verona; fometimes in Milan; and on the frontiers of Mantua,

Panthino.] In the enumeration of characters in the old copy, this attendant on Anthonio is called Panthion, but in the play always Panthino. STEEVENS.

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EASE to perfuade, my loving Protheus; 3 Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits: Wer't not, affection chains thy tender days To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,

I rather

• Some of the incidents in this play may be fuppofed to have been taken from The Arcadia, book 1. chap. 6. where Pyrocles confents to head the Helots. The love-adventure of Julia resembles that of Viola in Twelfth Night, and is indeed common to many of the ancient novels. STEEVENS.

2 It is obfervable (I know not for what cause) that the ftile of this comedy is lefs figurative, and more natural and unaffected than the greater part of this author's, though fuppofed to be one of the first he wrote. PoPE.

It may very well be doubted, whether Shakespeare had any other hand in this play than the enlivening it with fome fpeeches and lines thrown in here and there, which are easily distinguished, as being of a different ftamp from the reft.

HANMER,

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