Val. Some fixteen months; and longer might have staid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.

1 Out. What, were you banish'd thence ?

Val. I was.

2 Out. For what offence?

Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse :
I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent;
But yet I flew him manfully in fight,

Without false vantage, or base treachery.

1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done fo: But were you banish'd for fo small a fault?

Val. I was, and held me glad of fuch a doom. 1 Out. Have you the tongues?

Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy; Or else I often had been miferable.

3 Out. By the bare fcalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction.

1 Out. We'll have him: firs, a word. Speed.

Mafter, be one of them;

It is an honourable kind of thievery.

Val. Peace, villain!

2 Out. Tell us this: Have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune.

3 Out. Know then, that fome of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth

Thruft from the company of awful men :
Myself was from Verona banished,
For practising to steal away a lady,
An heir, and near allied unto the duke.

2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman,

Whom, in my mood, I ftabb'd unto the heart.

i Out. And I, for fuch like petty crimes as thefe. But to the purpofe,-(for we cite our faults, That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives,)

And,

And, partly, feeing you are beautify'd

With goodly thape; and by your own report
A linguist; and a man of such perfection,

As we do in our quality much want ;

2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore, above the reft, we parley to you: Are you content to be our general ?

To make a virtue of neceffity,

And live, as we do, in this wilderness?

3 Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our confort? Say, ay, and be the captain of us all :

We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee,
Love thee as our commander, and our king.

1 Out. But if thou fcorn our courtesy, thou diest. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided that you do no outrages

On filly women, or poor passengers.

3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And fhew thee all the treasure we have got ; Which, with ourselves, all reft at thy difpofe. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Milan. Court of the Palace.

Enter PROTEUS.

Pro. Already have I been falfe to Valentine,
And now I must be as unjust to Thurio.
Under the colour of commending him,
I have access my own love to prefer;
But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy,

To be corrupted with my worthless gifts.
When I protest true loyalty to her,

She twits me with my falhood to my friend;
When to her beauty I commend my vows,
She bids me think, how I have been forfworn
In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd:
And, notwithstanding all her fudden quips,
The least whereof would quell a lover's hope,
Yet, fpaniel-like, the more the spurns my love,
The more it grows, and fawneth on her still.
But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window,
And give fome evening mufick to her ear.

Enter THURIO, and Muficians.

Thu. How now, fir Proteus? are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love Will creep in fervice where it cannot go.

Thu. Ay, but, I hope, fir, that you love not here.
Pro. Sir, but I do; or elfe I would be hence.
Thu. Whom? Silvia?

Pro. Ay, Silvia,-for your fake.

Thu. I thank you for your own. Now, gentlemen, Let's tune, and to it luftily a while.

Enter Hoft, at a distance; and JULIA in boy's clothes.

Hoft. Now, my young gueft! methinks you're allycholly; I pray you, why is it?

Jul. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry. Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you shall hear mufick, and see the gentleman that you afk'd for.

Jul. But shall I hear him speak?

Hoft.

Who is Silvia? what is fhe,

That all our fwains commend her ?

Holy, fair, and wife is fhe;

The heavens fuch grace did lend her,
That he might admired be.

Is fhe kind, as fhe is fair?

For beauty lives with kindness :
Love doth to her eyes repair,

To help him of his blindness;
And, being help'd, inhabits there.

Then to Silvia let us fing,

That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing,

Upon the dull earth dwelling :

To her let us garlands bring.

Hoft. How now? are you fadder than you were before?

How do you, man? the mufick likes you not.

Jul. You mistake; the musician likes me not.
Hoft. Why, my pretty youth?

Jul. He plays falfe, father.

Hoft. How? out of tune on the strings?

Jul. Not fo; but yet fo false, that he grieves my very

heart-ftrings.

E 4

Hoft.

Hoft. You have a quick ear.

Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have a flow heart.

Hoft. I perceive, you delight not in musick.

Jul. Not a whit, when it jars fo.

Hoft. Hark, what fine change is in the mufick!
Jul. Ay; that change is the spite.

Hoft. You would have them always play but one thing? Jul. I would always have one play but one thing. But, hoft, doth this fir Proteus, that we talk on, often refort unto this gentlewoman?

Hoft. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me, he loved her out of all nick.

Jul. Where is Launce?

Hoft. Gone to feek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he muft carry for a prefent to his lady.

Jul. Peace! ftand afide; the company parts.

Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you; I will fo plead, That you shall say, my cunning drift excels.

Thu. Where meet we?

Pro. At faint Gregory's well.

Thu. Farewell.

[Exeunt THURIO and Muficians.

SILVIA appears above, at her window.

Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship.
Sil. I thank you for your musick, gentlemen:

Who is that, that spake?

Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's truth,
You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice.
Sil. Sir Proteus, as I take it.

Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your fervant.
Sil. What is your will?

Pro.