Pro. But the receiv'd my dog?

Laun. No, indeed, she did not: here have I brought him back again.

Pro. What, didst thou offer her this from me?

Laun. Ay, fir; the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman's boys in the market-place: and then I offer'd her mine own; who is a dog as big as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater.

Pro. Go, get thee hence, and find my dog again, Or ne'er return again into my fight.

Away, I fay; Stay'st thou to vex me here?

A flave, that, still an end, turns me to shame.

Sebastian, I have entertained thee,

[Exit LAUNCE.

Partly, that I have need of fuch a youth,
That can with some discretion do my business,
For 'tis no trufting to yon foolish lowt;
But, chiefly, for thy face, and thy behaviour;
Which (if my augury deceive me not,)
Witness good bringing up, fortune, and truth:
Therefore know thou, for this I entertain thee.
Go presently, and take this ring with thee,
Deliver it to madam Silvia :

She lov'd me well, deliver'd it to me.

Jul. It feems, you lov'd her not, to leave her token: She's dead, belike.

Pro.

Jul. Alas!

Not fo; I think, the lives.

Pro. Why doft thou cry, alas?

Jul. I cannot choose but pity her.

Pro. Wherefore fhould'st thou pity her?

Jul. Because, methinks, that she lov'd you as well As you do love your lady Silvia :

11

She dreams on him, that has forgot her love;
You dote on her, that cares not for your love.
'Tis pity, love should be so contrary;
And thinking on it makes me cry, alas!

Pro. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal
This letter;-that's her chamber.-Tell my lady,
I claim the promise for her heavenly picture.
Your meffage done, hie home unto my chamber,
Where thou shalt find me fad and folitary.

[Exit PROTEUS.
Jul. How many women would do fuch a message ?
Alas, poor Proteus! thou haft entertain'd

A fox, to be the shepherd of thy lambs :
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth me;
Because I love him, I must pity him.

This ring I gave him, when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will:

And now am I (unhappy messenger)

To plead for that, which I would not obtain ;
To carry that, which I would have refus'd;

To praise his faith, which I would have difprais'd.

I am my master's true confirmed love;

But cannot be true fervant to my master,

Unless I prove false traitor to myself.

Yet will I woo for him; but yet fo coldly,

As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed.

Enter SILVIA, attended.

Gentlewoman, good day! I pray you, be my mean
To bring me where to speak with madam Silvia.

Sil. What would you with her, if that I be the ?

Jul.

Jul. If you be fhe, I do entreat your patience
To hear me speak the meffage I am. fent on.
Sil. From whom?

Jul. From my mafter, fir Proteus, madam.

Sil. O!-he fends you for a picture?
Jul. Ay, madam.

Sil. Urfula, bring my picture there.

[Picture brought.

Go, give your mafter this: tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber, than this fhadow.
Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.-
Pardon me, madam; I have unadvis'd
Deliver'd you a paper that I should not;
This is the letter to your ladyship.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be; good madam, pardon me.
Sil. There, hold.

I will not look upon your master's lines:

I know, they are stuff'd with protestations,

And full of new-found oaths; which he will break,
As easily as I do tear his paper.

Jul. Madam, he fends your ladyship this ring.

Sil. The more shame for him that he fends it me;
For, I have heard him fay a thousand times,
His Julia gave it him at his departure:

Though his falfe finger hath profan'd the ring,
Mine shall not do his Julia fo much wrong.
Jul. She thanks you.

Sil. What fay'ft thou?

Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her: Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much. Sil. Doft thou know her?

Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself:

Το

To think upon her woes, I do proteft,

That I have wept an hundred feveral times.

Sil. Belike, fhe thinks that Proteus hath forfook her.
Jul. I think he doth; and that's her caufe of forrow.
Sil. Is the not paffing fair?

Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is :
When she did think my mafter lov'd her well,
She, in my judgement, was as fair as you;
But fince the did neglect her looking-glass,
And threw her fun-expelling mask away,
The air hath ftarv'd the rofes in her cheeks,
And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face,
That now fhe is become as black as I.

Sil. How tall was the ?

Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost,
When all our pageants of delight were play'd,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trimm'd in madam Julia's gown;
Which ferved me as fit, by all men's judgement,
As if the garment had been made for me:
Therefore, I know she is about my height.
And, at that time, I made her weep a-good,
For I did play a lamentable part:
Madam, 'twas Ariadne, paffioning
For Thefeus' perjury, and unjust flight;
Which I fo lively acted with my tears,
That my poor miftrefs, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very forrow!

7

Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth!Alas, poor lady! defolate and left !

I weep myself, to think upon thy words.
Here, youth, there is my purfe; I give thee thi
F

For

For thy fweet mistress' fake, because thou lov'st her.

Farewell.

[Exit SILVIA.

Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you know

her.

A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful.
I hope, my master's fuit will be but cold,
Since the refpects my mistress' love fo much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!

Here is her picture: Let me fee; I think,
If I had fuch a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers :
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,
Unless I flatter with myself too much.
Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow :
If that be all the difference in his love,
I'll get me fuch a colour'd periwig.

Her eyes are grey as glass; and so are mine:
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high.
What should it be, that he respects in her,
But I can make respective in myself,

If this fond love were not a blinded god ?
Come, fhadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou fenfeless form,

Thou shalt be worship'd, kiss'd, lov'd, and ador'd;
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My fubftance should be statue in thy ftead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That us'd me fo; or else, by Jove I vow,

I should have scratch'd out your unfeeing eyes,
To make my mafter out of love with thee.

[Exit.

ACT