I am sorry, I must never trust thee more, Pro. My shame and guilt confounds me.-. Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty sorrow I tender it here; I do as truly suffer, Val. Then I am paid; And once again I do receive thee honest. Who by repentance is not satisfied, Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for these are pleas'd; By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased: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; speak. Jucl. O good sir, 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. Here 'tis: this is it. Pro. How! let me see: Why this is the ring I gave to Julia. [Gives a ring. Jul. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook; This is the ring you sent to Silvia. [Shows another ring. Pro. But, how cam'st 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, • Direction. And entertain'd them deeply in her heart: It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true: Oheaven; were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error Fills him with faults; makes him run through all sins: Inconstancy 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 blest 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. Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio. Out. A prize, a prize, a prize! Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd, Duke. Sir Valentine! Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Come not within the measuret of my wrath: * An allusion to cleaving the piu in archery. Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I; Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, To make such means for her as thou hast done, And leave her on such slight conditions.Now, by the honour of my ancestry, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an empress' love. Know then, I here forget all former griefs, Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again.Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit, To which I thus subscribe,-sir Valentine, Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd; Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me happy. I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. Are men endued with worthy qualities; Duke. Thou hast prevail'd: I pardon them and thee; Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts. 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. * Interest. + Conclude. Masks, revels. Duke. What mean you by that saying? That you will wonder what hath fortuned.- That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; [Exeunt. In this play there is a strange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country; he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Proteus, after an interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture: and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed, and sometimes forsook; sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot. That this play is rightly attributed to Shakspeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest. JOHNSON. |