Hoft. Why, my pretty youth?

Jul. He plays falfe, father.

Hoft. How? out of tune on the strings?

Jul. Not fo; but yet fo falfe, that he grieves my very heart-strings.

Hoft. You have a quick ear.

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

Hoft. I perceive, you delight not in mufic.

Jul. Not a whit, when it jars fo.

Hoft. Hark, what fine change is in the mufic!

ful. 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 Protheus, that we talk on, Often refort unto this gentlewoman?

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

Jul. Where is Launce?

Hoft. Gone to feek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a prefent to his lady. Jul. Peace! ftand aside, the company parts.

Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you; I will so plead, That you fhall fay, my cunning drift excels.

Thu. Where meet we?

Pro. At Saint Gregory's well.

Thu. Farewell.

[Exeunt Thurio and mufick.

Silvia appears above, at her window.

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

Who is that, that spake?

Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's truth,

out of all nick.]-beyond all count, or reckoning by tallies.

You'd

You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice.

Pro. Sir Protheus, gentle lady, and your fervant.
Sil. What is your

will?

Pro. That I may compafs yours.

Sil. You have your wifh; my will is even this,-
That presently you hie you home to bed.
Thou fubtle, perjur'd, falfe, difloyal man!
Think'ft thou, I am fo fhallow, fo conceitlefs,
To be feduced by thy flattery,

That haft deceived fo many with thy vows?
Return, return, and make thy love amends.
For me,―by this pale queen of night, I swear,
I am fo far from granting thy request,
That I defpife thee for thy wrongful fuit;
And by and by intend to chide myself,
Even for this time I spend in talking to thee.

Pro. I grant, fweet love, that I did love a lady;
But fhe is dead.

1

Jul. [Afide.] 'Twere falfe, if I should speak it;
For, I am fure, fhe is not buried.

Sil. Say, that he be; yet Valentine, thy friend,
Survives; to whom, thyfelf art witness,'
I am betroth'd; And art thou not afham'd
To wrong him with thy importunacy?

Pro. I likewife hear, that Valentine is dead.
Sil. And fo, fuppofe, am I; for in his grave,
Affure thyfelf, my love is buried.

Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth.
Sil. Go to thy lady's grave, and call her's thence;
Or, at the least, in her's fepulchre thine.

Jul. [Afide.] He heard not that.

Pro. Madam, if that your heart be fo obdurate,
Vouchfafe me yet your picture for my love,
The picture that is hanging in your chamber;

L

Το

To that I'll speak, to that I'll figh and weep:
For, fince the fubftance of your perfect felf
Is elfe devoted, I am but a fhadow;

t

And to your shadow will I make true love.

Jul: [Afide.] If 'twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it,

And make it but a shadow, as I am.

Sil. I am very loath to be your idol, fir;
But, " fince
your falfhood, fhall become you well
To worship shadows, and adore false shapes,
Send to me in the morning, and I'll fend it:
And fo, good rest.

Pro. As wretches have o'er night,
That wait for execution in the morn.

Jul. Hoft, will you go?

y

[Exeunt Protheus and Silvia.

Hoft. By my hallidom, I was fast asleep.

Jul. Pray you, where lies fir Protheus?

Hoft. Marry, at my house: Trust me, I think, 'tis almost day.

Jul. Not fo; but it hath been the longest night That e'er I watch'd, and the most heaviest.

Egl. This is the hour that madam Silvia

Entreated me to call, and know her mind;

There's fome great matter fhe'd employ me in.-
Madam, madam!

telfe-elfewhere.

[Exit.

" fince your falfhood, &c.]-you will be fitly punished in being fo employed-fince you're falfe, it shall, &c.

* ballidom,]-holy dame, our lady.

Silvia, above at her window.

Sil. Who calls ?

Egl. Your fervant, and your friend;

One that attends your ladyfhip's command,

Sil. Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good morrow,
Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself.
According to your ladyfhip's impose,
I am thus early come to know what fervice
It is your pleasure to command me in.

Sil. O Eglamour thou art a gentleman,
(Think not, I flatter, for, I fwear, I do not)
Valiant, wife, remorfeful, well accomplish'd,
Thou art not ignorant, what dear good will
I bear unto the banish'd Valentine;

Nor how my father would enforce me marry
Vain Thurio, whom my very foul abhors.
Thyself haft lov'd; and I have heard thee say,
No grief did ever come fo near thy heart,
As when thy lady and thy true love dy'd,
Upon whose grave thou * vow'dst

thou vow'dft pure chastity,

Sir Eglamour, I would to Valentine,

To Mantua, where, I hear, he makes abode;
And, for the ways are dangerous to pafs,
I do defire thy worthy company,
Upon whose faith and honour I repose.
Urge not my father's anger, Eglamour,
But think upon my grief, a lady's grief;
And on the justice of my flying hence,
To keep me from a most unholy match,
Which heaven, and fortune, ftill reward with plagues.
I do defire thee, even from a heart

Y impofe,]-orders.

remorseful,]-compaffionate.

a vow'dft pure chastity.]—such vows were formerly common.

DUGDALE'S WARWICKSHIRE, P. 1013.

for]—because.

As full of forrows as the fea of fands,
To bear me company, and go with me:
If not, to hide what I have said to thee,
That I may venture to depart alone.

с

Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances;
Which fince I know they virtuously are plac'd,
I give consent to go along with you;
"Recking as little what betideth me,
As much I wish all good befortune you.
When will you go?

Sil. This evening coming.

Egl. Where fhall I meet you?

Sil. At friar Patrick's cell, Where I intend holy confeffion.

Egl. I will not fail your ladyship:

Good morrow, gentle lady.

Sil. Good morrow, kind fir Eglamour.

Enter Launce with his dog.

[Exeunt.

When a man's fervant fhall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard one that I brought up of a puppy; one that I fav'd from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and fifters went to it! I have taught him -even as one would fay precifely, Thus I would teach a dog. I was fent to deliver him, as a prefent to mistress Silvia, from my mafter; and I came no fooner into the dining-chamber, but he fteps me to her trencher, and steals her capon's leg. O, 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies! I would have, as one should say, one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not

с

grievances;-forrowful affections.

f

d Recking as little]-Regarding, as little folicitous about.

keep]-reftrain himself.

to be a dog indeed,]-of any good qualities, or estimation.

had