Enter SILVIA.

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 she?

Jul. If you be she, I do entreat your patience
To hear me speak the message I am sent on.

Sil. From whom ?
Jul. From my master, Sir Protheus, madam.
Sil, Oh! he sends you for a picture ?

390
Jul. Ay, madam.
Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there.

[Pi&ture brought.
Go, give your master this : tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber, than this shadow.
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. 400
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 this paper...,

Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring.

Sil. The more 'shame for him, that he sends it me; For, I have heard him say a thousand tines,

1

His Julia gave it him at his departure :

410 Though his false finger hath profan'd the ring, Mine shall not do his Julià so much wrong.

Jul. She thanks you.
Sil. What say'st thou ?

Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her ; Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much.

Sil. Dost thou know her ?

Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself :
To think upon her woes, I do protest,
That I have wept an hundred several times.

420 Sil. Belike, she thinks, that Protheus hath forsook

her. Jul. I think she doth; and that's her cause of

sorrow. Sil. Is she 'not passing fair ?

Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is: When she did think my master lov'd her well, She, in my judgment, was as fair as you'; But since she did neglect her looking-glass, ; And threw her sun-expelling mask away, The air hath starv?d the roses in her cheeks, And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face, 430 That now she is become as black as I..!

Sil. How tall was she?

Jul. About my stature: for, at Pes ost, 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 served me as fit, by all men's judgment,

As

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, 440
For I did play a lamentable part:
Madam, 'twas Ariadne, passioning
For Theseus' perjury, and unjust fight;
Which I so lively adted with my tears,
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and, would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow!.

Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth:-
Alas, poor lady! desolate and left la
I weep myself, to think upon thy words. 450
Here, youth, there is my purse; I give thee this
For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lov'st her.
Farewel.

[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 suit will be but cold,
Since she respects my mistress' love so much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!
Here is her picture : Let me see; I think,
If I had such a tire, this face of mine

460
Were full as lovely as is this of her's : ?.
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,
Unless I fatter 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 such 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,

470
If this fond love were not a blinded god ?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou senseless form,
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kiss'd, lov'd, and ador'd;
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My substance should be statue in thy stead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That us’d me so; or else, by Jove I vow,
I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee. [Exit.

Near the Friar's Cell, in Milan. Enter EGLAMOUR.

Eglamour.
The sun begins to gild the western sky;
And now it is about the very hour
That Silvia, at friar Patrick's cell, should meet me.
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come before their time;
So much they spur their expedition.
See, where she comes : Lady, a happy evening.

Enter

Enter SILVIA.
Sil. Amen, amen I go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the postern by the abbey-wall;
I fear, I am attended by some spies.

Egl. Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off ; If we recover that, we are sure enough, [Exeunt,

10

SCENE II.

20

An Apartment in the Duke's Palace. Enter THURIO

PROTHEUS, and JULIA.
Thu. Sir Protheus, what says Silvia to my

suitt Pro. Oh, sir, I find her milder than she was; And yet she takes exceptions at your person.

Thu. What, that my leg is too long?
Pro. No; that it is too little,
Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat

founder. Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths. Phu. What

says
she to

my

face ? Pro. She says, it is a fair one, Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black.

Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, “ Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes."

Jul. 'Tis true, such pearls as put out ladies' eyes ; For I had rather wink, than look on them. [ Aside.

Thu. How likes she my discourse ?
Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.
Thu. But well, when I discourse of love, and
peace ?
Hij

Jul.

29