Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words Can no way change you to a milder form, I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end; And love you 'gainst the nature of love, force you. Pro. I'll force thee yield to my desire. Val. Ruffian let go that rude uncivil touch; Thou friend of an ill fashion! Pro. Valentine! Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love ; (For such is a friend now,) treacherous man! I am sorry, I must never trust thee more, Pro. My shame and guilt confounds me.- I tender it here; I do as truly suffer, As e'er I did commit. 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; Jul. O me, unhappy! Pro. Look to the boy. [Faints. Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now what is the matter? Look up; speak. Jul. 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. [Gives a ring. Pro. How! let me see: Why this is the ring I gave to Julia. Jul. O, cry your mercy, sir, I have mistook; This is the ring you sent to Silvia. I [Shows another ring. Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart, 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, And entertain'd them deeply in her heart : How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root?? O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush! Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me Such an immodest rayment; if shame live 6 Direction. 7 An allusion to cleaving the pin in archery. In a disguise of love: It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true: O heaven! were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy More fresh in Julia's with a constant' eye? Enter Out-laws, with DUKE and THURIO. Out. A prize, a prize, a prize! Val. Forbear, I say; it is my lord the duke. Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd, Banished Valentine. Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Val. Thurio give back, or else embrace thy death; Come not within the measure of my wrath: Do not name Silvia thine; if once again, Milan shall not behold thee. Here she stands, Take but possession of her with a touch ;I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I; I hold him but a fool, that will endanger 8 Length of my sword. His body for a girl that loves him not: I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. 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. I now beseech you, for 'your daughter's sake, Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endued with worthy qualities; Forgive them what they have committed here, They are reformed, civil, full of good, And fit for great employment, worthy lord. Duke. Thou hast prevail'd: I pardon them, and thee; Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts. Come, let us go; we will include' all jars With triumphs,' mirth, and rare solemnity. Val. And, as we walk along, I dare be bold With our discourse to make your grace to smile: 2 Masks, revels. • Interest. I Conclude. What think you of this page, my lord? Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. Val. I warrant you, my lord; more grace than boy. Duke. What mean you by that saying? Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along, That you will wonder what hath fortuned.— Come, Proteus; 'tis your penance, but to hear The story of your loves discovered: A That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; 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. |