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Pro. To leave my Julia, fhall I be forfworn; To love fair Silvia, fhall I be forfworn;

To wrong my friend, I fhall be much forfworn:
And ev❜n that pow'r, which gave me firft my oath,
Provokes me to this threefold perjury.

Love bad me fwear, and love bids me forfwear:
O fweet fuggefting-love! if thou hast sinn'd,
Teach me, thy tempted fubject, to excufe it.
At first I did adore a twinkling ftar,
But now I worship a celeftial fun.

Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken;
And he wants wit, that wants refolved will
To learn his wit t'exchange the bad for better.
Fie, fie, unreverend tongue! to call her bad,
Whofe Sov'reignty fo oft thou haft preferr'd
With twenty thoufand foul-confirming oaths.
I cannot leave to love, and yet I do:

But there I leave to love, where I fhould love:
Julia I lofe, and Valentine I lofe:

If I keep them, I needs muft lofe myself:
If I lose them, this find I by their lofs,
For Valentine, myfelf; for Julia, Silvia.--

*It is to be observed, that in the first folio edition, the only Edition of authority, there are no directions concerning the scenes; they have been added by the later Editors, and may therefore be changed by any reader that can give more confiftency or regularity to the drama by fuch al terations., I make this remark in this place, because I know not whether the following foliloquy of Protheus is fo proper in the Atreet.

60 fweet fuggefting love.] To fuggeft is to tempt in our Authour's language.

So again,

Knowing that tender youth is foon luggested.

The fenfe is. O tempting love, if thou haft influenced me to fin, teach me to excufe it. Dr. Warburton reads, if I have finn'd; but, I think, not only without neceffity, but with less elegance. P3

I to

I to myself am dearer than a friend;

For love is still more precious in itself :

And Silvia, witnefs heav'n, that made her fair!
Shews Julia but a fwarthy Ethiope.

I will forget that Julia is alive,
Remembring that my love to her is dead:
And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,
Aiming at Silvia as a fweeter friend.
I cannot now prove constant to myself,
Without fome treachery us'd to Valentine:
This night, he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celeftial Silvia's chamber window;
Myfelf in counfel his competitor. '
Now prefently I'll give her father notice
Of their difguifing and pretended flight;
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine:
For Thurio, he intends, fhall wed his daughter.
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross,
By fome fly trick, blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.
Love, lend me wings to make my purpofe fwift,
As thou haft lent me wit to plot this drift! 3

C

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Changes to Julia's Houfe in Verona.
Enter Julia and Lucetta.

Ounfel, Lucetta-Gentle girl, affift me;

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And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,
Who art the table wherein all my thoughts
Are visibly character'd and engrav'd,

To leffon me; and tell me fome good mean,
How with my honour i may undertake
A journey to my loving Protheus.

• Myfelf, who am his competitor or rival, being admitted to his

counfel.

Pretended flight.] We may read intended flight.

3 I fulpect that the authour

[Exit.

concluded the act with this couplet, and that the third fcene fhould begin the third act; but the change, as it will add nothing to the probability of the action, is of no great importance.

Luc.

Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long.
ful. A true devoted pilgrim is not weary
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps;
Much less fhall fhe, that hath love's wings to fly;
And when the flight is made to one fo dear,
Of fuch divine perfection, as Sir Protheus.

Luc. Better forbear, 'till Protheus make return.
Jul. Oh, know'st thou not, his looks are my foul's
food?

Pity the dearth, that I have pined in,
By longing for that food fo long a time.
Didst thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou would't as foon go kindle fire with fnow,
As feek to quench the fire of love with words.
Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire,
But qualify the fire's extream rage,

Left it should burn above the bounds of reason.
Jul. The more thou damm'ft it up,

burns.

the

The current, that with gentle murmur glides,

more it

Thou know'ft, being ftopp'd, impatiently doth rage: But when his fair courfe is not hinder'd,

He makes sweet mufick with th' enamel'd stones;

Giving a gentle kifs to every fedge

He overtaketh in his pilgrimage:

And fo by many winding nooks he strays,

With willing fport, to the wild ocean,

Then let me go, and hinder not my course;
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a paftime of each weary step,
'Till the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll reft, as, after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium.

Luc. But in what habit will you go along?
Jul. Not like a woman; for I would prevent
The loofe encounters of lascivious men :
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds
As may befeem fome well reputed page.

P 4

Luc.

Luc. Why then your ladyfhip muft cut your hair. Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken strings, With twenty odd-conceited true-love-knots: To be fantastick, may become a youth Of greater time than I fhall fhew to be.

Luc. What fafhion, Madam, fhall I make your breeches?

Jul. That fits as well, as" tell me, good my lord, "What compafs will you wear your farthingale?" Why, even what fafhion thou beft lik'ft, Lucetta. Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece, Madam.

Jul, Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill-favour'd. Luc. A round hofe, Madam, now's not worth a pin. Unless you have a cod-piece to flick pins on.

Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think'ft meet, and is moft mannerly: But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me. For undertaking fo unftaid a journey?

I fear me, it will make me fcandaliz'd.

Luc. It you think fo, then flay at home, and go not. Jul. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go. If Protheus like your journey, when you come, No matter who's difpleafed, when you are gone: I fear me, he will fcarce be pleas'd withal.

Jul. That is the leaft, Lucetta, of my A thoufand oaths, an ocean of his tears, And inftances as infinite of love, Warrant me welcome to my Protheus.

fear:

Duc. All these are fervants to deceitful men.
Jul. Pafe men, that ufe them to fo base effect!
But truer ftars did govern Protheus' birth;
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles;
His love fincere, his thoughts immaculate;
His tears, pure meffengers fent from his heart;

Of Infinite. Old Edit.

His heart as far from fraud, as heaven from earth.
Luc. Pray heav'n he prove fo, when you come to

him!

Jul. Now, as thou lov'ft me, do him not that

wrong,

To bear a hard opinion of his truth ;
Only deferve my love, by loving him;
And prefently go with me to my chamber,
To take a note of what I ftand in need of,
To furnish me upon my longing journey.
All that is mine I leave at thy difpofe,
My goods, my lands, my reputation ;
Only, in lieu thereof, difpatch me hence.
Come, anfwer not; but do it presently;
I am impatient of my tarriance.

ACT III.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

The Duke's Palace, in Milan.

Enter Duke, Thurio, and Protheus.

DUKE.

SIR Thurio, give us leave, I pray, a while;

we have fecrets to confer

[Exit Thur.

Now tell me, Protheus, what's your will with me?

Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would discover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal;

But when I call to mind your gracious favours
Done to me, undeferving as I am,

My duty pricks me on to utter that,

Which, elfe, no worldly good fhould draw from me.
Know, worthy Prince, Sir Valentine my friend
This night intends to steal away your daughter:

Myfelf

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