F

ACT IV. SCENE I.

A Foreft, leading towards Mantua.

Enter certain Out-laws.

I OUT-LAW.

ELLOWS, ftand faft: I fee a paffenger.
2 Out. If there be ten, fhrink not, but down
with 'em.

Enter Valentine and Speed.

3 Out. Stand, Sir, and throw us what you have

about you;

If not, we'll make you, Sir, and rifle you.

6

Speed. Sir, we are undone; these are the villains, that all the travellers do fear fo much.

Val. My friends,

1 Out. That's not fo, Sir; we are your enemies.' 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him.

3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; for he is a proper man.

Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to lose: A man I am, crofs'd with adversity;

My riches are these poor habiliments,

Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the fum and substance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you?

Val. To Verona.

I Out. Whence came you?
Val. From Milan.

6 — we'll make you, Sir, and rifle you.] The meaning of this as it ftands, is, If you do not deliver we'll make you deliver, and then plunder you. This is not the

language of a very cunning rob-
ber. We may better read,
If not, we'll take you, Sir, and
rifle you.

3 Out. Have you long fojourn'd there?

Val. Some fixteen months; and longer might have ftaid,

If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.

1 Out. What, were you banish'd thence?
Val. I was.

2 Out. For what offence?

Val. For that, which now torments me to rehearse:
I kill'd a man, whofe death I much repent;
But yet I flew him manfully in fight,
Without falfe vantage or bafe treachery.

1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done fo.
But were you banish'd for fo fmall a fault?

Val. I was, and held me glad of fuch a doom.
1 Out. Have you the tongues?

Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy,
Or else I often had been miferable.

3 Out. By the bare fcalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were the King for our wild faction.

1 Out. We'll have him. Sirs, a word.

Speed. Mafter be one of them: it's an honourable kind of thievery.

Val. Peace, villain.

2 Out. Tell us this? have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune.

3 Out. Know then, that fome of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth

Thruft from the company of awful men; 7
Myself was from Verona banished,
For practising to fteal away a lady,
An heir, and near ally'd unto the Duke.

2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman.
Whom, in my mood, I flabb'd unto the heart.
1'Out. And I for fuch like petty crimes as thefe.
But to the purpofe ; for we cite our faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives;
And, partly, feing you are beautify'd
With goodly fhape, and by your own report
A linguift; and a man of fuch perfection,
As we do in our quality much want ;-

2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man. Therefore above the reft, we parley to you;

Are you content to be our General ?

To make a virtue of neceffity,

And live, as we do, in the wilderness ?

3 Out. What fay't thou? wilt thou be of our confort?

Say, ay; and be the captain of us all :

We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee ;
Love thee as our commander, and our king.

1 Out. But if thou fcorn our courtesy thou dy't.
2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have
offer'd.

Val. I take your offer, and will live with you;
Provided, that you do no outrages

On filly women, or poor paffengers.

3 Cut. No, we deteft fuch vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews. And fhew thee all the treasure we have got; Which, with ourselves, fhall reft at thy dispose.

have expreffed himself fo flupidly, as to tell us, this Lady was the Duke's Niece, and ally'd to him: For her Alliance was certainly fufficiently included in the first Term. Our Author

[Exeunt.

II.

SCENE

Changes to an open Place, under Silvia's Apart

Pro.

ment, in Milan.

Enter Protheus.

Already I've been falfe to Valentine,

And now I must be as unjuft to Thurio. Under the colour of commending him, I have access my own love to prefer, But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, To be corrupted with my worthlefs gifts. When I proteft true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falfhood to my friend; When to her beauty I commend my vows, She bids me think, how I have been forfworn In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd. And, notwithstanding all her fudden quips, The leaft whereof would quell a lover's hope, Yet, fpaniel-like, the more fhe fpurns my love, The more it grows, and fawneth on her ftill. But here comes Thurio: now muft we to her window, And give fome evening musick to her ear.

Enter Thurio and Muficians.

Thu. How now, Sir Protheus; are you crept before us?

Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love Will creep in fervice where it cannot go.

Thu. Ay, but I hope, Sir, that you love not here.
Pro. Sir, but I do; or elfe I would be hence.

Thu. Whom, Silvia?

9-fudden quips.] That is, hafty paffionate reproaches and koffs. So Macbeth is in a kin

dred fenfe faid to be fudden, that is, irafcible and impetuous.

Pro.

Pro. Ay, Silvia, for your fake.

Thu. I thank you for your own: now gentlemen, Let's tune, and to it luftily a while.

Enter Hoft, and Julia in boy's cloaths.

Hoft. Now, my young gueft, methinks, you're allycholly: I pray you, why is it?

Jul. Marry, mine hoft, because I cannot be

merry.

Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry; I'll bring you where you shall hear mufick, and fee the gentleman that you afk'd for.

Jul. But fhall I hear him speak?

Hoft. Ay, that you fhall.

Jul. That will be mufick.

Hoft. Hark, hark!

Jul. Is he among these?

Hoft. Ay; but peace, let's hear 'em.

SONG.

Who is Silvio? what is fhe,

That all our fwains commend her?
Holy, fair, and wife is fhe;
The heav'ns fuch grace did lend her,
That she might admired be.

Is fhe kind, as he is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness."

Love doth to her Eyes repair,

To help him of his blindness,

And, being help'd, inhabits there.

Beauty lives with kindness.] Beauty without kindnefs dies un

enjoyed, and undelighting.

Then