Pro. Neither.

Duke. Why, then

She 's fled unto that peasant 8 Valentine,
And Eglamour is in her company.

'Tis true; for friar Laurence met them both,
As he in penance wander'd through the forest:
Him he knew well; and guess'd that it was she,
But, being mask'd, 10 he was not sure of it:
Besides, she did intend 11 confession

At Patrick's cell this even, and there she was not.
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence.
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount 12 you presently; and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain-foot,

* Proteus fasst derived = abgestamint, von guter Familie; Julia = durch Ableitung verändert, aus einem Edelmann zu einem Narren geworden.

5) to owe = besitzen, sein eigen nennen.

6) Nach Steevens' Erklärung bedauert Silvia, dass Thurio thörichter Weise seine Besitzungen unvortheilhaft verpachtet habe; nach Monk Mason's Deutung, dass die Besitzungen nicht in Thurio's eignen Händen seien. Die letztere Deutung erscheint natürlicher als die etwas gesuchte von Lord Hailes, dass Proteus unter possessions die geistige Begabung Thurio's verstehe, welche nicht mehr sein Eigenthum sei. So eine spätere Folioausg.

Die erste Fol. lässt Sir vor Eglamour aus.

8) peasant wird hier als verächtliches Schimpfwort ganz abgesehen von seiner ursprüng

10) da sie eine Maske vor dem Gesicht hatte. Vgl. A. 4, Sc. 4, Anm. 26.

1) Vgl. A. 4, Sc. 3, Anm. 7.

12) to mount, hier als reflexives Verbum zu Pferde steigen.

That 13 leads towards Mantua, whither they are fled.
Dispatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me.

Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish 14 girl,
That flies her fortune when it follows her.
I'll after, more to be reveng'd on Eglamour,
Than for the love of reckless Silvia. 15

[Exit.

[Exit.

1. Out. Come, come; be patient, we must bring you to our captain.
Sil. A thousand more mischances than this one

Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently.

2. Out. Come, bring her away.

1. Out.

Where is the gentleman that was with her?

3. Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath outrun us;

But Moyses and Valerius follow him.

Go thou with her to the west end of the wood;

There is our captain. We'll follow him that 's fled:

The thicket is beset; he cannot 'scape.

1. Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's cave. Fear not; he bears an honourable mind,

And will not use a woman lawlessly.

Sil. O Valentine! this I endure for thee.

Val.

SCENE IV.

Another Part of the Forest.

Enter VALENTINE.

How use doth breed a habit in a man!

This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods,

[Exeunt.

13) that bezieht sich auf the rising: der Weg, der vom Fusse des Gebirges aufsteigt und nach Mantua führt.

14) peevish = der nicht weiss, was er will.

der sich aus keiner Sache oder Person Etwas macht, der sich um Nichts

16) Vor hate ist ein for oder out of hinzuzudenken, das sich freilich aus dem Vorhergehenden nicht suppliren lässt. Sh. beachtete nicht, dass die Construction hier eine andere ist als in der entsprechenden Rede des Proteus more for Silvia's love, than (for) hate of Eglamour.

1

I better brook than flourishing peopled towns.
Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
And to the nightingale's complaining notes
Tune my distresses, and record my woes.
0! thou that dost inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the mansion so long tenantless,
Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall, 2
And leave no memory of what it was!
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia!

Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!

What halloing, and what stir, is this to-day?

These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
Have some unhappy passenger in chase.

They love me well; yet I have much to do,

To keep them from uncivil outrages.

Withdraw thee, Valentine: who 's this comes here?

Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA.

Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you, (Though you respect not aught your servant doth) To hazard life, and rescue you from him

4

That would have forc'd your honour and your love.
Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,

And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.
Val. How like a dream is this, I see, and hear!

Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile.

Sil. O, miserable! unhappy that I am!

Pro. Unhappy were you, Madam, ere I came;

But by my coming I have made you happy.

3

Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhappy.

[Steps aside.

[Withdraws.

Jul. [Aside.] And me, when he approacheth to your presence.

Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion,

I would have been a breakfast to the beast,
Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.

0, heaven! be judge, how I love Valentine,

1) to record = anstimmen, singen, vorzugsweise vom Gesange der Vögel gebraucht. So in Beaumont und Fletcher's Pilgrim: O, sweet, sweet! How the birds record too! 2) Dasselbe Bild von einem Hause, das verfällt, weil es nicht bewohnt wird, findet sich in Comedy of Errors (A. 3, Sc. 2) Shall love, in building, grow so rainous.

3) Proteus hat sein Leben auf's Spiel gesetzt, um Silvia aus der Gewalt der Räuber zu befreien. Mit from him that would etc. ist der Hauptmann gemeint, zu dem die Räuber die Silvia bringen wollten.

*meed Gebühr, das Jemandem Zukommende.

3) als Ihr in der Gewalt der Räuber waret.

Whose life 's as tender to me as my soul;
And full as much (for more there cannot be)
I do detest false perjur'd Proteus:

Therefore be gone: solicit me no more.

Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death,
Would I not undergo for one calm look?

O! 't is the curse in love, and still approv'd, 7
When women cannot love, where they 're belov'd.

Sil. When Proteus cannot love, where he 's belov'd.
Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,

For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
Descended into perjury to love me.

Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou 'dst two,
And that 's far worse than none: better have none

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.
Sil. O heaven!

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 10 friend, that's without faith or love; (For such is a friend now) treacherous man!

Thou hast beguil'd my hopes: nought but mine eye
Could have persuaded me. Now I dare not say,
I have one friend alive: thou wouldst disprove me.
Who should be trusted now, 11 when one's right hand

6) tender =

7) to approve

8) plural faith

eine Treue, die Mehreren gewidmet wird.

9) Du bist ein Heuchler Deinem treuen Freunde gegenüber.

10) common

=

gewöhnlich, alltäglich, erhält seine nähere Erklärung in that's without faith or love = das heisst ohne Treue oder Anhänglichkeit, denn so sind die Freunde heutzutage.

11) Das now, das in der Fol. fehlt, fügt die zweite Folioausg. ein; Hanmer las dafür weniger gut Who would be trusted, when one's own right hand. Valentine klagte auch schon vorher über die jetzige Zeit, in der es keine wahren Freunde mehr gebe:

Is perjur'd to the bosom? Proteus,

I am sorry I must never trust thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy sake.

The private wound is deepest. 12 O time most accurst! 'Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst!

Pro. My shame and guilt confound me.

Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow

Be a sufficient ransom for offence,

I tender 't here: I do as truly suffer

As e'er I did commit.

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. 13

By penitence the Eternal's wrath 's appeas'd:

And, that my love may appear plain and free,

All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.

Jul. O me unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

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. 14
Pro. Where is that ring, boy?

Jul.

Pro.

[Faints.

Here 't is this is it.

[Gives a ring.

How! let me see.

Why, this is the ring I gave to Julia.

[Shows another ring.

And entertain'd them deeply in her heart:

Auf wen kann man sich jetzt verlassen, wenn die rechte Hand Jemandes dem Herzen eben desselben sich meineidig erweist?

12) Die Wunde, die den Menschen in seinen innigsten Beziehungen trifft, geht am Tiefsten. Der Vers ist so holpericht, dass er schwerlich so von Sh. geschrieben ist. Johnson las most curst. Eher wäre das most vor accurst zu streichen.

13) Himmel und Erde werden durch eine aufrichtige Reue zufriedengestellt.

14) Die Fol. und manche Hgg. drucken diese Rede und die vorhergehende als Prosa, schwerlich im Sinne Sh.'s, der alle ernsten Scenen dieses Dramas in Versen schrieb. 15 sie, die allen Deinen Eiden ein Ziel darbot, die allen Deinen Schwüren ihre Richtung gab. Das Bild von einem Schussziele wird fortgesetzt in dem zweitfolgenden Verse,