I know, they are stuff'd with proteftations,
And full of new-found oaths; which he will break,

Fall It seems, you lov'd not her, to leave her token: As eafily as I do tear this paper.

That is, in good earnest.

Unless I flatter 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 fuch a colour'd periwig1.
Her eyes are grey as glafs: and so are mine;

Ay, but her forehead's low; and mine's as high.
What should it be, that he refpects in her,
But I can make refpective 3 in myself,

If this fond love were not a blinded god?

Come, fhadow, come, and take this fhadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou fenfelefs form,
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kifs'd, lov'd, and ador'd;
And, were there fenfe in his idolatry,
My fubftance fhould be ftatue in thy ftead.
I'll ufe thee kindly for thy mistress' fake,
That us'd me fo; or elfe, by Jove I vow,

I fhould have fcratch'd out your unfeeing eyes,
To make my mafter out of love with thee, [Exit.

Egl. T

SCENE I.

ACT V.

Near the Friar's cell, in Milan.

Enter Eglamour.

HE fun begins to gild the western sky ;
And now it is about the very hour

That Silvia, at friar Patrick's cell, fhould meet me.
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come, before their time;

So much they fpur their expedition.

See, where she comes: Lady, a happy evening.
Enter Silvia.

Sil. Amen, amen! go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the postern by the abbey-wall;

I fear, I am attended by fome spies.

Egl. Fear not the foreft is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we are fure 4 enough. [Exeunt. SCENE IL

An apartment in the Duke's palace.

Enter Thurio, Protheus, and Julia.

Thu. Sir Protheus, what fays Silvia to my fuit?
Pro. Oh, fir, I find her milder than fhe was;
And yet she takes exceptions at your perion.
Thu. What, that my leg is too long?
Pro. No; that it is too little. [rounder.
Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it fomewhat
Pro. But love will not be fpurr'd to what it
loaths.

Thu. What fays fhe to my face?
Pro. She fays, it is a fair one.

Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black.
Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old faying is,
Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes."
Jul. 'Tis true, fuch pearls as put out ladies' eyes;
For I had rather wink, than look on them. [Afide.
Thu. How likes the my difcourfe?
Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

[peace?

Duke. Why, then fhe's fled unto that peafant
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 guefs'd that it was she;
But, being mafk'd, he was not sure of it :
Befides, the did intend confeffion
At Patrick's cell this even; and there she was not:
Thefe likelihoods confirm her flight from hence.
Therefore, I pray you, ftand not to difcourfe,
But mount you prefently; and meet with me
Upon the rifing of the mountain-foot
That leads towards Mantua, whither they are filed:
Difpatch, fweet gentlemen, and follow me.

[Exit Duke.
Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish 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.

Thu. But well, when I difcourfe of love, and Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love,
Jul. But better, indeed, when you hold your Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her.
Jul. And I will follow, more to cross that love,
Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love.

peace.

[Afide.

Thu. What fays fhe to my valour?
Pro. Oh, fir, fhe makes no doubt of that.

[Exeunt.

1. It fhould be remembered, that falfe hair was worn by the ladies, long before wigs were in fashion. Thefe falfe coverings, however, were call'd periwigs. 2 A high forehead was in Shakspeare's time accounted a feature eminently beautiful. 3 That is, refpeful or refpectable.

4 Sure means fafe. 5 Own them,

SCENE

Enter Silvia and Out-laws.

b. Come, come;

Be patient, we must bring you to our captain.
Sil. A thousand more mifchances, than this one,
Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently.
10. Come, bring her away.

[her?
1 Gat. Where is the gentleman that was with
3 Or. Being nimble-footed, he hath out-run us;
But Moyfes, and Valerius, follow him.
Go thou with her to the weft end of the wood,
There is our captain: we'll follow him that's fled;
The thicket is befet, he cannot 'ícape.

Rather than have falfe Protheus rescue me.
Oh, heaven be judge, how I love Valentine,
Whofe life's as tender to me as my foul;
And full as much (for more there cannot be)
I do deteft falfe perjur'd Protheus :
Therefore be gone, folicit me no more.

Pro. What dangerous action, flood it next to death,
Would I not undergo for one calm look ?
Oh, 'tis the curfe in love, and still approv'd,
when women cannot love, where they're belov'd.
Sil. When Protheus cannot love, where he's belov'd.
Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,
Into a thoufand oaths; and all thofe oaths
For whofe dear fake thou didst then rend thy faith
Defcended into perjury, to love me.

10. Come, I must bring you to our cap-Thou haft no faith left now, unless thou hadst two,

tain's cave:

And that's far worse than none; better have none
Than plural faith, which is too much by one:
Thou counterfeit to thy true friend! -

Pro. In love,

Who refpects friend?

Sil. All men but Protheus.

Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words" Can no way change you to a milder form,

I'll woo you like a foldier, at arms end;

And love you 'gainst the nature of love, force you,
Sil. Oh heaven!

Pro. I'll force thee yield to my defire.
Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch;
Thou friend of an ill fashion!

Pro. Valentine!

[love;

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or
(For fuch is a friend now) treacherous man!
Thou haft beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine eye
Could have perfuaded me: Now I dare not fay,
I have one friend alive; thou wouldst difprove me.
Who fhould be trufted, when one's own right hand
Is perjur'd to the botom? Protheus,

Val. How ufe doth breed a habit in a man! Ths thadowy defert, unfrequented woods, I better brook than flourishing peopled towns: Here can I fit alone, unfeen of any, And, to the nightingale's complaining notes, Tune my diftreffes, and record my woes. O thou that doft inhabit in my breast, Leave not the manfion fo long tenantiefs; Lett, growing ruinous, the building fall, And leave no memory of what it was ! Repair me with thy prefence, Silvia ; Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain !Whet hallooing, and what ftir is this to-day? These are my mates, that make their wills their law, Have fome unhappy paffenger in chace: I am forry, I must never trust thee more, They love me well; yet I have much to do, But count the world a ftranger for thy fake. To keep them from uncivil outrages. The private wound is deepest: Oh time, most curst! Withdraw thee, Valentine; who's this comes here?'Mongft all foes, that a friend should be the worst! [Val. fieps afide. Pro. My fhame and guilt confounds me.Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty forrow Be a fufficient ranfom for offence, I tender it here; I do as truly suffer, As e'er I did commit.

Enter Protheus, Silvia and Julia.
Pra Madam, this fervice have 1 done for you,
(Though you respect not aught your fervant doth)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him,
That wou'd have forc'd your honour and your love.
Vouchsafe me for my meed2 but one fair look;
A fmaller boon than this I cannot beg,
And lefs than this, I am fure, you cannot give.
Fal How like a dream is this, I fee, and hear!
Love, lend me patience to forbear a while. [Afide.
Si. O miferable, unhappy that I am!

Pro. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came : Bu, by my coming, I have made you happy. [py. Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhapfal. And me, when he approacheth to your prefence.

Sil. Had I been feized by a hungry lion, would have been a breakfast to the beast,

[Afide.

Val. Then I am paid;

And once again I do receive thee honest:
Who by repentance is not fatisfy'd,

Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for thefe are pleas'd;
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. Oh me unhappy!
Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints. [the matter?

Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now! what is
Look up; fpeak.

Jul. O good fir, my mafter charg'd me
To deliver a ring to madam Silvia;

Which, out of my neglect, was never done.

To record anciently fignified to fing. Record is alfo a term still used by bird-fanciers, to ex refs the frât clays of a bird in finging, 2 That is, reward,

Pro.

foes.Dispose of them, as thou know'ft their deserts. Come, let us go; we will include all jars With triumphs, mirth, and rare folemnity.

Before Page's boufe in Windfor.

Shal. Ay, that I do; and have done any time thefe three hundred years.

Sten. All his fucceffors, gone before him, have Foter Fuffice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, IR Hugh', perfuade me not: I will may: they may give the dozen white luces in their

Shal.

S'make a Star-Chamber 3 matter of it: if coal.

he were twenty fir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, efquire.

Slen. In the county of Glofter, justice of peace, and cream.

Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and 4 cuftalorum. Sim. Ay, and ratalorum too; and a gentleman bon, master parfon; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, arརྔུལ

Shal. It is an old coat.

Eva. The dozen white loufes do become an old coat well; it agrees well, paffant: it is a familiar beaft to man, and fignifies-love.

Shal. The luce 5 is the fresh fish; the falt fifh is an old coat.

Slen. I may quarter, coz.

Shal. You may, by marrying.

Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it.

1Queen Elizabeth was fo well pleafed with the admirable character of Falstaff in the Two Part of Henry IV, that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, fhe commanded Shakspeare to continue it for play more, and to fhew him in love. To this command we owe The Merry Wives of Windfor: which. Mr. Gildon fays, he was very well affured our author finished in a fortnight. 2 This is firft, of fundry inftances in our poet, where a parfon is called fir; upon which it may be observed, that anciently it was the common defignation both of one in holy orders and a knight. 3 The cumber had a right to take cognizance of routs and riots. 4 Probably intended for a corruption Cajas Rotulorum. The luce is a pike or jack. This paffage is alfo fuppofed to point at Sir Thomas Lucy, who was the cause of Shakspeare's leaving Stratford,

Shal