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, 'tis the curse in love, and still approv'd*,
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 hadst two, 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.

Who respects friend?

Sil.

In love,

All men but Proteus.

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 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, when one's right hand
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.

*Felt, experienced.

The private wound is deepest: O time, most curst! '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 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 heav'n, nor earth; for these are pleas'd:
By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased :-
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.

[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.

Pro. How! let me see:

Why this is the ring I gave to Julià.

[Gives a ring.

Jul. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook ;

This is the ring you sent to Silvia.

[Shows another ring. Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart,

I gave this unto Julia.

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!

* Direction.

+ Au allusion to cleaving the pin in archery.

Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest rayment; if shame live
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 Fills him with faults; makes him run through all sins :

Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins:

What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy
More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye?
Val. Come, come, a hand from either:

Let me be blest to make this happy close;
"Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for

ever.

Jul. And I have mine.

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 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, * Length of my sword. + Interest.

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.
Know then, I here forget all former griefs,
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again.-
Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit,
To which I thus subscribe,-sir Valentine,
Thou art a gentleman and well deriv'd;

Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me happy.

I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake,
To grant one boon that I shall ask of you.

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,
And let them be recall'd from their exile:
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 : 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:

* Interest.

+ Conclude.

Masks, revels.

That done, our day of marriage shall be yours ; ·
One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.

[Exeunt.

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.