I am sorry, I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deepest : 0 time, most curst!
'Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst!

Pro. My shame and guilt confounds 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 heaven, 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!

[Faints. Pro. Look to the boy. Val. Why, boy! wliy, 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. [Gives å ring.
Pro. How! let me see:
Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.

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,

• Direction.

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 !
Be thou ashamil, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest rayment; if sname live
In a disguise of love:
It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,
Women to change their shapes, thau 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:
Wbat 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.
Duke.

Sir Valentine!
Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine.

Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy deatlı;
Come not within the measuret 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,

* An allusion to cleaving the piu in archery.

t Length of my sword. VOL. I.

H Η

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,
And leave her on such slight conditions.-
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,
I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,
Avd 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 iu thy unrivalld 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 prevaild: I pardon them and

thee;

Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts.
With triumphst, mirth, and rare solemnity.
Come, let us go; we will includet all jars.

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,

• Interest.

+ Conclude.

Masks, revels.

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

(Exeunt.

In this play there is a strange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versifi. cation 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 for. sook; 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 fights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest.

JOHNSON