If I had such a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers:
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,
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 such a colour'd periwig.

Her eyes are grey as glass; and so are mine:
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high.
What should it be, that he respects in her,
But I can make respective2 in myself,
If this fond love were not a blinded god?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou senseless form!
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kiss'd, lov'd, and ador'd;
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My substance should be statue in thy stead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That us'd me so; or else, by Jove I vow,
I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee. [Exit.

ACT V.

SCENE I-The same. An abbey. Enter Eglamour.

Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky; And now, it is about the very hour

That Silvia, at Patrick's cell, should meet me.
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come before their time;
So much they spur their expedition.

Enter Silvia.

See, where she comes: Lady, a happy evening!

(1) Head-dress.

(2) Respectable.

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

I fear, I am attended by some spies.

Egl. Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off;

If we recover that, we are surel enough. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same.

An apartment in the Thurio, Proteus, and

Julia.

Thu. Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit? Pro. O, sir, I find her milder than she was; And yet she takes exceptions at your person. Thu. What, that my leg is too long? Pro. No; that it is too little.

Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder.

Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths.

Thu. What says she to my face?

Pro. She says, it is a fair one.

Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black.

Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. Jul. 'Tis true; such pearls as put out ladies'

eyes;

For I had rather wink than look on them. [Aside. Thu. How likes she my discourse?

Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love, and peace?

Jul. But better, indeed, when you hold your

peace.

Thu. What says she to my valour?

Pro. O, sir, she makes no doubt of that.

[Aside.

Jul. She needs not, when she knows it coward

ice.

(1) Safe.

[Aside.

Thu. What says she to my birth?

Pro. That you are well deriv'd.

Jul. True; from a gentleman to a fool. [Aside.
Thu. Considers she my possessions?

Pro. O, ay; and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Jul. That such an ass should owel them.

Pro. That they are out by lease.

Jul. Here comes the duke.

Enter Duke.

[Aside.

Duke. How now, Sir Proteus? how now, Thurio? Which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late?

Thu. Not I.

Pro.

Duke.

Pro.

Nor I.

Saw you my daughter?

Neither.

Duke. Why, then she's fled unto that peasant

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, he was not sure of it:
Besides, she did intend 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 you presently; and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain-foot

That leads towards Mantua, whither they are fled:
Despatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me. [Exit.
Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish2 girl,

That flies her fortune when it follows her:
I'll after; more to be reveng'd on Eglamour,
Than for the love of reckless3 Silvia.

[Exit.

(1) Own.

(2) Foolish.

(3) Careless.

Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love, Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her. [Exit.

Jul. And I will follow, more to cross that love, Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love. [Exit.

SCENE III-Frontiers of Mantua.
Forest. Enter Silvia, and Out-laws.

Out. Come, come;

The

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 out-run 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!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-Another part of the Forest.
Enter Valentine.

Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man!
This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods,
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 record1 my woes.
O thou that dost inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the mansion so long tenantless;
Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall,

(1) Sing.

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 chace:

They love me well; yet I have much to do,
To keep them from uncivil outrages.

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

[Steps aside.

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

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. [Aside.
Sil. O miserable, unhappy that I am!

Pro. Unhappy, were you, madam, ere I came;
But, by my coming, I have made you happy.
Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me most un-
happy.

Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your

presence.

[Aside. 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. O, heaven be judge, how I love Valentine, 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:

(1) Reward.