ELLOWS, ftand faft: I fee a paffenger.

FE

2 Out. If there be ten, fhrink not, but down with 'em.

Enter Valentine and Speed.

3 Out. Stand, Sir, and throw us what you have about you; if not, we'll make you, Sir, and rifle you. Speed. Sir, we are undone; thefe are the villains that all the travellers fear fo much.

Val. My friends,

I Out. That's not fo, Sir; we are your enemies.
2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him.

3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; for he is a proper

man.

2

Val. Then know that I have little 'left' to lofe: A man I am, crofs'd with adverfity;

My riches are these poor habiliments,

Of which if you should here disfurnish me,

You take the fum and fubftance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you?

Val. To Verona.

1 Out. Whence came you?

Val. From Milan.

3 Out. Have you long fojourn'd there?

Val. Some fixteen months, and longer might have staid,

If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.

I Out. What, were you banifh'd thence?

2 wealth

Val.

Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse a
I kill'd a man, whofe death I much repent;
But yet I flew him manfully in fight,
Without falfe vantage or bafe treachery.

I Out. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done fo.
But were you banish'd for fo fmall a fault?
Val. I was, and held me glad of fuch a doom.
1 Out. Have you the tongues?

Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy,
Or else I often had been miferable.

3

Out. By the bare fcalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a King for our wild faction.

I Out. We'll have him. Sirs, a word.

Speed. Mafter, be one of them: it's an honourable kind of thievery.

Val. Peace, villain.

2 Out. Tell us this; have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing but my fortune.

3

Out. Know then that fome of us are gentlemen,

Such as the fury of ungovern'd'youth

Thrust from the company of awful men :
My felf was from Verona banished,
For practifing to fteal away a lady,

An heir, and near ally'd unto the Duke.
2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman
Whom in my mood I ftabb'd unto the heart.

1 Out. And I for fuch like petty crimes as these.
But to the purpose; for we cite our faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives;
And, partly, feeing you are beautify'd
With goodly fhape, and by your own report
A linguift, and a man of fuch perfection
As we do in our quality much want..

2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore above the reft we parley to you;

3 neice.....old edit. Theob, emend.

Are

Are you content to be our general?

To make a virtue of neceffity,

And live as we do in the wilderness?

3 Out. What fay'ft thou? wilt thou be of our confort? Say ay, and be the captain of us all :

We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee,
Love thee as our commander and our King.

1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesie, thou dy'ft. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you, Provided that you do no outrages

On filly women or poor paffengers.

3.Out. No, we deteft fuch vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And fhew thee all the treasure we have got;

Which, with our selves, shall reft at thy difpofe. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Changes to Milan.

Enter Protheus.

Lready Iv'e been falfe to Valentine,

Pro. AL

And now I must be as unjuft to Thurio.
Under the colour of commending him,
I have accefs my own love to prefer:
But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy,
To be corrupted with my worthless gifts.
When I protest true loyalty to her,

She twits me with my falfhood to my friend :
When to her beauty I commend my vows,
She bids me think how I have been forfworn
In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd.
And notwithstanding all her fudden quips,
The leaft whereof would quell a lover's hope,
Yet, fpaniel-like, the more the spurns my love,

The

The more it grows and fawneth on her ftill.

But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window,
And give some evening mufick to her ear.

Enter Thurio and Muficians.

Thu. How now, Sir Protheus, are you crept before us?
Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for you know that love
Will creep in service where it cannot go.

Thu. Ây, but I hope, Sir, that you love not here.
Pro. Sir, but I do; or elfe I would be hence.
Thu. Whom, Silvia?

Pro. Ay, Silvia, for your fake.

Thu. I thank you, for your own: now, gentlemen, Let's tune, and to it luftily a while.

SCENE III.

Enter Hoft, and Julia in boy's cloaths.

Hoft. Now, my young gueft, methinks you're melancholy: I pray, 'what is it?

Jul. Marry, mine hoft, because I cannot be merry. Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you shall hear mufick, and fee the gentleman that you ask'd for.

Jul. But fhall I hear him speak?
Hoft. Ay, that you shall.

Jul. That will be musick.

Hoft. Hark, hark..

Jul. Is he among these?

Hoft. Ay; but peace, let's hear 'em.

SONG.

Who is Silvia? what is fhe,

That all our fwains commend her?
Holy, fair and wife is fhe,

The heav'n fuch grace did lend her,
That he might admired be.

4 why is it?

Is

Is fhe kind as he is fair?..
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness:
And being help'd inhabits there.

Then to Silvia let us fing,
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling:

To her let us garlands bring.

Hoft. How now? are you fadder than you were before? how do you, man? the mufick likes you not.

Jul. You mistake; the musician likes me not.

Hoft. Why, my pretty youth?

Jul. He plays falfe, father.

Hoft. How, out of tune on the ftrings?

Jul. Not fo; but yet fo falfe, that he grieves my very heart-strings.

Hoft. You have a quick ear.

Ful. Ay, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a flow heart.

Hoft. I perceive you delight not in musick.

Jul. Not a whit when it jars fo.

Hoft. Hark what fine change is in the mufick.

Jul. Ay; that change is the fpight.

Hoft. You would have them always play but one thing?

ful. I would always have one play but one thing. But, hoft, doth this Sir Protheus, that we talk on, Often refort unto this gentlewoman?

Hoft. I tell you what Launce his man told me, he lov'd her out of all nick.

Jul. Where is Launce?

Hoft. Gone to feek his dog, which to-morrow, by his mafter's command, he muft carry for a prefent to his lady.

Jul.