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

Out. We'll have him: firs, a word.

Speed.

It is an honourable kind of thievery.
Val, Peace, villain!

Mafter, be one of them;

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

Thruft from the company of awful men : 3
Myfelf was from Verona banist e

For practifing to fteal away a lady,

An heir, and near allied unto the duke.+

2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart.s

1 Out. And I, for fuch like petty crimes as these.

But

2 Robin Hood was captain of a band of robbers, and was much inclined to rob churchmen. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnfon feems to have misunderstood this paffage. The speaker does not fwear by the fcalp of fome churchman who had been plundered, but by the fhaven crown of Robin Hood's chaplain. We will live and die together, (fays a perfonage in Peele's Edward I. 1593 ) like Robin Ficod, little John, friar Tucke, and Maide Marian." MALONE.

3 Reverend, worshipful, fuch as magiftrates, and other principal members of civil communities. JOHNSON.

Awful is used by Shakspeare in another place, in the fenfe of lawful.
TYRWHITT.

I believe we fhould read-lawful men-i. e. legales homines. So, in The Newe Boke of Justices, 1560: "— commandinge him to the fame to make an inqueft and pannel of lawful men of his countie," For this remark I am indebted to Dr. Farmer. STEEVENS.

Awful men means men well-governed, obfervant of law and authority; full of, or fubject to awe. In the fame kind of fenfe as we ufe fearful.

RITSON.

4 A niece, or a nephew, did not always fignify the daughter of a brother or fifter, but any remote defcendant. STEEVENS.

Heir in our author's time (as it fometimes is now) was applied to females, as well as males. MALONE.

5 Whem, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart.] Thus Dryden: "Madness laughing in his ireful mood.”

Again, Gray:

"Moody madnefs, laughing, wild." HENLEY.
Mood is anger or refentment. MALONE.

E

But to the purpofe,-(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 6 much want ;-

2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man,
Therefore, above the reft, we parley to you :
Are you content to be our general?

To make a virtue of neceflity,

And live, as we do, in this wilderness?

3 Out. What fay'ft thou wilt thou be of our confórt ? and be the captain of us all :

Say, ay,

We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee,

Love thee as our commander, and our king.

I Out. But if thou fcorn our courtesy, thou dieft. 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.7

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 ourselves, all reft at thy dispose.

SCENE II.

Milan.. Court of the Palace.

Enter PROTEUS.

Pro. Already have I been falfe to Valentine,
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 worthlefs gifts..

[Exeunt.

When

6 Our quality means our profeffion, calling, or condition of life. Hamlet, fpeaking of the young players, fays, "will they pursue the quality no longer than they can firg?" &c. &c. M. MASON. 7 This was one of the rules of Robin Hood's government.

STEEVENS.

When I proteft true loyalty to her,

She twits me with my falfehood to my friend;
When to her beauty I commend my vows,
She bids me think, how I have been forsworn
In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd:
And, notwithstanding all her fudden quips,8
The leaft whereof would quell a lover's hope,
Yet, fpaniel-like, the more fhe fpurns my love,
The more it grows,
and fawneth on her ftill.
But here comes Thurio: now muft we to her window,
And give fome evening mufic to her ear.

Enter. THURIO, and Muficians.

Thu. How now, fir Proteus? are you crept before us?
Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love
Will creep in férvice where it cannot go.9

Thu. Ay, but, I hope, fir, that you love not here.
Pro. Sir, but I do; or else 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.

I

Enter HOST, at a distance; and JULIA in boy's clothes.

Hoft. Now, my young gueft! methinks you're allycholly; pray you, why is it?

Jul. Marry, mine hoft, because I cannot be merry.

Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry: I'll bring you where you fhall hear mufick, and fee the gentleman that you ask'd for.

Jul. But fhall I hear him speak?

Hoft. Ay, that you fhall.

Jul. That will be mufick.

[Mufick plays.

Hoft. Hark! hark!

Jul. Is he among thefe ?

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

SONG.

That is, hafty paffionate reproaches and fcoffs. So Macbeth is in a kindred fenfe faid to be fudden; that is, irafcible and impetuous.

JOHNSON.

9 Kindness will creep where it cannot gang, is to be found in Kelly's Collection of Scottish Proverbs, p. 226. KEID.

SONG.

Who is Silvia? what is fhe,

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

The heavens fuch grace did lend her,
That she might admir'd be.

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 you?

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.

Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have a flow heart.

Hoft. I perceive, you delight not in mufick.

Jul. Not a whit, when it jars fo.

Hoft. Hark, what fine change is in the mufick!

ul. Ay; that change is the fpite.

Hoft. You would have them always play but one thing? Jul. I would always have one play but one thing. But, hoft, doth this fir Proteus, that we talk on, often refort unto this gentlewoman?

2 Beauty without kindness dies unenjoyed, and undelighting

Hoft.

JOHNSON

Hoft. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me, he loved

her out of all nick.3

Jul. Where is Launce?

Hoft. Gone to feek his dog; which, to-morrow, by his mafter's command, he must carry for a prefent to his lady. Jul. Peace! ftand afide; the company parts.

Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you; I will fo plead,

That you

shall fay, my cunning drift excels.

Thu. Where meet we?

Pro. At faint Gregory's well.

Thu. Farewell.

[Exeunt THURIO and Muficians,

SILVIA appears above, at her window.

Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship.
Sil. I thank you for your mufick, gentlemen:
Who is that, that spake?

Pro. One, lady, if you knew his purc heart's truth,
You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice.
Sil. Sir Proteus, as I take it.

Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your fervant.
Sil. What is your will?

Pro.

That I may compafs yours.

Sil. You have your wifh; my will is even this,4-
That prefently you hie you home to bed.
Thou fubtle, perjur'd, falfe, difloyal man!
Think'ft thou, I am fo fhallow, fo conceitlefs,
To be feduced by thy flattery,

That haft deceiv'd fo many with thy vows?
Return, return, and make thy love amends.
For me, by this pale queen of night I swear,
I am fo far from granting 'thy requeft,
That I defpife thee for thy wrongful fuit;
And by and by intend to chide myself,
Even for this time I spend in talking to thee.

Pre.

3 Beyond all reckoning or count. Reckonings are kept upon nicked

or notched fticks or tallies. WARBURTON.

As it is an inn-keeper who employs the allufion, it is much in charac

ter. STEEVENS.

4 The word will is here ambiguous. He wishes to gain her will; the tells him, if he wants her will he has it. JOHNSON,

VOL. I.

H