JUL. O, know'st thou not, his looks are my foul's
food?

Pity the dearth that I have pined in,
By longing for that food fo long a time.
Didft thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou would'ft as foon go kindle fire with fnow,
As feek to quench the fire of love with words.

Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire; But qualify the fire's extreme rage,

Left it should burn above the bounds of reafon. JUL. The more thou dam'st it up, the more it burns ;

The current, that with gentle murmur glides,
Thou know'ft, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But, when his fair course is not hindered,

He makes sweet mufick with the enamel'd stones,
Giving a gentle kifs to every fedge

He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And fo by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing fport, to the wild ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course :
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a paftime of each weary step,
Till the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll reft, as, after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium.

Luc. But in what habit will you go along?
JUL. Not like a woman; for I would prevent
The loofe encounters of lafcivious men:
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds
As may beseem fome well-reputed page.

Luc. Why then your ladyship muft cut your hair. JUL. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken strings, With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots: To be fantastic may become a youth

Of greater time than I fhall fhow to be.

I

This fellow were a king for our wild faction.
I Our. We'll have him: firs, a word.
SPEED.

Master, be one of them;

It is an honourable kind of thievery.

VAL. Peace, villain!

2 Our. Tell us this: Have you any thing to take to?

VAL. Nothing, but my fortune.

7

3 Our. Know then, that fome of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thruft from the company of awful men: Myself was from Verona banished, For practising to steal away a lady,

An heir, and near allied unto the duke.

7-awful men:] Reverend, worshipful, fuch as magiftrates, and other principal members of civil communities. JOHNSON. Awful is ufed by Shakspeare, in another place, in the sense of lawful. Second part of K. Henry IV. A& IV. fc. ii:

"We come within our awful banks again." TYRWHITT. So, in King Henry V. 1600:

creatures that by awe ordain

"An act of order to a peopled kingdom." MALONE.

I believe we should read-lawful men-i. e. legales homines, So, in The Newe Boke of Juftices, 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 subject to awe. In the fame kind of fenfe as we ufe fearful. RITSON.

8 An heir, and near allied unto the duke.] All the impreffions, from the first downwards, read—An heir and niece allied unto the duke. But our poet would never have expreffed himself fo ftupidly, as to tell us, this lady was the duke's niece, and allied to him: for her alliance was certainly fufficiently included in the firft term. Our author meant to fay, fhe was an heiress, and near allied to the duke; an expreffion the most natural that can be for the purpose, and very frequently used by the ftage-poets. THEOBALD.

A niece, or a nephew, did not always fignify the daughter of a

JUL. Nay, that I will not.

Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go.
If Proteus like your journey, when you come,
No matter who's difpleas'd, when you are gone:
I fear me, he will scarce be pleas'd withal.

JUL. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
And inftances as infinite of love,

Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.

Luc. All these are fervants to deceitful men. JUL. Base men, that use them to fo base effect! But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth: His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles; His love fincere, his thoughts immaculate; His tears, pure meffengers fent from his heart; His heart as far from fraud, as heaven from earth. Luc. Pray heaven, he prove fo, when you come to him!

JUL. Now, as thou lov'ft me, do him not that wrong,

To bear a hard opinion of his truth:
Only deferve my love, by loving him;
And presently go with me to my chamber,
To take a note of what I stand in need of,
To furnish me upon my longing journey.'
All that is mine I leave at thy difpofe,

2 — as infinite] Old edit.-of infinite. JOHNSON. The emendation was made by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE.

3 my longing journey.] Dr. Grey obferves, that longing is a participle active, with a paffive fignification; for longed, wifhed, or defired.

Mr. M. Mason supposes Julia to mean a journey which she shall pass in longing. STEEVENS.

VOL. III.

My goods, my lands, my reputation;
Only, in lieu thereof, difpatch me hence:
Come, answer not, but to it presently;
I am impatient of my tarriance.

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

Milan. An Anti-room in the Duke's Palace.

Enter DUKE, THURIO, and PROTEUS.

DUKE. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have fome fecrets to confer about.

[Exit THURIO. Now, tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me? PRO. My gracious lord, that which I would dif

cover,

The law of friendship bids me to conceal :
But, when I call to mind your gracious favours
Done to me, undeferving as I am,

My duty pricks me on to utter that

Which elfe no worldly good fhould draw from me.
Know, worthy prince, fir Valentine, my friend,
This night intends to fteal away your daughter;
Myself am one made privy to the plot.

I know, you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And should she thus be ftolen away from you,
It would be much vexation to your age.
Thus, for my duty's fake, I rather chofe
To cross my friend in his intended drift,
Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
A pack of forrows, which would prefs you down,
Being unprevented, to your timeless
grave.

DUKE. Proteus, I thank thee for thine honeft care; Which to requite, command me while I live. This love of theirs myself have often seen, Haply, when they have judg'd me fast asleep; And oftentimes have purpos'd to forbid Sir Valentine her company, and my court: But, fearing left my jealous aim might err, And fo, unworthily, difgrace the man, (A rashness that I ever yet have shunn'd,) I gave him gentle looks; thereby to find That which thyself haft now difclos'd to me. And, that thou may'ft perceive my fear of this, Knowing that tender youth is foon fuggefted, I nightly lodge her in an upper tower, The key whereof myself have ever kept; And thence the cannot be convey'd away.

PRO. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a mean How he her chamber-window will afcend, And with a corded ladder fetch her down; For which the youthful lover now is gone, And this way comes he with it presently; Where, if it please you, you may intercept him. But, good my lord, do it fo cunningly, That my difcovery be not aimed at 5; For love of you, not hate unto my friend, Hath made me publifher of this pretence.'

jealous aim] Aim is guefs, in this inftance, as in the following. So, in Romeo and Juliet:

I aim'd so near when I fuppos'd you lov'd." STEEVENS. 5 be not aimed at ;] Be not guessed. JOHNSON.

of this pretence.] Of this claim made to your daughter.

JOHNSON.

to feel

my

affection to

Pretence is defign. So, in K. Lear: " your honour, and no other pretence of danger."

Again, in the fame play: "pretence and purpose of unkind

nefs.' STERVENS.