Pro. How! Julia!

0, 'tis the curse in love, and still approv'd,' When women cannot love where they're belov'd.

Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,

Sil. When Proteus cannot love where he's Ard entertain'd them deeply in her heart: How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!' O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush!

belov'd.

Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,

For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me
faith
Such an immodest raiment; if shame live
In a disguise of love:

Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
Descended into perjury, to love me.

It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,

Women to change their shapes, than men their

minds.

Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou hadst two,
And that's far worse than none; better have none
Than plural faith, which is too much by one:
Thou counterfeit to thy true friend!

Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true: 0
heaven! were man

In love,

Pro.
Who respects friend?

But constant, he were perfect: that one error
Fills him with faults; makes him run through all
sins:

Sil.

All men but Proteus.
Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words
Can no way change you to a milder form,
I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end;
And love you 'gainst the nature of love, force you.
Sil. O heaven!
Pro.
I'll force thee yield to my desire.
Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch;
Thou friend of an ill fashion!

Pro.

Valentine!

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love;

(For such is a friend now,) treacherous man! Thou hast beguil'd my hopes; nought but mine

eye

Could have persuaded me: Now I dare not say
I have one friend alive; thou would'st disprove me.
Who should be trusted now, when one's right hand
Is perjur'd to the bosom? Proteus,

I am sorry, I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deepest: O 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 appeas'd:-
And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.

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
depart,
I gave this unto Julia.

my

Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins:
What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy
More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye?

(1) Felt, experienced. (2) Direction.
(3) An allusion to cleaving the pin in archery.

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,
Banish'd Valentine.

Duke.

Sir Valentine!

Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine.
Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy
death;

Come not within the measure 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.-

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,
And 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 in thy unrivall'd merit,
To which I thus subscribe,-sir Valentine,

Jul. O me, unhappy!

[Faints.

Pro. Look to the boy. Val. Why, boy! why, wag! how now? what is the matter? Look up; speak. Jul. O good sir, my master charg'd me Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd; To deliver a ring to madam Silvia; Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. Which, out of my neglect, was never done. Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me Pro. Where is that ring, boy? happy.

Jul.

Here 'tis: this is it. [Gives a ring.

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;
And let them be recall'd from their exile:
Forgive them what they have committed here,
They are reformed, civil, full of good,
And fit for great employment, worthy lord.
Duke. Thou hast prevail'd: I pardon them and
thee;
Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts.

(4) Length of my sword. (5) Interest.

Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and cust-alorum.2 Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, migero.

Shal. Ay, that we do; and have done any time these three hundred years.

Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may: they may give the dozen white luces in their

coat.

Shallow.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it: and there is also another device in my

discretions

SIR Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John master George Page, which is pretty virginity. Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esSlen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair quire. and speaks small like a woman.

Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and coram.

Eva. It is that fery person for all the 'orld, as just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful resurof monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, rections!) give, when she is able to overtake sevenar-teen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave between master Abraham, and mistress Anne our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage Page.

Shal. It is an old coat.

Eva. The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, passant: it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies-love.

Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is

an old coat.

Slen. I may quarter, coz?

Shal. You may, by marrying,

Era. It is marring indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.

Robin, page to Falstaff.
Simple, servant to Slender.
Rugby, servant to Dr. Caius.

Mrs. Ford.

Mrs. Page.

Mrs. Anne Page, her daughter, in love with Fenton.
Mrs. Quickly, servant to Dr. Caius.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c.

Scene, Windsor; and the parts adjacent.

Eva. It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear riot; take your vizaments in that.

a

Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it.

pound?
Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred
Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.
Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has
good gifts.

Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is goot gifts.

Falstaff there?
Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: is

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or, as I despise one that is not true. The knight, sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. What, hoa! Got pless your house here! will peat the door [knocks] for master Page.

I