Thu. What says she to my valour? Pro. O, sir, she makes no doubt of that. [Aside. Be patient, we must bring you to our captain. Out. Where is the gentleman that was with 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. i Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's cave: Fear not; he bears an honourable mind, [Exeunt. SCENE, IV-Another part of the Forest. This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods, Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man! Jul. She needs not, when she knows it coward-And, to the nightingale's complaining notes, ice. Thu. What says she to my birth? Pro. That you are well deriv'd. Tune [Aside. my distresses, and record4 my woes. O thou that dost inhabit in my breast, Leave not the mansion so long tenantless; Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall, Jul. True; from a gentleman to a fool. [Aside. And leave no memory of what it was! Thu. Considers she my possessions? Pro. O, ay; and pities them. Thu. Wherefore? Repair me with thy presence, Silvia ; Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!-What halloing, and what stir, is this to-day? Jul. That such an ass should owe them. [Aside. These are my mates, that make their wills their Enter Duke. And Eglamour is in her company. 'Tis true; for friar Laurence met them both, At Patrick's cell this even; and there she was not: [Exit. [Exit.I 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. SCENE III-Frontiers of Mantua. Forest. Enter Silvia, and Out-laws. Out. Come, come; The (1) Own. (2) Foolish. (3) Careless. Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look 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. Whose life's as tender to me as my soul; O, heaven be judge, how I love Valentine, And full as much (for more there cannot be,) do detest false perjur'd Proteus : Therefore be gone, solicit me no more. Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look? O, 'tis the curse in love, and still approv'd, Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love, Pro. How! Julia! Jul. Bebold her that gave aim? to all thy oaths, For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me faith Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou hadst two, Pro. Who respects friend? Sil. In love, 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! Valentine! Pro. 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 Val. Is nor of heaven, nor earthy for these are pleas'd; is the matter? Look up; speak. [Faints. Such an immodest raiment; if shame live It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true: O heaven! were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error 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, Banished Valentine. Sir Valentine! Duke. Come not within the measure of my wrath: I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, Jul. O good sir, my master charg'd me Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. To deliver a ring to madam Silvia; Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me happy. I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, Are men endued with worthy qualities; 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. With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity. Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him; he Val. I warrant you, my lord; more grace than boy. Duke. What mean you by that saying? Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along, That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; (1) Masks, revels. (2) Conclude. In this play there is a strange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country; he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Proteus, after an interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed, and sometimes forsook; sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot. That this play is rightly attributed to Shak[Exeunt.speare, I have little doubt.. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest. JOHNSON. Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it: and there is also another device in my with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity. SIR Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions chamber matter of it; if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire. Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and coram. Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman. Eva. It is that fery person for all the 'orld, as Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and cust-alorum? just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman of monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful resurin any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, ar-rections!) give, when she is able to overtake sevenmigero. 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. 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? Eva. It is marring indeed, if he quarter it. Eva. Yes, py'r3-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but that is all one: if Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my be nevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you. Shal. The council4 shall hear it; it is a riot. (1) A title formerly appropriated to chaplains. Custos rotulorum. teen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between master, Abraham, and mistress Anne Page. Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound? 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. Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: is Falstaff there? 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. I will peat the door [knocks] for master Page. What, hoa! Got pless your house here! Page. A cur, sir. Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more said? he is good, and fair.-Is sir John Falstaff here? Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you. Eva. It is spoke as a christians ought to speak. Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym, and Fal. Now, master Shallow; you'll complain of me to the king? Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, killed my deer, and broke open my lodge. Fal. But not kiss'd your keeper's daughter. Shal. The council shall know this. Fal. "Twere better for you, if it were known in counsel: you'll be laugh'd at. Eva. Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts. Fal. Good worts !2 good cabbage. Slender, I broke your head; what matter have you against me? Slen. Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you; and against your coney-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. They carried me to the tavern, and made me drunk, and afterwards picked my pocket. Bar. You Banbury cheese!4 Slen. Ay, it is no matter. Pist. How now, Mephostophilus ?5 Slert. Ay, it is no matter. understand that is, master Page, fidelicet, master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, my self; and the three party is, lastly and finally, mine host of the Garter. Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between them. Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my note-book; and we will afterwards 'ork upon the cause, with as great discreetly as we can. Fal. Pistol, Pist. He hears with ears. Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this, He hears with ear? Why, it is affectations. Fal. Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse? Slen. Ay, by these gloves, did he (or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again else,) of seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward shovel-boards,? that cost me two shilling and two pence a piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. Fal. Is this true, Pistol? Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse. I combat challenge of this latten bilbo :8 Nym. Be advised, sir, and pass good humours: will say, marry trap, with you, if you run the nuthook's10 humour on me; that is the very note of it. Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it: for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass. Fal. What say you, Scarlet and John? Bard. Why, sir, for my part, I say, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences. Eva. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance fis!" Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashier'd; and so conclusions pass'd the careires. 12 Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again, but in honest, civil, godly company, for this trick if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves. Eva. So Got 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen; you hear it. Enter Mistress Anne Page with wine; Mistress Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met: by your leave, good mistress. [kissing her. Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome :Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca slice! that's] Come, we have a hot vénison pasty to dinner; come, my humour. gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkind Slen. Where's Simple, my man?-can you tell,ness. cousin? Eva. Peace, I pray you! Now let us understand: there is three umpires in this matter, as I Cotswold in Gloucestershire. [Exeunt all but Shal. Slend. and Evans, Slen. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my book of songs and sonnets here: (7) King Edward's shillings, used in the game Worts was the ancient name of all the cab- of shuffle-board. bage kind. (8) Blade as thin as a lath. (9) Lips. (11) Drunk. (12) The bounds of good behaviour. : |