That Silvia at friar Patrick's cell should meet me.
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come before their time,
So much they spur their expedition.

Enter SILVIA.

Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

[Aside.

Pro. Nor I.

Duke. Saw you my daughter ?
Pro. Neither.

Duke. Why, then

She's fled unto that peasant Valentine,
And Eglamour is in her company.

'Tis true; for friar Lawrence met them both,
As he in penance wander'd through the forest:
Him he knew well; and guess'd that it was she,
But, being mask'd, he was not sure of her:
Besides, she did intend confession

At Patrick's cell this even, and there she was not.
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence:
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount you presently; and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain-foot,
That leads towards Mantua, whither they are fled.
Dispatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me.

[Exit in haste.1

Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish girl,
That flies her fortune when it follows her.
I'll after, more to be reveng'd on Eglamour,
Than for the love of reckless Silvia.

[Exit.

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.-The Forest.
Enter SILVIA, and Outlaws.

[Exit.

Sil. A thousand more mischances than this one

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love and Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently. peace ?

Jul. But better, indeed, when you hold your peace.

[Aside.

Thu. What says she to my valour?
Pro. O, sir! she makes no doubt of that.
Jul. She needs not, when she knows it cowardice.

Thu. What says she to my birth?
Pro. That you are well deriv'd.

Jul. True; from a gentleman to a fool.
Thu. Considers she my large possessions?
Pro. O ay, and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

2 Out. Come, bring her away.

1 Out. Where is the gentleman that was with her? 3 Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath outrun 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 : [Aside. The thicket is beset; he cannot 'scape.

1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's cave. Fear not; he bears an honourable mind, [Aside. And will not use a woman lawlessly.

[Aside.

Sil. O Valentine! this I endure for thee. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV.-Another Part of the Forest.
Enter VALENTINE.

Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man!
These shadowy, desert,5 unfrequented woods,

2 3 Not in f. e. 4 in haste: not in f. e. 5 This shadowy, desert: in f. e.

better brook than flourishing peopled towns.
Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
And to the nightingale's complaining notes
Tune my distresses, and record1 my woes.
O! thou that dost inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the mansion too long tenantless,
Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was!
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia !

Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!
What halloing, and what stir, is this to-day? [Shouts.2
These my rude mates,3 that make their wills their law,
Have some unhappy passenger in chase.
They love me well; yet I have much to do,
To keep them from uncivil outrages.

Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes here?
[Withdraws.

Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA.

7

Pro. Madam, this service having done for you,
(Though you respect not aught your servant doth)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him,
That would have forc'd your honour and your love,"
Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look."
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,
And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.
Val. How like a dream is this, I see and hear!
Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile.

Sil. O, miserable! unhappy that I am!
Pro. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came ;
But by my coming I have made you happy.

[Aside.

Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhappy.
Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your presence.

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.
O, heaven! be judge, how I love Valentine,
Whose life's as tender to me as my soul;
And full as much (for more there cannot be)
I do detest false, perjur'd Proteus :
Therefore be gone: solicit me no more.

[Aside.

Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death,
Would I not undergo for one calin look.
O! 't is the curse in love, and still approv'd,s
When women cannot love where they 're belov'd.
Sil. When Proteus cannot love where he 's belov'd.
Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,
For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
Descended into perjury to love me.

Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou’dst 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.

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 arm's end,

And love you 'gainst the nature of love: force you.
Sil. O heaven!
Pro.

I'll force thee yield to my desire.

Val. [Coming forward.] Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch;

Thou friend of an ill fashion!

Pro. Valentine!

(For such is a friend now) treacherous man!
Thou hast beguil'd my hopes: nought but mine eye
Could have persuaded me. Now dared I to 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 deep'st. O time accurst!
'Mongst all my9 foes1o a friend should be the worst!
Pro. My shame and desperate guilt at once11 con-
found me.-

Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,

I tender 't here: I do as truly suffer,
As e'er I did commit.

Pro. How! let me see.

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 my depart I gave this unto Julia.

[Discovering herself.

Jul. And Julia herself did give it me;
And Julia herself hath brought it hither.
Pro. How? Julia!
Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
And entertain'd them deeply in her heart:
How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!
O Proteus! let this habit make thee blush:
Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest raiment; if shame live
In a disguise of love.

It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,

Women to change their shapes, than men their minds.
Pro. Than men their minds: 't is true. O heaven!

Fills him with faults; makes him run through all the
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?

Val. Come, come, a hand from either.

Let me be blest to make this happy close :
'T were pity two such friends should be long foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for ever.
Jul. And I mine.

Enter Outlaws, with DUKE and THURIO.
Out. A prize! a prize! a prize!

Val. Forbear: forbear, I say: it is my lord the
duke.-

[love; Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd,

Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or Banished Valentine.

1 sing. 2 Not in f. e. 8 proved.

colon.

3 are my mates in f. e. 4 Steps aside: in f. e. 5 I have in f. e.

9 Not in f. e. 10 that in f. e. 11 My shame and guilt confound in f. e.

6 f. e. have a period. f. e, have a semi

Sir Valentine !

Duke.
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,
Milano' shall not hold 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,
Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd:
Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her.

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 :
Forgive them what they have committed here,
And let them be recall'd from their exile.
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.
Come; let us go: we will conclude2 all jars
With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity.

Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold
With our discourse to make your grace to smile.
What think you of this stripling3 page, my lord?

Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him: he blushes.
Val. I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy.
Duke. What mean you by that saying, Valentine ?*
Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along,
That you will wonder what hath fortuned.-
Come, Proteus; 't is your penance, but to hear
The story of your love's discoverer :
Our day of marriage shall be yours no less;5

Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.
happy.

1 Verona : in f. e. 2 include: in f. e. 3 4 Not in f. e. 5 That done, our day of marriage shall be yours: in f. e.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-Windsor. Before PAGE's House. Enter Justice SHALLOW, SLENDER, and Sir HUGH EVANS.

Shal. Sir1 Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-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.

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

Shal. Ay, that I 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 luces2 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?

Shal. You may, by marrying.

Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it.

Shal. Not a whit.

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

There

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it: and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions with it. is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

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 just as you will desire, and seven hundred pounds of monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, upon his death'sbed (Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!) give, when she is able to overtake seventeen 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.

Slen. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.

Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

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

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

Eva. Yes, per-lady: if he has a quarter of your coat, Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple con- I do despise one that is false; or, as I despise one that jectures. But that is all one: if sir John Falstaff have is not true. The knight, sir John, is there; and, I committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atone-peat the door for master Page. [Knocks.] What, hoa! ments and compromises between you. Got pless your house here!

Shal. The council shall hear it: it is a riot. 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 a riot: take your vizaments in that.

Page. Who's there? [Above, at the window.3 Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and justice Shallow; and here young master Slender, that, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

1 A title by which the clergy were ordinarily addressed. 2 The old name for a pike-an allusion to the coat of arms of the Lucys' three luces. 3 Enter Page: in f. e.

Enter PAGE.1

Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between

Page. I am glad to see your worships well. I thank them. you for my venison, master Shallow.

Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my

cause, with as great discreetly as we can.
Fal. Pistol!

Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you: much note-book ; and we will afterwards 'ork upon the good do it your good heart. I wished your venison better; it was ill kill'd.-How doth good mistress Page?-and I thank you always with my heart, la; with my heart.

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.
Shal. He hath wrong'd me, master Page.
Page. Sir, he doth in some sort confess it.

Shal. If it be confess'd, it is not redress'd: is not that so, master Page? He hath wrong'd me; indeed, he hath;-at a word, he hath-believe me:-Robert Shallow, esquire, saith he is wrong'd.

Page. Here comes sir John.

Enter Sir JOHN FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, Nym, and
PISTOL.

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. Tut, a pin! this shall be answered.

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 Yed Miller, by these gloves.

5

Fal. Is this true, Pistol?

Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse.

Pist. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner !—Sir John and
master mine,

I combat challenge of this latten bilbo :"
Word of denial in thy labras' here;
Word of denial; froth and scum, thou liest.

Slen. By these gloves, then 't was he.

น!

Nym. Be advised, sir, and pass good humours. I will say, marry trap," with you, if you run the nuthook's humour on me; that is the very note of it.

8

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 ?9 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 is! Bard. And being fap,10 sir, was, as they say, cashier'd; and so conclusions pass'd the carieres.11

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 't is 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

Fal. I will answer it straight:-I have done all God, and not with drunken knaves. this. That is now answered.

Shal. The council shall know this.

Eva. So Got 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind.
Fal. You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen;

Fal. 'T were better for you, if it were known in you hear it. counsel: you'll be laughed at.

Eva. Pauca verba, sir John; good worts.

Fal. Good worts ?3 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.

Bard. You Banbury cheese.*

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pist. How now, Mephostophilus ?

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

1 Not in f. e. 2 Cotsall in f. e.

12

Enter ANNE PAGE with wine; and Mistress FORD and
Mistress PAGE.
Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we 'll drink
within.
[Exit ANNE Page.
Slen. Oh heaven! this is mistress Anne Page.
[Following and looking after her.1a
Page. How now, mistress Ford!
Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well
met: by your leave, good mistress. [Kissing her.
Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome.-Čome,
we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come, gentle-
men, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.

[Exeunt all but SHALLOW, SLENDER, and EVANS.
Slen. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my
book of songs and sonnets here.-
Enter SIMPLE.

How now, Simple! Where have you been? I must wait on myself, must I? You have not the book of riddles about you, have you?

Sim. Book of riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas ?

Cotswold-downs, in Gloucestershire, a famous place for rural sports. 3 The old name for cabbage. 4 This cheese was extremely thin. 5 Shilling pieces, used in playing shuffle-board, and probably better fitted for the game by being beavier than the common coin, and so commanding a premium. latten, a composition of copper and calamine, made into thin plates; bilbo, is a Bilboa blade or sword. 8 Instrument used by a thief to hook things from a window; he means, "if you say I'm a thief." 9 Two of Robin Hood's merry men. 10 Fuddled. 11 A term in horsemanship, for galloping a horse backwards and forwards

12 This direction is not in f. e.

7 lips.