He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And fo by many winding nooks he ftrays,
With willing fport, to the wild ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course :
I'll be as patient as a gentle fiream,
And make a paftime of each weary step,
Till the last ftep 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 befeem fome well-reputed page.

Luc. Why then your ladyfhip must cut your hair.
Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken firings,
With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots :

To be fantastick, may become a youth

Of

greater time than I fhall fhow to be.

Luc. What fashion, madam, fhall I make your breeches ? Jul. That fits as well, as-" tell me, good my lord, "What compafs will you wear your farthingale ?" Why, even that fafhion thou beit lik'ft, Lucetta.

Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece ',' madam.

Jul. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill-favour'd. Luc, A round hofe, madam, now's not worth a pin, Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on.

Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think'ft meet, and is moft mannerly:

1 - with a cod-pice, &c.] Whoever wishes to be acquainted with this particular, relative to drefs, may confult Bulwer's Artificial ChangeLing, in which fuch matters are very amply difcuffed. Ocular inftruction may be had from the armour shewn as John of Gaunt's in the Tower of London. The fame fashion appears to have been no less offenfive in France. See Montaigne, chap. XXII. The cuftom of ticking pins in this oftentatious piece of indecency was continued by the illiberal warders of the Tower, till forbidden by authority. STEEVENS. 2 Out, out, Luceita! &c.] Dr. Percy obferves, that this interjection is fill used in the North. It feems to have the fame meaning as STEEVENS. apage, Lat.

But

But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me,
For undertaking fo unftaid a journey?

I fear me, it will make me fcandaliz'd.

Luc. If you think fo, then stay at home, and go not.
Jul. Nay, that I will not.

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

Jul. That is the leaft, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
And inftances as infinite 3 of love,

Warrant me welcome to my Protheus.

Luc. All these are servants to deceitful men.
Jul. Bafe men, that use them to so base effect!
But truer ftars did govern Protheus' 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 prefently go with me to my chamber,
To take a note of what I ftand in need of,
To furnish me upon my longing journey.
All that is mine I leave at thy difpofe,
My goods, my lands, my reputation;
Only, in lieu thereof, difpatch me hence.
Come, anfwer not, but to it presently;
I am impatient of my tarriance.

3-as infinite] Old edit. of infinite. JOHNSON."

[Exeunt.

The emendation was made by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE. 4 my longing journey.] Dr. Grey obferves, that longing is a participle active, with a pathve fignification; for longed, withed or defred. STEEVENS.

ACT

ACT III.

SCENE I.

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

Enter Duke, THURIO, and PROTHEUS. Duke. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have fome fecrets to confer about. [Exit THURIO. Now, tell me, Protheus, what's your will with me?

Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would discover, 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;
Myfelf am one made privy to the plot.

you,

I know, you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And should the thus be ftolen away from
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. Protheus, 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 faft afleep;
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 rafhness that I ever yet have fhunn'd,)
I gave him gentle looks; thereby to find

5 --

-jealous aim] Aim is guefs. So, in Romeo and Juliet:
"I aim'd fo near when I fuppos'd you lov'd." STEEVENS.

That

That which thyfelf haft now disclos'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 pleafe you, you may intercept him.
But, good my lord, do it fo cunningly,
That my difcovery be not aimed at

For love of you, not hate unto my friend,
Hath made me publisher of this pretence 7.

Duke. Upon mine honour, he thall never know

That I had any light from thee of this.

Pro. Adieu, my lord; fir Valentine is coming. [Exit,
Enter VALENTINE.

Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away fo faft?
Val. Please it your grace, there is a meffenger
That ftays to bear my letters to my friends,
And I am going to deliver them.

Duke. Be they of much import ?

Val. The tenor of them doth but fignify My health, and happy being at your court.

Duke. Nay, then no matter; ftay with me a while;

I am to break with thee of fome affairs,

That touch me near, wherein thou must be fecret.
'Tis not unknown to thee, that I have fought

To match my friend, fir Thurio, to my daughter.
Val. I know it well, my lord; and, fure, the match
Were rich and honourable; befides, the gentleman
Is full of virtue, bounty, worth, and qualities

6-be not aimed at ;] Be not guefed. JOHNSON.

7

of this pretence.] Pretence is defign. So, in K. Lear: "-to my affection to your honour, and no other pretence of danger." Again, in the fame play: "pretence and purpofe of unkindness." STEEV.

VOL. I.

L

Befeeming

Befeeming fuch a wife as your fair daughter :
Cannot your grace win her to fancy him?

Duke. No, truft me; she is peevish, fullen, froward,
Proud, difobedient, ftubborn, lacking duty;
Neither regarding that fhe is my child,
Nor fearing me as if I were her father:
And, may I fay to thee, this pride of hers,
Upon advice, hath drawn my love from her;
And, where I thought the remnant of mine age
Should have been cherish'd by her child-like duty,
I now am full refolv'd to take a wife,

And turn her out to who will take her in :
Then let her beauty be her wedding-dower;
For me and my poffeffions fhe esteems not.

Val. What would your grace have me to do in this?
Duke. There is a lady, fir, in Milan, here,
Whom I affect; but she is nice, and coy,
And nought efteems my aged eloquence:
Now, therefore, would I have thee to my tutor,
(For long agone I have forgot to court;
Befides, the fashion of the time is chang'd ;)
How, and which way, I may bestow myself,
To be regarded in her fun-bright eye.

Val. Win her with gifts, if the respect not words; Dumb jewels often, in their filent kind,

More than quick words, do move a woman's mind'.

And where-] Where for whereas. It is often fo used by our old writers. MALONE.

fir, in Milan, bere,] It ought to be thus, inftead of-is Verona, bere; for the fcene apparently is in Milan, as is clear from feveral paffages in the first act, and in the beginning of the first scene of the fourth act. A like mistake has crept into the eighth scene of act II. where Speed bids his fellow-fervant Launce welcome to Padua. PоPE. 9- the fashion of the time] The modes of courtship, the acts by which men recommended themfelves to ladies. JOHNSON.

Win her with gifts, if she refpect not words;

Dumb jewels often, in their filent kind,

More than quick words, do move a woman's mind.] An earlier writer than Shakspeare, fpeaking of women, has the fame unfavourable (and, I hope, unfounded) fentiment:

"Tis wifdom to give much; a gift prevails, "When deep perfuafive oratory fails."

Marlowe's Hero and Leander. MALONE.

Duke.