For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews; Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. 460 Visit by night your lady's chamber-window Duke. This discipline shews thou hast been in love. Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in practice: To sort some gentlemen well skill'd in musick; To give the onset to thy good advice. Duke. About it, gentlemen. 470 Pro. We'll wait upon your grace, till after supper; And aftewards determine our proceedings. Duke. Even now about it; I will pardon you. [Exeunt. ACT ACT IV. SCENE 1. A Forest, leading towards Mantua. Enter certain Out Laws. 1 Out-Law. FELLOWS, stand fast; I see a passenger. 2 Out. If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em. Enter VALENTINE, and SPEED. 3 Out. Stand, sir, and throw us what you have about you; If not, we'll make you sit, and rifle you. Speed. Sir, we are undone! these are the villains That all the travellers do fear so much. Val. My friends 1 Out. That's not so, sir; we are your enemies. 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him. 3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; For he's a proper man. 10 Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to lose, A man I am, cross'd with adversity : My riches are these poor habiliments, Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you? Val. To Verona. 1 Out. Whence came you? Val. From Milan. 3 Out. Have you long sojourn'd there? 20 Val. Some sixteen months; and longer might have staid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. 1 Out. What, were you banish'd thence? Val. I was. 2 Out. For what offence? Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse: I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; But yet I slew him manfully in fight, Without false vantage, or base treachery. 1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done so: But were you banish'd for so small a fault? Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom." 1 Out. Have you the tongues? Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy Or else I often had been miserable. 30 3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 1 Out. We'll have him: sirs, a word. Speed. Master, be one of them ; It is a kind of honourable thievery. Val. Peace, villain! 40 2 Out. Tell us this; Have you any thing to take to ? Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thrust from the company of awful men: An heir, and niece ally'd unto the duke. 2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart. 1 Out. And I, for such like petty crimes as these. But to the purpose-(for we cite our faults, That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives) 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: Are you content to be our general ? To make a virtue of necessity, And live, as we do, in the wilderness? 50 61 3 Out. What say'st thou wilt thou be of our consort; Say, ay, and be the captain of us all : We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee, 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou dy'st. 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. 70 Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided, that you do no outrages On On silly women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And shew thee all the treasure we have got ; Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Under SILVIA's Apartment in Milan. Enter PROTHEUS. Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; The least whereof would quell a lover's hope, go Enter |