Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there.
Go give your master this: tell him from me,
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,
Would better fit his chamber than this shadow.

Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.—
Pardon me, madam; I have unadvised
Deliver'd you a paper that I should not:
This is the letter to your ladyship.

Sil. I pray thee, let me look on that again.
Jul. It may not be; good madam, pardon me.
Sil. There, hold!

I will not look upon your master's lines:

I know they are stuff'd with protestations
And full of new-found oaths; which he will break
As easily as I do tear his paper.

Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring.
Sil. The more shame for him that he sends it me;
For I have heard him say a thousand times
His Julia gave it him at his departure.

Though his false finger have profaned the ring,
Mine shall not do his Julia so much wrong.

Jul. She thanks you.

Sil. What say'st thou?

Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender her Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much.

Sil. Dost thou know her?

Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself: To think upon her woes I do protest

That I have wept a hundred several times.

Sil. Belike she thinks that Proteus hath forsook her.

Jul. I think she doth; and that's her cause of

sorrow.

127. unadvised, inadvertently.

145. tender, have regard for.

130

140

150

146. gentlewoman; currently pronounced with three syllables, nearly géntlooman.

Sil. Is she not passing fair?

Jul. She hath been fairer, madam, than she is:
When she did think my master loved her well,
She, in my judgement, was as fair as you;
But since she did neglect her looking-glass
And threw her sun-expelling mask away,
The air hath starved the roses in her cheeks
And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face,
That now she is become as black as I.

Sil. How tall was she?

Jul. About my stature; for at Pentecost,
When all our pageants of delight were play'd,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trimm'd in Madam Julia's gown,
Which served me as fit, by all men's judgements,
As if the garment had been made for me:
Therefore I know she is about my height.
And at that time I made her weep agood,
For I did play a lamentable part:
Madam, 'twas Ariadne passioning
For Theseus' perjury and unjust flight;
Which I so lively acted with my tears
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and would I might be dead.
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow!

Sil. She is beholding to thee, gentle youth.
Alas, poor lady, desolate and left!

I weep myself to think upon thy words.
Here, youth, there is my purse; I give thee

this

160

170

180

part of the Whitsuntide festivities in many English municipalities.

170. agood, in good earnest. 172. passioning, passionately grieving.

178. beholding, beholden, indebted.

For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lovest
her.
Farewell.

[Exit Silvia, with attendants. Jul. And she shall thank you for 't, if e'er you know her.

A virtuous gentlewoman, mild and beautiful!
I hope my master's suit will be but cold,
Since she respects my mistress' love so much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!

Here is her picture: let me see; I think,
If I had such a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers :
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little,
Unless I flatter with myself too much.
Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow:
Is that be all the difference in his love,
I'll get me such a colour'd periwig.
Her eyes are grey as glass, and so are mine:
Ay, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high.
What should it be that he respects in her
But I can make respective in myself,
If this fond Love were not a blinded god?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For 'tis thy rival. O thou senseless form,
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kiss'd, loved and adored!
And, were there sense in his idolatry,
My substance should be statue in thy stead.
I'll use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake,
That used me so; or else, by Jove I vow,
I should have scratch'd out your unseeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee! [Exit.

190. tire, head-dress.

196. such a colour'd periwig, one of that colour.

197. grey as glass, of the faint

190

200

210

bluish tint usual in glass of the time.

200. respective, to be respected.

206. statue, image.

ACT V.

SCENE I. Milan. An abbey.

Enter EGLAMOUR.

Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky; And now it is about the very hour

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.
See where she comes.

Enter SILVIA.

Lady, a happy evening!
Sil. Amen, amen! Go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the postern by the abbey-wall:
I fear I am attended by some spies.

Egl. Fear not the forest is not three leagues

off;

If we recover that, we are sure enough.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. The same. The DUKE's palace.
Enter THURIO, PROTEUS, and Julia.

Thu.

Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit ?

Pro. O, sir, I find her milder than she was; And yet she takes exceptions at your person.

Enter Silvia. Silvia is doubtless intended to enter masked (cf. v. 2. 40).

Thu. What, that my leg is too long?

Pro. No; that it is too little.

Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat

rounder.

Jul. [Aside] But love will not be spurr'd to what

it loathes.

Thu. What says she to my face?

Pro. She says it is a fair one.

Thu. Nay then, the wanton lies; my face is black.

Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is,

Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. Jul. [Aside] "Tis true; such pearls as put out ladies' eyes;

For I had rather wink than look on them.

Thu. How likes she my discourse?

Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love and peace?

Jul. [Aside] But better, indeed, when you hold

your peace.

Thu. What says she to my valour?

Pro. O, sir, she makes no doubt of that.

Jul. [Aside] She needs not, when she knows it

cowardice.

Thu. What says she to my birth?

Pro. That you are well derived.

Jul. [Aside] True; from a gentleman to a

fool.

Thu. Considers she my possessions?
Pro. O, ay; and pities them.
Thu. Wherefore?

25. possessions. Taken by

Proteus in the sense of 'mental endowments,' of which Thurio,

10

20

like the owner of leasehold property, has the title but not the use.