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2

DUKE. But she did scorn a present that I fent her. VAL. A woman fometime scorns what beft con

tents her:

Send her another; never give her o'er;
For fcorn at first makes after-love the more.
If she do frown, tis not in hate of you,
But rather to beget more love in you:
If the do chide, 'tis not to have you gone;
For why, the fools are mad, if left alone.
Take no repulfe, whatever she doth say;
For, get you gone, she doth not mean, away:
Flatter, and praife, commend, extol their graces;
Though ne'er fo black, fay, they have angels' faces.
That man that hath a tongue, I fay, is no man,
If with his tongue he cannot win a woman.

[fign. 12.] written by Stephen Hawes, near a century before those of Shakspeare:

"Forsake her not, though that she faye nay;

"A woman's guife is evermore delay.

"No caftell can be of fo great a strength,

"If that there be a fure siege to it layed,

" It must yelde up, or els be won at length,

Though that 'to-fore it hath bene long delayed;

"So continuance may you right well ayde:

Some womans hearte can not fo harded be,

But bufy labour may make it agree."

Another earlier writer than Shakspeare, speaking of women, has

also the fame unfavourable (and, I hope, unfounded) fentiment:

2

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" 'Tis wifdom to give much; a gift prevails,

"When deep perfuafive oratory fails."

Marlowe's HERO AND LEANDER.

MALONE.

that I fent her.) To produce a more accurate rhime, we

might read:

"that I fent, Sir:"

Mr. M. Mason obferves that the rhime, which was evidently here intended, requires that we should read "what best content her." The word what may imply those which, as well as that which. STEEVENS,

DUKE. But she I mean, is promis'd by her friends

Unto a youthful gentleman of worth;
And kept feverely from refort of men,

That no man hath access by day to her.

VAL. Why then I would refort to her by night. DUKE. Ay, but the doors be lock'd, and keys kept

fafe,

That no man hath recourse to her by night.

VAL Whatlets, but one may enter at her window? DUKE. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground; And built so shelving, that one cannot climb it Without apparent hazard of his life.

VAL. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made of cords, To cast up, with a pair of anchoring hooks, Would serve to scale another Hero's tower, So bold Leander would adventure it.

DUKE. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Advise me where I may have such a ladder.

VAL. When would you use it? pray, fir, tell me

that.

DUKE. This very night; for love is like a child,
That longs for every thing that he can come by.
VAL. By feven o'clock I'll get you fuch a ladder.
DUKE. But hark thee; I will go to her alone;
How shall I best convey the ladder thither?
VAL. It will belight, my lord, that you may bear it
Under a cloak, that is of any length.

DUKE. A cloak as long as thine will ferve the turn?
VAL. Ay, my good lord.
DUKE. Then let me fee thy cloak;

3 What lets,] i. e. what hinders. So, in Hamlet, A& I. fc. iv: " By heaven I'll make a ghost of him that lets me."

STEEVENS.

I'll get me one of fuch another length.

VAL. Why, any cloak will ferve the turn, my lord. DUKE. How shall I fashion me to wear a cloak?

[reads.

I pray thee, let me feel thy cloak upon me.--
What letter is this fame? What's here? - To Silvia?
Ard here an engine fit for my proceeding!
I'll be fo bold to break the feal for once.
My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly;
And flaves they are to me, that fend them flying:
O, could their master come and go as lightly,
Himfelf would lodge, where fenfeless they are lying.
My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom reft them ;

While I, their king, that thither them importune,
Do curse the grace that with fuck grace hath bless'd them,
Because myself do want my fervants' fortune:

I curse myself, for they are fent by me,

4

That they should harbour where their lord should be.
What's here?

Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee:

'Tis fo; and here's the ladder for the purpose.-
Why, Phaëton, (for thou art Merop's fon.)'
Wilt thou afpire to guide the heavenly car,
And with thy daring folly burn the world?
Wilt thou reach fars, because they shine on thee?
Go, base intruder! over-weening flave!

4-for they are sent by me,] For is the fame as for that, fince.

JOHNSON.

S-Merops' fon,)) Thou art Phaëton in thy rasiness, but without his pretenfions; thou art not the son of a divinity, but a terræ filius, a low-born wretch.; Merops is thy true father, with whom Phaëton was falfely reproached. JOHNSON.

This fcrap of mythology Shakspeare might have found in the purious play of K. John, 1591:

as fometime Phaëton

Miftrufling filly Merops for his fire."

for in Robert Greene's Orlando Furioso, 1594:

Why, foglish, bardy, daring, simple groom.

" Follower of fond conceited Phaëton," &c.. STEEVENS.

Beslow thy fawning smiles on equal mates;
And think, my patience, more than thy defert,
Is privilege for thy departure hence:
Thank me for this, more than for all the favours,
Which, all too much, I have bestow'd on thee.

But if thou linger in my territories,
Longer than fwifteft expedition

Will give thee time to leave our royal court,
By heaven, my wrath shall far exceed the love
I ever bore my daughter, or thyfelf.
Be gone, I will not hear thy vain excuse,
But, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence.
[Exit DUKE.

VAL. And why not death, rather than living torment?

To die, is to be banish'd from myself;
And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her,
Is felf from felf; a deadly banishment!
What light is light, if Silvia be not feen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?
Unless it be, to think that she is by.
And feed upon the shadow of perfection."
Except I be by Silvia in the night,
There is no mufick in the nightingale;
Unless I look on Silvia in the day,
There is no day for me to look upon:
She is my essence; and I leave to be,
If I be not by her fair influence
Fofter'd, illumin'd, cherifh'd, kept alive.
I fly not death, to fly his deadly doom :"

6 And feed upon the Shadow of perfection.]

Animum pi&urâ pafcit inani. Virg. HENLEY,

7 I fly not death, to fly his deadly doom:] To fly his doom, used for by flying, or in flying, is a gallicifm, The sense is, By avoide

Tarry I here, I but attend on death;
But, fly I hence, I fly away from life."

Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE.

PRO. Run, boy, run, run, and feek him out.

LAUN. So-ho! fo-ho!

PRO. What seest thou?

LAUN. Him we go to find: there's not a hair

on's head, but 'tis a Valentine.

PRO. Valentine?

VAL. No.

PRO. Who then? his spirit?

VAL. Neither.

PRO. What then?

VAL. Nothing.

LAUN. Can nothing speak? master, shall Istrike? PRO. Whom would'st thou strike?

LAUN. Why, fir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you,

PRO. Sirrah, I say, forbear: Friend Valentine, a

word.

VAL. My ears are stopp'd, and cannot hear good

news,

ing the execution of his fentence I shall not escape death. If I stay here, I fuffer myselí to be destroyed; if I go away, I deftroy myself. JOHNSON.

8 --- there's not a hair - - ] Launce is still quibbling. He is now running down the hare that he started when he entered.

2 Whom

MALONE.

Old copy - Who. Corre&ed in the second folia.

MALONE.