Did you ever hear such railing?
'Whiles the eye of man did woo me, 48
That could do no vengeance to me.'
Meaning me a beast.
'If the scorn of your bright eyne
Have power to raise such love in mine, 52
Alack! in me what strange effect
Would they work in mild aspect.
Whiles you chid me, I did love;
How then might your prayers move! 56
He that brings this love to thee
Little knows this love in me;
And by him seal up thy mind;
Whether that thy youth and kind 60
Will the faithful offer take
Of me and all that I can make;
Or else by him my love deny,
And then I'll study how to die.' 64
Sil. Call you this chiding?
Cel. Alas, poor shepherd!
Ros. Do you pity him? no, he deserves no
pity. Wilt thou love such a woman? What, to 68
make thee an instrument and play false strains
upon thee! not to be endured! Well, go your
way to her, for I see love hath made thee a tame
snake, and say this to her: that if she love me, 72
I charge her to love thee: if she will not, I will
never have her, unless thou entreat for her. If
you be a true lover, hence, and not a word, for
here comes more company. Exit Silvius.
49 vengeance: mischief, harm
51 eyne: archaic plural of 'eye'
54 aspect; cf. n.
59 seal . . . mind: express thy mind
60 thy youth and kind: i.e., thy youthful nature
69 instrument . . . strains: i.e., use thee for her own purposes and at the same time deceive thee
72 snake: a term of contempt for a wretched fellow
