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Two Gentlemen of Verona.

SCENE I. An open place in Verona.

ACT I.

Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS.
Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus;
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits:
Wer 't not, affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honored love,
I rather would entreat thy company,
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than living dully sluggardised at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But, since thou lov'st, love still, and thrive therein,
Even as I would, when I to love begin.

Pro. Wilt thou begone? Sweet Valentine,
adieu !

Think on thy Proteus, when thou, haply, seest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
Wish me partaker in thy happiness,

When thou dost meet good hap: and in thy
danger,

If ever danger do environ thee,
Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy bead's-man, Valentine.

Val. And on a love-book pray for my success.
Pro. Upon some book I love, I'll pray for thee.
Val. That's on some shallow story of deep love,
How young Leander crossed the Hellespont.

Pro. That's a deep story of a deeper love; For he was more than over shoes in love.

Val. No, I will not, for it boots thee not.
Pro. What?

Val. To be in love, where scorn is bought with

groans;

Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading mo-
ment's mirth,

With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights:
If haply won, perhaps a hapless gain;
If lost, why then a grievous labor won;
However, but a folly bought with wit
Or else a wit by folly vanquishéd.

Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool.
Val. So, by your circumstance, I fear you'll

prove.

Pro. 'T is love you cavil at; I am not love.

Val. Love is your master, for he masters you: And he that is so yokéd by a fool,

Methinks should not be chronicled for wise.

Pro. Yet writers say, "As in the sweetest bud
The eating canker dwells, so cating love
Inhabits in the finest wits of all."

Val. And writers say, "As the most forward

bud

Is eaten by the canker ere it blow,
Even so by love the young and tender wit
Is turned to folly; blasting in the bud,
Losing his verdure even in the prime,
And all the fair effects of future hopes."
But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee,

Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love, That art a votary to fond desire?

And yet you never swam the Hellespont.

Once more adieu: my father at the road

Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots. Expects my coming, there to see me shipped.

Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine. Val. Sweet Proteus, no; now let us take our leave.

To Milan, let me hear from thee by letters,
Of thy success in love, and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend;
And I likewise will visit thee with mine.
Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan!
Val. As much to you at home! and So, farewell.
[Exit VALENTINE.

Pro. He after honor hunts, I after love:
He leaves his friends to dignify them more;
I leave myself, my friends, and all for love.
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me;
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,
War with good counsel, set the world at nought;
Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with

thought.

Enter SPEED.

Speed. Such another proof will make me cry "Baa."

Pro. But dost thou hear? gav'st thou my letter to Julia?

Speed. Ay, sir; I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton; and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labor.

Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such a store of muttons.

Speed. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her.

Pro. Nay, in that you are astray; 't were best pound you.

Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.

Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold.

Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and

over,

Speed. Sir Proteus, save you: Saw you my 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your master?

Pro. But now he parted hence, to embark for Milan.

Speed. Twenty to one, then, he is shipped al

ready;

And I have played the sheep, in losing him.

Pro. Indeed a sheep doth very often stray, An if the shepherd be awhile away.

and

lover.

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Pro. Nod, I; why, that's noddy.
Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod:

you ask me if she did nod; and I say, I.
Pro. And that set together, is-noddy.
Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it

Speed. You conclude that my master is a shep- together, take it for your pains. herd, then, and I a sheep?

Pro. I do.

Speed. Why then my horns are his horns, whether I wake or sleep.

Pro. A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep. Speed. This proves me still a sheep. Pro. True; and thy master a shepherd. Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. Pro. It shall go hard, but I'll prove it by another.

Speed. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the shepherd; but I seek my master, and my master secks not me: therefore, I am no sheep.

Pro. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep; thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee: therefore, thou art a sheep.

Pro. No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.

Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.

Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains. Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow

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Pro. Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her?

Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear, she 'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind. Give her no token but stones: for she's as hard as steel.

Pro. What, said she nothing?

Speed. No, not so much as- "Take this for thy pains." To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testerned me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to my master.

Pro. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from
wreck ;

Which cannot perish, having thee aboard,
Being destined to a drier death on shore:-
I must go send some better messenger;
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines,
Receiving them from such a worthless post.

[Exeunt.

Luc. Pardon, dear madam; 't is a passing shame,
That I, unworthy body as I am,

Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen.
Jul. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest?
Luc. Then thus, -
of many good I think him

best.

Jul. Your reason?

Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason; I think him so, because I think him so.

Jul. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him?

Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not cast

away.

Jul. Why, he of all the rest hath never moved

me.

Luc. Yet he, of all the rest, I think, best loves

ye.

Jul. His little speaking shews his love but small.
Luc. Fire that's closest kept, burns most of all.
Jul. They do not love that do not shew their
love.

Luc. O, they love least that let men know their
love.

Jul. I would, I knew his mind.

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Luc. Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheed- He would have given it you, but I, being in the

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Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll shew Dare you presume to harbor wanton lines?

my mind

According to my shallow simple skill.

To whisper and conspire against my youth?
Now, trust me, 't is an office of great worth,

Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Egla- And you an officer fit for the place.

mour?

There, take the paper, see it be returned;

Luc. As of a knight well spoken, neat and fine; Or else return no more into my sight.
But, were I you, he never should be mine.

Jul. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio?
Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so-so.
Jul. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus?
Luc. Lord, lord! to see what folly reigns in us!
Jul. How now! what means this passion at his

name?

Luc. To plead for love, deserves more fee than

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And pray her to a fault for which I chid her.
What fool is she, that knows I am a maid,
And would not force the letter to my view?
Since maids, in modesty, say "No," to that
Which they would have the profferer construe
"Ay."

Fie, fie! how wayward is this foolish love,
That, like a testy babe, will scratch the nurse,
And presently, all humble, kiss the rod !
How churlishly I chid Lucetta hence,
When willingly I would have had her here!
How angerly I taught my brow to frown,
When inward joy enforced my heart to smile!
My penance is, to call Lucetta back,
And ask remission for my folly past:-
What ho! Lucetta!

Re-enter LUCETTA.

Luc. What would your ladyship?
Jul. Is it dinner-time?

Luc. I would it were;

That you might kill your
And not upon your maid.

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O hateful hands, to tear such loving words!

stomach on your meat, Injurious wasps to feed on such sweet honey,

Jul. What is 't you took up so gingerly?
Luc. Nothing.

Jul. Why didst thou stoop, then?

Luc. To take a paper up, that I let fall.
Jul. And is that paper nothing?
Luc. Nothing concerning me.

Jul. Then let it lie for those that it concerns. Luc. Madam, it will not lie where it concerns, Unless it have a false interpreter.

Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme.

Luc. That I might sing it, madam, to a tune: Give me a note: your ladyship can set.

Jul. As little by such toys as may be possible: Best sing it to the tune of "Light o' love."

Luc. It is too heavy for so light a tune.
Jul. Heavy? belike it hath some burden then.
Luc. Ay; and melodious were it, would you
sing it.

Jul. And why not you?
Luc. I cannot reach so high.
Jul. Let's see your song: :- - How now, minion?
Luc. Keep tune there still, so you will sing it

out:

And yet, methinks, I do not like this tune.

And kill the bees, that yield it, with your stings! I'll kiss each several paper for amends.

Look, here is writ-"kind Julia;" — unkind

Julia!

As in revenge of thy ingratitude,

I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
And here is writ― "love-wounded Proteus:"
Poor wounded name! my bosom, as a bed,
Shall lodge thee, till thy wound be thoroughly
healed;

And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice, or thrice, was Proteus written down :
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away,
Till I have found each letter in the letter,
Except mine own name: that some whirlwind
bear

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