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- William Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II, Scene IV
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Scene IVMilan. The Duke’s palaceEnter Silvia, Valentine, Thurio, and SpeedSilviaServant!ValentineMistress?SpeedMaster, Sir Thurio frowns on you.ValentineAy, boy, it’s for love.SpeedNot of you.ValentineOf my mistress, then.Speed’Twere good you knocked him.ExitSilviaServant, you are sad.ValentineIndeed, madam, I seem so.ThurioSeem you that you are not?ValentineHaply I do.ThurioSo do counterfeits.ValentineSo do you.ThurioWhat seem I that I am not?ValentineWise.ThurioWhat instance of the contrary?ValentineYour folly.ThurioAnd how quote you my folly?ValentineI quote it in your jerkin.ThurioMy jerkin is a doublet.ValentineWell, then, I’ll double your folly.ThurioHow?SilviaWhat, angry, Sir Thurio! do you change colour?ValentineGive him leave, madam; he is a kind of chameleon.ThurioThat hath more mind to feed on your blood than live in your air.ValentineYou have said, sir.ThurioAy, sir, and done too, for this time.ValentineI know it well, sir; you always end ere you begin.SilviaA fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly shot off.Valentine’Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver.SilviaWho is that, servant?ValentineYourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Sir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship’s looks, And spends what he borrows kindly in your company.ThurioSir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt.ValentineI know it well, sir; you have an exchequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers, for it appears by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words.SilviaNo more, gentlemen, no more:—here comes my father.Enter DukeDukeNow, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset. Sir Valentine, your father’s in good health: What say you to a letter from your friends Of much good news?ValentineMy lord, I will be thankful. To any happy messenger from thence.DukeKnow ye Don Antonio, your countryman?ValentineAy, my good lord, I know the gentleman To be of worth and worthy estimation And not without desert so well reputed.DukeHath he not a son?ValentineAy, my good lord; a son that well deserves The honour and regard of such a father.DukeYou know him well?ValentineI know him as myself; for from our infancy We have conversed and spent our hours together: And though myself have been an idle truant, Omitting the sweet benefit of time To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection, Yet hath Sir Proteus, for that’s his name, Made use and fair advantage of his days; His years but young, but his experience old; His head unmellow’d, but his judgment ripe; And, in a word, for far behind his worth Comes all the praises that I now bestow, He is complete in feature and in mind With all good grace to grace a gentleman.DukeBeshrew me, sir, but if he make this good, He is as worthy for an empress’ love As meet to be an emperor’s counsellor. Well, sir, this gentleman is come to me, With commendation from great potentates; And here he means to spend his time awhile: I think ’tis no unwelcome news to you.ValentineShould I have wish’d a thing, it had been he.DukeWelcome him then according to his worth. Silvia, I speak to you, and you, Sir Thurio; For Valentine, I need not cite him to it: I will send him hither to you presently.ExitValentineThis is the gentleman I told your ladyship Had come along with me, but that his mistress Did hold his eyes lock’d in her crystal looks.SilviaBelike that now she hath enfranchised them Upon some other pawn for fealty.ValentineNay, sure, I think she holds them prisoners still.SilviaNay, then he should be blind; and, being blind How could he see his way to seek out you?ValentineWhy, lady, Love hath twenty pair of eyes.ThurioThey say that Love hath not an eye at all.ValentineTo see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself: Upon a homely object Love can wink.SilviaHave done, have done; here comes the gentleman.Exit ThurioEnter ProteusValentineWelcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you, Confirm his welcome with some special favour.SilviaHis worth is warrant for his welcome hither, If this be he you oft have wish’d to hear from.ValentineMistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.SilviaToo low a mistress for so high a servant.ProteusNot so, sweet lady: but too mean a servant To have a look of such a worthy mistress.ValentineLeave off discourse of disability: Sweet lady, entertain him for your servant.ProteusMy duty will I boast of; nothing else.SilviaAnd duty never yet did want his meed: Servant, you are welcome to a worthless mistress.ProteusI’ll die on him that says so but yourself.SilviaThat you are welcome?ProteusThat you are worthless.Re-enter ThurioThurioMadam, my lord your father would speak with you.SilviaI wait upon his pleasure. Come, Sir Thurio, Go with me. Once more, new servant, welcome: I’ll leave you to confer of home affairs; When you have done, we look to hear from you.ProteusWe’ll both attend upon your ladyship.Exeunt Silvia and ThurioValentineNow, tell me, how do all from whence you came?ProteusYour friends are well and have them much commended.ValentineAnd how do yours?ProteusI left them all in health.ValentineHow does your lady? and how thrives your love?ProteusMy tales of love were wont to weary you; I know you joy not in a love discourse.ValentineAy, Proteus, but that life is alter’d now: I have done penance for contemning Love, Whose high imperious thoughts have punish’d me With bitter fasts, with penitential groans, With nightly tears and daily heart-sore sighs; For in revenge of my contempt of love, Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes And made them watchers of mine own heart’s sorrow. O gentle Proteus, Love’s a mighty lord, And hath so humbled me, as, I confess, There is no woe to his correction, Nor to his service no such joy on earth. Now no discourse, except it be of love; Now can I break my fast, dine, sup and sleep, Upon the very naked name of love.ProteusEnough; I read your fortune in your eye. Was this the idol that you worship so?ValentineEven she; and is she not a heavenly saint?ProteusNo; but she is an earthly paragon.ValentineCall her divine.ProteusI will not flatter her.ValentineO, flatter me; for love delights in praises.ProteusWhen I was sick, you gave me bitter pills, And I must minister the like to you.ValentineThen speak the truth by her; if not divine, Yet let her be a principality, Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth.ProteusExcept my mistress.ValentineSweet, except not any; Except thou wilt except against my love.ProteusHave I not reason to prefer mine own?ValentineAnd I will help thee to prefer her too: She shall be dignified with this high honour— To bear my lady’s train, lest the base earth Should from her vesture chance to steal a kiss And, of so great a favour growing proud, Disdain to root the summer-swelling flower And make rough winter everlastingly.ProteusWhy, Valentine, what braggardism is this?ValentinePardon me, Proteus: all I can is nothing To her whose worth makes other worthies nothing; She is alone.ProteusThen let her alone.ValentineNot for the world: why, man, she is mine own, And I as rich in having such a jewel As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl, The water nectar and the rocks pure gold. Forgive me that I do not dream on thee, Because thou see’st me dote upon my love. My foolish rival, that her father likes Only for his possessions are so huge, Is gone with her along, and I must after, For love, thou know’st, is full of jealousy.ProteusBut she loves you?ValentineAy, and we are betroth’d: nay, more, our, marriage-hour, With all the cunning manner of our flight, Determined of; how I must climb her window, The ladder made of cords, and all the means Plotted and ‘greed on for my happiness. Good Proteus, go with me to my chamber, In these affairs to aid me with thy counsel.ProteusGo on before; I shall inquire you forth: I must unto the road, to disembark Some necessaries that I needs must use, And then I’ll presently attend you.ValentineWill you make haste?ProteusI will.Exit ValentineEven as one heat another heat expels, Or as one nail by strength drives out another, So the remembrance of my former love Is by a newer object quite forgotten. Is it mine, or Valentine’s praise, Her true perfection, or my false transgression, That makes me reasonless to reason thus? She is fair; and so is Julia that I love— That I did love, for now my love is thaw’d; Which, like a waxen image, ‘gainst a fire, Bears no impression of the thing it was. Methinks my zeal to Valentine is cold, And that I love him not as I was wont. O, but I love his lady too too much, And that’s the reason I love him so little. How shall I dote on her with more advice, That thus without advice begin to love her! ‘Tis but her picture I have yet beheld, And that hath dazzled my reason’s light; But when I look on her perfections, There is no reason but I shall be blind. If I can cheque my erring love, I will; If not, to compass her I’ll use my skill.Exit
William Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II
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William Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act V, Scene IV
- William Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act V, Scene IV
TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
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TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
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Current Events This Week: January 2023
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Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents
The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales
- Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?
- The Twelve Dancing Princesses
- Current Events This Week: January 2023
- African Americans by the Numbers
- Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents
- The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales
