THE TWO

GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

SCENE I.

ACT I.

Verona. An open place.

Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS.

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

Pr

IO

Wilt thou be gone? 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 dan

ger,

If ever danger do environ thee,

*Fortune.

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beadsman,* 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:
*One who prays prayers for another. 21
How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont.
Pro. That's a deep story of a deeper love;
For he was more than over shoes in love.

Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love, And yet you never swum the Hellespont.

Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots.*

*Bots, a kind of worm.

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

What?

*Avails.

Val. To be in love, where scorn is bought with groans; Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth

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

30

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

40

Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love. Val. Love is your master, for he masters you: And he that is so yoked by a fool, Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise. Pro. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud The eating canker* dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

*Caterpillar. Val. And writers say, as the most forward bud

Is eaten by the canker ere it blow,

50

Even so by love the young and tender wit
Is turn'd 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
That art a votary to fond desire?
Once more adieu! my father at the road
Expects my coming, there to see me shipp'd.
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, fare-
well.

Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love:
He leaves his friends to dignify them more;

60

[Exit.

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. Sir Proteus, save you! Saw you my master?

70

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

Speed. Twenty to one then he is shipp'd already, And I have play'd the sheep in losing him.

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

Speed. You conclude that my master is a shepherd then and I a sheep?

Pro. I do.

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

80

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.*

*Argument. Pro. It shall go hard but I'll prove it by an

other.

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

91

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.

Speed. Such another proof will make me cry 'baa.'

Pro. But, dost thou hear? gavest thou my letter to Julia?

100

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 labour.

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

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

Pro. Nay: in that you are astray, 'twere best pound you.

ΙΙΟ

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

Pro. pinfold.*

You mistake; I mean the pound,

-a

*Place to confine lost cattle.

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

'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover.

Pro. But what said she?

Speed. [First nodding] Ay.

Pro. Nod-Ay-why, that's noddy.*

*Dolt.

Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: and you ask me if she did nod; and I say, ‘Ay.' Pro. And that set together is noddy.

122

Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

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 purse. *Evil befal.

Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief: what said she?

Speed. Open your purse, that the money and the matter may be both at once delivered.

Pro. Well, sir, here is for your pains. What said she?

140

Speed. Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her. 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 your mind. Give her no token but stones; for she's as hard as steel.

150

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, *Rewarded with a sixpence. Which cannot perish having thee aboard, Being destined to a drier death on shore.

[Exit Speed.

I must go send some better messenger:
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines, 160
Receiving them from such a worthless post. [Exit.

SCENE II. The same. Garden of JULIA's house.
Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheedfully.

Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen

That every day with parle* encounter me, *Talk. In thy opinion which is worthiest love?

Luc. Please you repeat their names, I'll show my mind

According to my shallow simple skill.

Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?

Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine; But, were I you, he never should be mine.

II

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?