$0. that not Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee, (For thou hast shown some sign of good desert,) Makes me the better to confer with thee. Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace, Let me not live to look upon your grace. Duke. Thou know'st, how willingly I would effect The match between Sir Thurio and my daughter. Pro. I do, my lord. Duke. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will. Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Duke. Ay, and perversely she persévers so. What might we do, to make the girl forget The love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio? Pro. The best way is to slander Valentine With falsehood, cowardice, and poor descent: Three things that women bighly hold in hate. Duke. Ay, but she'll think, that it is spoke in hate. Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Therefore it must, with circumstance, be spoken By one, whom she esteemeth as his friend. Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. Pro. And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do: 'Tis an ill office for a gentleman; Especially, against his very friend. Duke. Where your good word cannot advan- Your slander never can endamage him; Being entreated to it by your friend. Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it, By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, him, Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, Because we know, on Valentine's report, And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. And for your friend's sake, will be glad of Where you may temper her, by your per suasion, To hate young Valentine, and love my friend. Pro. Say, that upon the altar of her beauty Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' Whose golden touch could soften steel and silence Will well become such sweet complaining grievance. This, or else nothing, will inherit her. Duke. This discipline shows thou hast bee in love. Thu. And thy advice this night I'll put in practice : Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver, To sort + some gentlemen well skill'd in music: Pro. We'll wait upon your grace till after supper: And afterward determine our proceedings. Duke. Even now about it; I will pardon you. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I.-A Forest, near Mantua. Enter certain OUTLAWS. 1 Out. Fellows, stand fast; I see a passenger. 2 Out. If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em. Enter VALENTINE and SPEED. 3 Out. Stand, Sir, and throw us that you have about you; If not, we'll make you sit, and rifle you. That all the travellers do fear so much. 1 Out. That's not so, Sir; we are your ene mies. 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him. 3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we; For he's a proper man. [lose; Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to A man I am, cross'd with adversity: My riches are these poor babiliments, Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have. 2 Out. Whither travel you? Val. To Verona. 1 Out. Whence came you? Val. From Milan. 3 Out. Have you long sojourned there? Val. Some sixteen months; and longer might have staid, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. 2 Out. For what offence? Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse : I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; 1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done 1 Out. Have you the tongues ? * Val. My youthful travel therein Or else I often had been miserable. made me [happy; 3 Out. By the bare scalp. of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 1 Out. We'll have him: Sirs, a word. It is an honourable kind of thievery. 2 Out. Tell us this: Have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth, For practising to steal away a lady, An heir, and near allied anto the duke. 2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart. 1 Out. And I, for such like petty crimes as these. But to the purpose,-(for we cite our faults, With goodly shape; and by your own report 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you : Are you content to be our general? To make a virtue of necessity, And live, as we do, in this wilderness? 3 Out. What say'st thou wilt thou be of our Say ay, and be the captain of us all : 1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou 2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; Provided that you do no outrages On siily women, or poor passengers. 3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. Under the colour of commending him, I have access my own love to prefer; But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, To be corrupted with my worthless gifts. When I protest true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; When to her beauty I commend my vows, She bids me think, how I have been forswora In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd: And, notwithstanding all her sudden quips, The least whereof would quell a lover's hope, Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love, The more it grows and fawneth on her still. But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window, And give some evening music to her ear. Enter THURIO, and Musicians. Thu. How now, Sir Proteus? are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for you know, that love Will creep in service where it cannot go. Who is Silvia? What is she, That all our swains commend her? The heavens such grace did lend her Is she kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness: To help him of his blindness; That Silvia is excelling; Upon the dull earth dwelling · not. Host. Why, my pretty youth? Jul. He plays false, father. Host. How? out of tune on the strings? Jul. Not so; but yet so false that he grieves my very heart-strings. Host. You have a quick ear. Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf! it makes me have a slow heart. Host. I perceive, you delight not in music. That you shall say, my cunuing drift excels. [Exeunt THURIO and Musicians. SILVIA appears above, at her window. Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship. Beyond all reckoning. 4 X Sil. I thank you for your music, gentlemen: Who is that that spake ? Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice. Pro. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and servant. Sil. What is your will? Pro. That I may compass your's. Sil. You have your wish; my will is this, your That presently you hie you home to bed. Egl. Your servant, and your friend ; One that attends your ladyship's command. morrow. Egl. As many, worthy lady, to yourself. I am thus early come, to know what service That hast deceiv'd so many with thy vows ? But she is dead. Jul. 'Twere false if I should speak it; For, I am sure, she is not buried. [Aside. Sil. Say, that she be; yet Valentine, thy friend, Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth'd: And art thou not asham'd To wrong him with thy importúnacy? Pro. I likewise hear, that Valentine is dead. Sil. And so, suppose, am I; for in his grave Assure thyself, my love is buried. Pro. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth. Sil. Go to thy lady's grave, and call her's Or, at the least, in her's sepulchre thine. [Aside. Pro. Madam, if your heart be so obdurate, And make it but a shadow, as I am. [Aside. Sil. I am very loath to be your idol, Sir; To worship shadows, and adore false shapes, Pro. As wretches have o'er night, I do desire thee, even from a heart Egl. Madam, I pity much your grievances; Sil. This evening coming. Sil. Good-morrow, kind Slr Eglamour. SCENE IV.-The same. Enter LAUNCE, with his dog. [Exeunt. Laun. When a man's servant shall play the cur with him, look you, it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy: one that I saved from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it! I have taught him-even as one would say precisely, thus I would teach a dog. I was sent to deliver him, as a present to mistress Silvia from my master; and I came no sooner [Exeunt PROTEUS; and SILVIA from into the dining chamber, but he steps me to her above. Jul. Host, will you go? Host. By my hallidom, I was fast asleep. Jul. Pray you, where lies Sir Proteus? Host. Marry, at my house: Trust me, think, 'tis almost day. Jul. Not so; but it hath been the longest night trencher, and steals her capon's leg. Oh! 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep him. self in all companies! I would have, as one should say, one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily he bad been hanged for't: sure as I live, he had suffered for't: yon shall judge. He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentleman-like dogs, under the duke's table; he had not been there (bless the mark) a pissing while; but all the chamber smelt him. Out with the dog, says one; What cur is that? says another; Whip him out, says the third; Hang him up, says the duke. 1, having been in.-acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab; and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs Friend, quoth 1, you mean to whip the dog! Ay, marry, do 1, quoth be. You do him the more wrong, quoth 1; 'twas I did • Injunction. + Pitiful. * Caring. SILVIA appears above, at her window. Sil. Who calls ? Holy dame, blessed lady. & Restrain. me, the thing you wot of. He makes me no more | A fox, to be shepherd of thy lambs; ado, but whips me out of the chamber. How Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him many masters would do this for their servant? That with his very heart despiseth me? Nay, I'll be sworn, I have sat in the stocks for Because he loves her, he despiseth me; puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been Because I love him, I must pity him. executed I have stood on the pillory for geese This ring I gave him, when he parted from he hath killed, otherwise he had suffered for't; thou think'st not of this now !-Nay, I remem-To bind him to remember my good will: ber the trick you served me, when I took my Aud now am I (unhappy messenger) leave of madam Silvia; did not I bid thee still To plead for that, which I would not obtain; mark me, and do as I do? When didst thou see To carry that which I would have refus'd me heave up my leg, and make water against To praise his faith, which I would have dis prais'd. a gentlewoman's fartingale? didst thou ever see me do such a trick? Enter PROTEUS and JULIA. And will employ thee in some service presently. can. Pro. I hope thou wilt.-How now, you whoreson peasant? [To LAUNCE. Where have you been these two days loitering? Laun. Marry, Sir, I carried mistress Silvia the dog you bade me. Pro. And what says she to my little jewel? Laun. Marry, she says, your dog was a cur; and tells you, currish thanks is good enough for such a present. Pro. But she received my dog? Laun. No, indeed, she did not: here have I brought him back again. Pro. What, did'st thou offer her this from me ? Laun. Ay, Sir; the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman's boys in the market place and then I offered her mine own; who is a dog as big as ten of your's, and therefore the gift the greater. Pro. Go, get thee hence, and find my dog Sebastian, I have entertained thee, She loved me well, deliver'd it to me. I am my master's true confirmed love; Enter SILVIA, attended. via. Sil. What would you with her, if that I be she? Jul. If you be she, I do entreat your pa- To hear me speak the message I am sent on. Jul. From my master, Sir Proteus, madam. Sil. Ursula, bring my picture there. [Picture brought. Jul. Madam, please you peruse this letter.- Sil. I pray thee let me look on that again. I will not look upon your master's lines: As easily as I do tear his paper. Jul. Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. Sil. The more shame for him that he sends it me; For, I have heard him say a thousand times, Jul. It seems, you loved her not, to leave her His Julia gave it him at his departure: token: She's dead, belike. Pro. Not so; I think she lives. Jul. Alas! Pro. Why dost thou cry, alas ? Jul. I cannot choose but pity her. Pro. Wherefore should'st thou pity her? Jul. Because, methinks, that she loved you as well As you do love your lady Silvia : She dreams on him, that tras forgot her love; Pro. Well, give her that ring, and there- This letter;-that's her chamber.- Tell my I claim the promise for her heavenly picture. [Exit PROTEUS. message? Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd] In the end. Though his false finger bath profan'd the ring Jul. She thanks you. Sil. What say'st thou ? Jul. I thank you, madam, that you tender ber: my master wrongs her Sil. Dost thou know her? Jul. Almost as well as I do know myself: Jul. I think she doth, and that's aer cause of 708 THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. Jul. About my stature: for, at Pentecost, That my poor mistress, moved there withal, Sil. She is beholden to thee, gentle youth !— Farewell. [Exit SILVIA. Jul. And she shall thank you for't, if e'er you A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful. Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow : And, were there sense in his idolatry, ACT V. SCENE 1.-The same.-An Abbey. [Exit. Egl. The sun begins to gild the western sky; Tha. Silvia, at Patrick's cell, should meet me. Pro. No; that it is too little. Act V. Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder. Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what it Thu. What says she to my face? Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. Jul. 'Tis true; such pearls as put out ladies' eyes; For I had rather wink than look on them. [Aside. Thu. How likes she my discourse? Thu. But better, indeed, when you hold your Thu. What says she to my valour? ardice. [Aside. Thu. What says she to my birth? [Aside: Jul. That such an ass should owe them. Pro. That they are out by lease. Enter DUKE. [Aside. Duke. How now, Sir Proteus? how now, Which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late? Pro. Not I. Duke. Saw you my daughter? Pro. Neither. Duke. Why, then she's filed unto that peasant And Eglamour is in her company. [Valentine; 'Tis true; for friar Laurence met them both, |