The Dramatic Works of William Shakspeare

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

Pro. O, sir, I find her milder than she was;
And yet she takes exceptions at your person.
Thu. What, that my leg is too long?
Pro. No; that it is too little.

Thu. I'll wear a boot, to make it somewhat
rounder.

Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what t loaths.

Thu. What says she to my face?

Pro. She says, it is a fair one.

Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is
black.

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?

Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love, and peace?

Jul. But better, indeed, when you hold your

peace.

[Aside.

Thu. What says she to my valour?
Pro. O, sir, she makes no doubt of that.
Jul. She needs not, when she knows it coward-

ice.

Thu. What says she to my birth?
Pro. That you are well deriv'd.
Jul. True; from a gentleman to a fool.
Thu. Considers she my possessions?
Pro. O, ay; and pitics them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Be patient, we must bring you to our captain.
Sil. A thousand more mischances than this one
Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently.
2 Out. Come, bring her away.

1 Out. Where is the gentleman that was with
her?

Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath out-run us,
But Moyses, and Valerius, follow him.
Go thou with her to the west end of the wood,
There is our captain: we'll follow him that's fled;
The thicket is beset, he cannot 'scape.

1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's

cave:

Fear not; he bears an honourable mind,
And will not use a woman lawlessly.
Sil. O Valentine, this I endure for thee!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Another part of the Forest.
Enter Valentine.

Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man
This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods,
I better brook than flourishing peopled towns:
Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
And, to the nightingale's complaining notes,
[Aside. Tune my distresses, and record my woes.
O thou that dost inhabit in my breast,
Leave not the mansion so long tenantless;
[Aside. Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall,
And leave no memory of what it was!
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia;

Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain.

Jul. That such an ass should owe them. [Aside. What halloing, and what stir, is this to-day?
Pro. That they are out by lease.

Jul. Here comes the duke.

Thu. Not I.

Pro.
Duke.

Pro.

Nor I.

Saw you my daughter?
Neither.

Duke. Why, then she's fled unto that peasant
Valentine;

And Eglamour is in her company.

'Tis true; for friar Laurence met them both,
As he in penance wander'd through the forest:
Him he knew well, and guess'd that it was she;
But, being mask'd, he was not sure of it:
Besides, she did intend confession

At Patrick's cell this even; and there she was not:
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence.
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount you presently; and meet with me'
Upon the rising of the mountain foot

That leads towards Mantua, whither they are fled
Despatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me. [Exit.
Thu. Why, this it is to be a peevish2 girl,
That flies her fortune when it follows her:
I'll after; more to be reveng'd on Eglamour,
Than for the love of reckless' Silvia.

[Exit.

Pro. And I will follow, more for Silvia's love,
Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her. [Exit.
Jul. And I will follow, more to cross that love,
Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love.

SCENE III.-Frontiers of Mantua.
Forest. Enter Silvia, and Out-laws.
Out. Come, come:

[Exit.

(3) Careless.

The

Have some unhappy passenger in chace:
They love me well; yet I have much to do,
To keep them from uncivil outrages.
Withdraw thee, Valentine; who's this comes here?
[Steps aside.

Enter Proteus, Silvia, and Julia.

Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you
(Though you respect not aught your servant doth,)
To hazard life, and rescue you from him
That would have fore'd your honour and your
love.

Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,

And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.
Val. How like a dream is this I see and hear?
Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile. [Aside.
Sil. O miserable, unhappy that I am!

Jul. And me, when he approacheth to your [Aside. presence. Sil. Had I been scized by a hungry lion, would have been a breakfast to the beast, Rather than have false Proteus rescue me. Whose life's as tender to me as my soul; heaven be judge, how I love Valentine, I do detest false perjur'd Proteus: And full as much (for more there cannot be,) Therefore be gone, solicit me no more.

Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next t death, Would I not undergo for one calm look?

O, 'tis the curse in love, and still approv'd,'
When women cannot love where they're belov'd.
Sil. When Proteus cannot love where he's
belov'd.

Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,

Pro. How! Julia!

Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
And entertain'd them deeply in her heart:
How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!'
O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush!

For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me

faith

eye

Could have persuaded me: Now I dare not say
I have one friend alive; thou would'st disprove me.
Who should be trusted now, when one's right hand
Is perjur'd to the bosom? Proteus,

I am sorry, I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deepest: O time, most curst!
Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst!
Pro. My shame and guilt confounds me.
Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
I tender it here; I do as truly suffer,
As e'er I did commit.

Val.

Then I am paid;
And once again I do receive thee honest.
Who by repentance is not satisfied,

Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for these are pleas'd;
By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeas'd:-
And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.

Jul. O me, unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints.

Val. Why, boy! why, wag! how now? what is the matter?

Look up; speak.

Jul.

Such an immodest raiment; if shame live
In a disguise of love:

It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,

Women to change their shapes, than men their minds.

Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true: O heaven! were man

But constant, he were perfect: that one error
Fills him with faults; makes him run through all
sins:

Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins:
What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy
More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye?

Val. Come, come, a hand from either:
Let me be blest to make this happy close;
'Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for

ever.

Jul. And I have mine.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and Thurio. Out. A prize, a prize, a prize! Val. Forbear, I say; It is my lord the duke. Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd, Banish'd Valentine. Duke. Sir Valentine! Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy

death;

Come not within the measure of my wrath:
Do not name Silvia thine; if once again,
Milan shall not behold thee. Here she stands,
Take but possession of her with a touch!-
I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.—
Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I;
I hold him but a fool, that will endanger
His body for a girl that loves him not:
I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.
Duke. The more degenerate and base art tho

To make such means for her as thou hast done,
And leave her on such slight conditions.-
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,

I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,
And think thee worthy of an empress' love.
Know then, I here forget all former griefs,
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again.-
Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit,
To which I thus subscribe,-sir Valentine,

O good sir, my master charg'd me Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd; To deliver a ring to madam Silvia;

Which, out of my neglect, was never done.

Pro. Where is that ring, boy?

Jul.

Here 'tis: this is it. [Gives a ring. Pro. How! let me see:

Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.
Jul. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook;
This is the ring you sent to Silvia.
[Shows another ring.

Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart,

I gave this unto Julia.

Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

(1) Felt, experienced. (2) Direction. (3) An allusion to cleaving the pin in archery.

In this play there is a strange mixture of know ledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country: he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Proteus, after a interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture: and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed and sometimes forsook; sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot.

That this play is rightly attributed to Shakspeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest. JOHNSON

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The Dramatic Works of William Shakspeare: Accurately Printed from ..., Volume 2