Send her another; never give her o'er; For scorn at first makes after-love the more. If she do frown, 'tis not in hate of you, But rather to beget more love in you: If she do chide, 'tis not to have you gone; a For why, the fools are mad, if left alone. Take no repulse, whatever she doth say; For, get you gone, sho doth not mean, away: Flatter, and praise, commend, extol their graces; Though ne'er so black, say, they have angels' faces. That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no man, If with his tongue he cannot win a woman. Duke. But she, I mean, is promis'd by her friends

Scene 1.

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

That no man hath recourse to her by night.
Val. What lets, but one may enter at her win-
dow?

Duke. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground;
And built so shelving that one cannot climb it
Without apparent hazard of his life.

Val. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made
cords,

To cast up with a pair of anchoring hooks,
Would serve to scale another Hero's tower,
So bold Leander would adventure it.

Val. And why not death, rather than living
torment?

To die, is to be banish'd from myself,
Is self from self; a deadly banishment!
And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her,
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
Unless it be to think that she is by,
of What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?
And feed upon the shadow of perfection.
Except I be by Silvia in the night,
There is no music in the nightingale ;
There is no day for me to look upon :
Unless I look on Silvia in the day,
If I be not by her fair influence
She is my essence; and I leave to be,
fly not death, to fly his deadly doom:
Foster'a, illumin'd, cherish'd, kept alive.
Tarry I here, I but attend on death;
But, fly I hence, I fly away from life.

From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend.
Val. O, I have fed upon this wo already,
And now excess of it will make me surfeit.
Doth Silvia know that I am banish'd?

Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the doom
(Which, unrevers'd, stands in effectual force)
A sea of melting pearl, which some call tears:
Those at her father's churlish feet she tender'd,
With them, upon her knees, her humble self;
Wringing her hands, whose whiteness so became
them,

As if but now they waxed pale for wo

(1) Hinders.

[Exit Duke. Sad sighs, deep groans, nor silver-shedding tears

Could penetrate her uncompassionate sire;
But Valentine, if he be ta'en, must die.

Besides, her intercession chaf'd him so,
When she for thy repeal was suppliant,
That to close prison he commanded her,
With many bitter threats of 'biding there.

Val. No more; unless the next word that thou
speak'st,

Have some malignant power upon my life:
If so, I pray thee, breathe it in mine ear,
As ending anthem of my endless dolour.1

Pro. Cease to lament for that thou canst not
help,

And study help for that which thou lament'st.
Time is the nurse and breeder of all good.
Here if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love;
Besides, thy staying will abridge thy life.
Hope is a lover's staff; walk hence with that,
And manage it against despairing thoughts.
Thy letters may be here, though thou art hence;
Which, being writ to me, shall be deliver'd
Even in the milk-white bosom of thy love.
The time now serves not to expostulate:
Come, I'll convey thee through the city-gate;
And, ere I part with thee, confer at large
Of all that may concern thy love-affairs:
As thou lov'st Silvia, though not for thyself,
Regard thy danger, and along with me.

Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my
boy,

Bid him make haste, and meet me at the north gate.
Pro. Go, sirrah, find him out. Come, Valentine.
Val. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine!

grandmother: this proves, that thou canst not read Speed. Come, fool, come: try me in thy paper Laun. There; and Saint Nicholas be thy speed!

Speed. Item, She brews good ale.

Laun. And thereof comes the proverb,-Bless-
ing of your heart, you brew good ale.
Speed. Item, She can sew.

Laun. That's as much as to say, Can she so ?
Speed. Item, She can knit.

Laun. What need a man care for a stock with
a wench, when she can knit him a stock?
Speed. Item, She can wash and scour.

Laun. A special virtue; for then she need not be washed and scoured.

Speed. Item, She can spin.

Laun. Then may I set the world on wheels when she can spin for her living.

Speed. Item, She hath many nameless virtues. Laun. That's as much as to say, bastard virtues; that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names.

Speed. Here follow her vices.

Laun. Close at the heels of her virtues. Speed. Item, She is not to be kissed fasting, in respect of her breath.

Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: read on.

Speed. Item, She hath a sweet mouth.
Laun. That makes amends for her sour breath.
Speed. Item, She doth talk in her sleep.
Laun. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in
her talk.

[Exeunt Valentine and Proteus.
Laun. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have
the wit to think, my master is a kind of knave:
but that's all one, if he be but one knave. He
lives not now, that knows me to be in love: yet I
am in love; but a team of horse shall not pluck
that from me; nor who 'tis I love, an yet 'tis a
woman: but that woman, I will not tell myself;
and yet 'tis a milk-maid: yet 'tis not a maid, for
she hath had gossips: yet 'tís a maid, for she is her and cannot be ta'en from her.
master's maid, and serves for wages. She hath
more qualities than a water-spaniel,-which is
much in a bare Christian. Here is the cat-log crusts.
[pulling out a paper] of her conditions. Imprimis, Speed. Item, She is curst.
She can fetch and carry. Why, a horse can do
no more; nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only car-bite.
ry; therefore, is she better than a jade. Item,
She can milk; look you, a sweet virtue in a maid
with clean hands.

Speed. Item, She is slow in words.

Laun. O villain, that set this down among her vices! To be slow in words, is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and place it for her chief virtue.

Speed. Item, She is proud.

Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy,

Enter Speed.

Speed. How now, Signior Launce? what news with your mastership?

Laun. With my master's ship? why, it is at sea. Speed. Well, your old vice still; mistake the word: what news then in your paper?

Laun. The blackest news that ever thou

neard'st.

Speed. Why, man, how black?

Laun. Why, as black as ink.

Speed. Let me read them.

Speed. Item, She hath no teeth.

Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love

Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to

Speed. Item, She will often praise her liquor. Laun. If her liquor be good, she shall: if she will not, I will; for good things should be praised. Speed. Item, She is too liberal.

Laun. Of her tongue she cannot; for that's writ down she is slow of: of her purse she shall not; for that I'll keep shut: now, of another thing she may, and that I cannot help. Well, proceed.

Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth' than faults.

Laun. Stop there; I'll have her she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article: rehearse that once more.

Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit,—
Laun. More hair than wit,-it may be; I'll

Laun. Fie on thee, jolt-head; thou canst not prove it: the cover of the salt hides the salt, and

read.

Speed. Thou liest, I can.

Laun. I will try thee; tell me this: who begot

thee?

Speed. Marry, the son of my grandfather.

Laun. O illiterate loiterer! it was the son of thy!

therefore it is more than the salt; the hair that covers the wit, is more than the wit; for the greater hides the less. What's next?

Speed. And more faults than hairs,

Laun. That's monstrous: O, that that were out '
Speed. And more wealth than faults.

Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gra

(3) Licentious in language.

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

She shall not long continue love to him. cious: well, I'll have her: and if it be a match, as By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, But say, this weed her love from Valentine, nothing is impossible,

Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously.
Pro. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief.
Duke. So I believe; but Thurio thinks 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 perseveres 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 highly 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 loth to do.
Tis an ill office for a gentleman;
Especially, against his very friend.

Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage
him,

Your slander never can endamage him;
Therefore the office is indifferent,

Being entreated to it by your friend.

Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it,
(3) Bird-lime.
'1) Graceful.

(2) Cut.

Pro. We'll wait upon your grace till after supper,
And afterward determine out proceedings.
Duke. Even now about it; I will pardon you.
[Exeunt.

Enter

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;
(4) Mournful elegy.

1 Out. That's not so, sir; we are your enemies. 2 Out. Peace; we'll hear him.

3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we;

For he's a proper' man.

Love thee as our commander, and .u king.
1 Out. But if thou scorn our court 39, thou het
2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag whet we na v ́s
offer'd.

Val. 1 take your offer, and will live with you;
Provided that you do no outrages

On silly womea, or poor passengers.

3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices.

Val. Then know, that I have little wealth to lose; Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews,

A man I am, cross'd with adversity:

My riches are these poor habiliments,

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 sojourn'd there?

Val. Some sixteen months; and longer might
have staid,

I crooked fortune had not thwarted me.
1 Out. What, were you banish'd thence?
Val. I was.

2 Out. For what offence?

Val. For that which now torments me to rehearse:
I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent;
But yet I slew him manfully in fight,
Without false vantage, or base treachery.
1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done so:
But were you banish'd for so small a fault?

Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom.
1 Out. Have you the tongues?2

And show thee all the treasure we have got;
Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose.

[Exeun

SCENE II.-Milan. Court of the palace. En
ter Proteus.

Pro. Already have i peen 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 forsworn
In breaking faith with Julia whom I iov'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 win
dow,

V. My youthful travel therein made me happy; And give some evening music to her ear.

Or else I often had been miserable.

3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat

friar,