36 TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. Only deserve my love, by loving him; ACT III. Enter Valentine. Duke. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Duke. Be they of much import? Val. The tenor of them doth but signify [Exeunt. My health, and happy being at your court. Duke. Nay, then no matter; stay with me awhile; SCENE I.-Milan. An anti-room in the Duke's [Exit Thurio. Now, tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me? Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would discover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal: Which else no worldly good should draw from me. mean 3 How he her chamber-window will ascend, I am to break with thee of some affairs, man Were rich and honourable; besides, the gentle- Duke. No, trust me; she is peevish, sullen, fro- Proud, disobedient, stubborn lacking duty; Duke. There is a lady, sir, in Milan, here, Val. Win her with gifts, if she respect not words; her. Val. A woman sometimes scorns what best con tents her. Send her another; never give her o'er; For scorn at first makes after-love the more. Duke. Upon mine honour, he shall never know Pro. Adieu, my lord; sir Valentine is coming. (1) Longed for, (2) Guess, (3) Tempted, Duke. But she, I mean, is promis'd by her Unto a youthful gentleman of worth; That no man hath recourse to her by night. Duke. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground; Val. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made To cast up with a pair of anchoring hooks, Val. And why not death, rather than living To die, is to be banish'd from myself, Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, that. Duke. This very night; for love is like a child, That longs for every thing that he can come by. Val. By seven o'clock I'll get you such a ladder. Duke. But, hark thee; I will go to her alone; How shall I best convey the ladder thither? Val. It will be light, my lord, that you may bear it Under a cloak, that is of any length. Duke. A cloak as long as thine will serve the Val. Ay, my good lord. Then let me see thy cloak: I'll get me one of such another length. Val. Why, any cloak will serve the turn, my Duke. How shall I fashion me to wear a cloak?- My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly; My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them, Because myself do want my servants' fortune: That they should harbour where their lord should be. What's here? Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee: 'Tis so: and here's the ladder for the purpose.- Will give thee time to leave our royal court, Be gone, I will not hear thy vain excuse, (1) Hinders, news; From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend. Pro. Ay, ay; and she hath offer'd to the doom But neither bended knees, pure hands held up, Besides, her intercession chaf'd him so, Have some malignant power upon my life: Pro. Cease to lament for that thou canst not help, And study help for that which thou lament'st. Here if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love; Val, I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my boy, 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,-Blessing 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. 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! [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 Laun. O villain, that set this down among her lives not now, that knows me to be in love: yet Ivices! To be slow in words, is a woman's only am in love; but a team of horse shall not pluck virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and place it for that from me; nor who 'tis I love, and yet 'tis a her chief virtue. Speed. Item, She is slow in words. woman: but that woman, I will not tell myself; Speed. Item, She is proud. Laun. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her. Speed. Item, She hath no teeth. Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts. Speed. Why, man, how black? Laun. Why, as black as ink. Speed. Let me read them. Speed. Item, She is curst. Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to Speed. Item, She will often praise her liqur. 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. more faults than hairs, and more wealth than Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit, and faults. and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article: Laun. Stop there; I'll have her: she was mine, rehearse that once more. Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit,Laun. More hair than wit,-it may be; I'l 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? 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: 0, that that were out! Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gra Speed. And more wealth than faults. (3) Licentious in language, cious:1 well, I'll have her : and if it be a match, as By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, She shall not long continue love to him. Laun. Why, then I will te!! thee,-that thy It follows not that she will love sir Thurio. master stays for thee at the north gate. Speed. For me? Thu. Therefore, as you unwind her love from him, Laun. For thee? ay; wno art thou? he hath Lest it should ravel, and be good to none, staid for a better man than thee. Speed. And must I go to him? Laun. Thou must run to him, for thou hast staid so long, that going will scarce serve the turn. Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner? 'pox of your love-letters! You must provide to bottom it on me: Exit. Because we know, on Valentine's report, Laun. Now will he be swinged for reading my You are already love's firm votary, letter: an unmannerly slave, that will thrust him- And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. self into secrets!—I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's Upon this warrant shall you have access, correction. [Exit. Where you with Silvia may confer at large; For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy, Where you may temper her, by your persuasion, And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you; To hate young Valentine, and love my friend. Pro. As much as I can do, I will effect:But you, sir Thurio, are not sharp enough; SCENE II.-The same. A room in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke and Thurio; Proteus be hind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love You must lay lime, to tangle her desires, you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. Thu. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most, Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes Duke. Ay, much the force of heaven-bred pocsy. For Orpheus' lute was strung with poet's sinews; Visit by night your lady's chamber-window Duke. My daughter takes his going grievously. Pro. Longer than I prove loyal to 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 Pro. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. Pro. The best way is to slander Valentine hate. Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it: Therefore it must, with circumstance, be spoken Duke. Then you must undertake to slander him. SCENE I-A forest, near Mantua. Enter 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 Your slander never can endamage him; Pro. You have prevail'd, my lord: if I can do it, (2) Cut. certain Out-laws. 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 our king. Val. I take your offer, and will live with you; On silly women, 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? And show thee all the treasure we have got; [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Milan. Court of the palace. En- Pro. Already have I been false to Valentine, Val. Some sixteen months; and longer might Under the colour of commending him, have staid, If 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: 1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done so: I have access my own love to prefer; Val. 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, This fellow were a king for our wild faction. 1 Out. We'll have him: sirs, a word. Speed. Master, be one of them; It is an honourable kind of thievery. Val. Peace, villain! Out. Tell us this: have you any thing to take Val. Nothing, but my fortune. 3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentle these. But to the purpose-(for we cite our faults, As we do in our quality much want ; 2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, To make a virtue of necessity, Out. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our say, ay, and be the captain of us all : We'll do thee homage, and he rul❜d by thee, 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. Thu. Ay, but, I hope, sir, that you love not here. Pro. Ay, Silvia-for your sake. Thu. I thank you for your own. Now, gentle Who is Silvia? What is she, That all our swains commend her? The heavens such grace did lend her, (5) Passionate reproaches. |