THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. ACT I. SCENE I. Verona. An open place. Enter VALENTINE and PROteus. Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus: But since thou lov'st, love still and thrive therein, Even as I would when I to love begin. Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu! Wish me partaker in thy happiness When thou dost meet good hap; and in thy danger, Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, ? 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: 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. What? Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth 18 beadsman one who prays, and tells beads, for another. 10 20 30 With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights: Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise. Val. And writers say, as the most forward bud Is eaten by the canker ere it blow, Even so by love the young and tender wit Is turn'd to folly, blasting in the bud, 40 50 But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee 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 Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! Enter SPEED. Speed. Sir Proteus, save you! Saw you my master? And I have play'd the sheep in losing him. 12 shipp'd: ship and sheep were pronounced alike, or nearly enough alike for a quibble. 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. Pro. A silly answer and fitting well a sheep. Pro. True; and thy master a shepherd. Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. Pro. It shall go hard but I'll prove it by another. 80 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. 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? gav'st thou my letter to Julia? Speed. Ay, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a lac'd mutton, and she, a lac'd mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour. Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons. Speed. If the ground be overcharg'd, you were best stick her. 100 Pro. Nay in that you are astray, 't were best pound you. Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter. a pinfold. Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound, Speed. [Nodding.] Ay. Pro. Nod-ay?-why, that's noddy. 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. III 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. lac'd mutton. Slang for a wanton woman; but has here a milder sense. 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. 120 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? 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. 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 testern'd 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 wrack, SCENE II. The same. Garden of JULIA's house. Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, Luc. Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheedfully. Luc. Please you repeat their names, I'll show my According to my shallow simple skill. [Exit Speed. mind 141 [Exit. Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour? Jul. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? 135 testern'd. A sixpenny piece was called a testern. 10 Luc. Lord, Lord! to see what folly reigns in us! Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen. Jul. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest? Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason; I think him so because I think him so. Jul. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him? Luc. Peruse this paper, madam. Jul. Say, say, who gave it thee? 20 3309 Luc. Sir Valentine's page; and sent, I think, from Proteus. Dare you presume to harbour wanton lines? There, take the paper: see it be return'd; Luc. To plead for love deserves more fee than hate. Luc. ye That you may ruminate. Jul. And yet I would I had o'erlook'd the letter: And pray her to a fault for which I chid her. Which they would have the profferer construe "ay.” 19 censure pass judgment. 41 broker go-between. 50 o'erlook'd looked over. 53 What fool. This elision for "what a fool" is in the old text. 40 [Exit. 50 |