DRAMATIS PERSONE.

DUKE OF MILAN, Father to Silvia.
VALENTINE, The two Gentlemen.
PROTEUS,

}

ANTONIO, Father to Proteus.

THURIO, a foolish rival to Valentine.
EGLAMOUR, agent of1 Silvia in her escape.
SPEED, a clownish Servant to Valentine.
LAUNCE, the like to Proteus.

PANTHINO, Servant to Antonio.

Host, where Julia lodges.

Outlaws with Valentine.

JULIA, beloved of Proteus.

SILVIA, beloved of Valentine.,

LUCETTA, Waiting-woman to Julia.

Servants, Musicians.

SCENE: sometimes in Verona; sometimes in Milan, and on the frontiers of Mantua.

1 for in f. e.

THE

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-An open place in Verona.
Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS.

Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus:
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits.
Wer 't not, affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,
I rather would entreat thy company
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully sluggardiz'd at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But since thou lov'st, love still, and thrive therein,
Even as I would, when I to love begin.

Pro. Wilt thou begone? Sweet Valentine, adieu.
Think on thy Proteus, when thou haply seest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
Wish me partaker in thy happiness,

When thou dost meet good hap; and in thy danger,
If ever danger do environ thee,

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy bead's-man,' Valentine.

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. 'T is true; but you are over boots in love, And yet you never swam the Hellespont.

2 for:

1 One who prays for another: the word is derived from the dropping of a bead in a rosary, at each prayer recited. in f. e.

Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots.1 Val. No, I will not, for it boots thee not.

Pro.

What?

Val. To be in love where scorn is bought with groans; Coy looks, with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's

mirth,

With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights:

If haply won, perhaps, a hapless gain;
If lost, why then a grievous labour won:
However, but a folly bought with wit,
Or else a wit by folly vanquished.

Pro. So, by your circumstance you call me fool
Val. So, by your circumstance, I fear you'll prove.
Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at: I am not love.

Val. Love is your master, for he masters you; And he that is so yoked by a fool,

Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise.

Pro. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud The eating canker dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

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,
Losing his verdure even in the prime,
And all the fair effects of future hopes.
But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee,
That art a votary to fond desire?

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,

Of thy success in love, and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend,

And I likewise will visit thee with mine.

Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan.
Val. As much to you at home; and so, farewell. [Exit.
Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love:

He leaves his friends to dignify them more;

1 Supposed by Knight to refer to the instrument of torture, the boot, by which the sufferer's leg was crushed by wedges driven between it and the boot in which it was placed. Collier says it is a proverbial expression, signifying "don't make a laughing-stock of me."

I leave myself, my friends, and all for love.
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphos'd me;
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,
War with good counsel, set the world at nought,
Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought.
Enter SPEED.

Speed. Sir Proteus, save you. Saw you my master? Pro. But now he parted hence to embark for Milan. Speed. Twenty to one, then, he is shipp'd already, And I have play'd the sheep in losing him.

Pro. Indeed a sheep doth very often stray,

An if the shepherd be awhile 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.
Speed. This proves me still 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. 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 laced mutton'; and she, a laced 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.

Pro. Nay, in that you are a stray, 't were best pound

you.

1 Most commentators make this mean, a dressed-up courtesan. Knight suggests that, (lace being used in its primitive meaning of any thing that catches or secures) it means caught sheep.

VOL. I.-7

Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.

Pro. You mistake: I mean the pound, the pinfold. Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover. Pro. But what said she? did she nod?

Speed. I.

Pro. Nod, I? why that's noddy.1

[SPEED nods.

Speed. You mistook, sir: I say she did nod, and you ask me, if she did nod? and I say I.

Pro. And that set together, is noddy.

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. Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you. Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me?

Speed. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word noddy for my pains.

Pro. Beshrew me, but you have quick wit.

Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse. 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 deliver❜d.

Pro. Well, sir, here is for your pains. What said she? [Giving him money.3 Speed. Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her. Pro. Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her? Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her better3;

No, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter; And being so hard to me that brought to her* your mind, I fear she'll prove as hard to you in telling you her 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.

[Exit."

Pro. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from wreck,

1 The old name for the knave or fool of a pack of cards. 2 3 Not in f. e. 4 to her not in f. e. 5 telling your mind: in f. e. 6 This speech is printed as prose in f. e. 7A testern is a sixpence. 8 Not in f. e.