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The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Act I, Scene 1

Verona. An open place.]
 
[Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS]
 
VALENTINE
        ,             ,         ,       ,     ,
      Cease to | persuade,| my lov|ing Prot|eus;
        T    T  .    T          ,       ,       ,
      Home-keeping youth,| have ev|er home|ly wits,  ??
          2    ,       ,          ,          ,        ,
      Were it not | affec|tion chains | thy tend|er days
                 ,     ,       ,        ,         ,
      To the / sweet glan|ces of | thy hon|ored love,
         ,        ,         ,          ,     ,
      I rath|er would | entreat | thy comp|any,
          ,         ,        ,         ,        ,
      To see | the wond|ers of | the world | abroad,
             ,       ,       ,       ,          ,
      Than (liv|ing dul|ly slug|gardized | at home)
            ,          ,            ,        ,      ,
      Wear^out | thy youth | with shape|less id|leness.
            ,            ,            ,            ,           ,
      But since | thou lovst;| love still,| and thrive | therein,
        x       ,              ,        ,       ,
      Even as | I would | when I | to love | begin.
 
PROTEUS
             ,         ,            ,      ,       ,
      Wilt thou | be gone?| Sweet* Val|entine | adieu,
        ,             ,    2     ,           ,        ,
      Think on | thy Prot|eus, when | thou (hap|ly) seest
             ,      T   T  .   T       ,          x
      Some rare | note-worthy^ob|ject in thy | travel.  ??
        ,           ,      ,        ,      ,
      Wish me | partak|er in | thy hap|piness,
             ,           ,           ,     ,    2       ,
      When thou | dost meet | good* hap;| and in thy | danger
           ,      ,      ,      ,       ,
      (If ev|er dang|er do | envi|ron thee)
           ,          ,         ,       ,       x
      Commend | thy griev|ance to | my ho|ly prayers,
          ,         ,         ,         ,      ,
      For I | will be | thy beads|man, Val|entine.
 
VALENTINE
       ,    2      T    T    T         ,        ,
      And on a | love-book pray | for my | success?
 
PROTEUS
        ,           ,        ,           ,          ,
      Upon | some book | I love,| I'll pray | for thee.
 
VALENTINE
              ,          ,       ,            ,    ,
      That's on | some shal|low sto|ry of / deep love,
            ,        ,        ,           ,       ,
      How young | Leand|er crossed | the Hel|lespont.
 
PROTEUS
         ,         ,   ,              ,        ,
      That's a | deep sto/ry, of | a deep|er love,
           ,         ,         ,       ,          ,
      For he | was more | than ov|er shoes | in love.
 
VALENTINE
             ,         ,        ,       ,          ,
      'Tis true;| for you | are ov|er boots | in love,
           ,         ,       ,         ,       ,
      And yet | you nev|er swum | the Hel|lespont.
 
PROTEUS
       ,  2        T     T    T        ,          ,
      Over the | boots? Nay give | me not | the boots.
 
VALENTINE
       ,            ,       2     ,           ,
      No, I | will not;| for it boots | thee not.
 
PROTEUS
                                                   __
                                                  What?
 
VALENTINE
          ,        ,            ,           ,             ,
      To be | in love;| where scorn | is bought | with groans:
       ,    ,           ,     ,     ,        ,      ,         ,
      Coy looks, with heart-sore sighs: one fading moment's mirth,  ????
             ,       ,         ,       ,   2      ,
      With twen|ty watch|ful, wea|ry, ted|ious nights;
          ,      ,         ,       ,         ,
      If hap|ly won,| perhaps | a hap|less gain;
           ,          ,        ,        ,      ,
      If lost,| why then | a griev|ous lab|or won;
         ,       ,       ,        ,           ,
      Howev|er: but | a fol|ly bought | with wit,
           ,       ,        ,      ,       ,
      Or else | a wit,| by fol|ly van|quished.
 
PROTEUS
       ,             ,        ,           ,         ,
      So, by | your cir|cumstance,| you call | me fool.
 
VALENTINE
       ,             ,        ,         ,             ,
      So, by | your cir|cumstance,| I fear | you'll prove.
 
PROTEUS
             ,         ,      ,   ,            ,
      'Tis love | you cav|il at,| I am | not Love.
 
VALENTINE
        ,             ,        ,        ,        ,
      Love is | your mast|er, for | he mast|ers you;
           ,         ,       ,      ,       ,
      And he | that is | so yok|ed by | a fool,
           ,             ,         ,      ,          ,
      Methinks | should not | be chron|icled | for wise.
 
PROTEUS
           ,        ,        ,         ,        ,
      Yet writ|ers say;| as in | the sweet|est bud,
           ,       ,         ,         ,        ,
      The eat|ing cank|er dwells;| so eat|ing love
         ,       ,        ,        ,        ,
      Inhab|its in | the fin|est wits | of all.
 
VALENTINE
            ,       ,              ,   ,        ,
      And writ|ers say; as the / most for|ward bud
          ,      ,        ,       ,         ,
      Is eat|en by | the cank|er ere | it blow,
       2    ,        ,          ,          ,       ,
      Even so | by love,| the young,| and tend|er wit
            ,         ,        ,        ,        ,
      Is turned | to fol|ly, blast|ing in | the bud,
       ,            ,    ,    ,               ,
      Losing | his ver|dure, ev/en in | the prime,
           ,          ,        ,         ,        ,
      And all | the fair | effects | of fu|ture hopes.
            ,           ,         ,         ,        ,
      But where|fore* waste | I time | to couns|el thee
            ,       ,    ,        ,        ,
      That art | a vot|ary | to fond | desire?
        T    T  .  T         ,      ,         ,
      Once more adieu:| my fath|er at | the road
          ,         ,         ,         ,          ,
      Expects | my com|ing, there | to see | me shipped.
 
PROTEUS
            ,        ,        ,           ,      ,
      And thith|er will | I bring | thee Val|entine.
 
VALENTINE
               ,   2    ,        ,         ,          ,
      Sweet* Prot|eus, no:| now let | us take | our leave.
          ,      ,         ,           ,          x
      To Mil|an let | me hear | from thee | by letters
          ,         ,         ,     .    T    T    T
      Of thy | success | in love;| and what news else
         ,        ,        ,        ,          ,
      Betid|eth here | in abs|ence of | thy friend:
            ,    ,          ,        ,           ,
      And like|wise will | visit | thee with | mine.
 
PROTEUS
      <-        ,      ,        ,          ,        ,
        All*|| happi|ness be|chance to | thee in | Milan.
 
VALENTINE
           ,        ,         ,         ,         ,
      As much | to you | at home:| and so | farewell.
 
[Exit]
 
PROTEUS
          ,      ,       ,        ,       ,
      He aft|er hon|or hunts,| I^aft|er love;
            ,            ,          ,     ,          ,
      He leaves | his friends,| to dig|nify | them more;
          ,         ,          ,           ,          ,
      I leave | myself,| my friends,| and all | for love:
             ,  2    ,          ,    ,     ,
      Thou* Jul|ia thou | hast met|amor|phosed me:
        ,           ,         ,          ,         ,
      Made me | neglect | my stud|ies, lose | my time:
       ,                 ,        ,          ,           ,
      War with | good* couns|el; set | the world | at nought;
            ,          ,         ,            ,           ,
      Made wit | with mus|ing, weak;| heart^sick | with thought. ??
 
[Enter SPEED]
 
SPEED
            ,   2     ,          ,     ,        ,
      Sir Prot|eus: save | you: saw | you my | master?
 
PROTEUS
           ,        ,        ,       2   ,           x
      But now | he part|ed hence | to embark | for Milan.
 
SPEED
        ,          ,      ,     2        ,        ,
      Twenty | to one | then, he is | shipped al|ready,
          ,           ,           ,         ,       ,
      And I | have played | the sheep | in los|ing him.
 
PROTEUS
          ,        ,           ,     ,       ,
      Indeed | a sheep | doth ve|ry of|ten stray,
           ,         ,        ,       ,       ,
      And if | the shep|herd be | a while | away.
 
SPEED
You conclude that my master is a shepherd then, and I sheep?
 
PROTEUS
I do.
 
SPEED
Why then my horns are his horns, whether I wake or sleep.
 
PROTEUS
A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep.
 
SPEED
This proves me still a sheep.
 
PROTEUS
True: and thy master a shepherd.
 
SPEED
Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance.
 
PROTEUS
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.
 
PROTEUS
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.
 
PROTEUS
But dost thou hear: gavst thou my letter to Julia?
 
SPEED
Aye 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 labor.
 
PROTEUS
Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons.
 
SPEED
If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her.
 
PROTEUS
Nay, in that you are astray: 'twere best pound you.
 
SPEED
Nay sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.
 
PROTEUS
You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold.
 
SPEED
From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover.
 
PROTEUS
But what said she?
 
SPEED
Aye.
 
PROTEUS
Nod--Aye, why that's noddy.
 
SPEED
You mistook sir: I say she did nod; and you ask me if she did nod, and I say aye.
 
PROTEUS
And that set together is noddy.
 
SPEED
Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.
 
PROTEUS
No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.
 
SPEED
Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.
 
PROTEUS
Why sir, how do you bear with me?
 
SPEED
Marry sir, the letter very orderly,
Having nothing but the word noddy for my pains.
 
PROTEUS
Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit.
 
SPEED
And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse.
 
PROTEUS
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.
 
PROTEUS
Well sir: here is for your pains: What said she?
 
SPEED
Truly sir, I think you'll hardly win her.
 
PROTEUS
Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her?
 
SPEED
       ,    2             ,       ,           ,          ,
     
Sir, I could | perceive | nothing | at all | from her;
       ,             ,      2    x        2    ,      2        x
     
No, not*| so much | as a ducat | for delive|ring your letter:
            x          ,        ,           ,             ,
     
And being | so hard | to me,| that brought | your mind;
          ,             ,          ,        ,        ,      2       ,
     
I fear | she'll prove | as hard | to you | in tel|ling your mind.
        ,              x            ,           ,          ,         ,
      Give her | no* token | but stones;| for she's | as hard | as steel. (hex with prev)
 
PROTEUS
What said she, nothing?
 
SPEED
       ,             ,         ,      ,              ,
      No, not*| so much | as take | this for | thy pains.
          ,     ,          ,     2    ,      ,      3    3       ,
      To tes|tify | your boun|ty, I thank | you, you have tes|terned me;
        2   ,     2      ,          ,      ,   2        ,              ,
      In requi|tal whereof,| henceforth,| carry your | letters | yourself; (hex w/prev)
           ,    ,               ,     ,    2      ,
      And so | sir, I'll | commend | you to my | master.
 
PROTEUS
       T   T   .   T         ,           ,           ,
      Go, go, be gone,| to save | your ship | from wrack,
             ,       ,       ,        ,       ,
      Which can|not per|ish hav|ing thee | aboard,
        2     ,        ,      ,       ,          ,
      Being dest|ined to | a dri|er death | on shore:
          ,         ,          ,       ,      ,
      I must | go send | some bet|ter mes|senger,
          ,        ,  2    ,           ,          ,
      I fear | my Jul|ia would | not deign | my lines,
         ,         ,           ,        ,          ,
      Receiv|ing them | from such | a worth|less post.
 
[Exit]

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