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The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Act II, Scene 4

Milan. The DUKE's palace.
 
[Enter SILVIA, VALENTINE, THURIO, and SPEED]
 
SILVIA
Servant.
 
VALENTINE
Mistress.
 
SPEED
Master, Sir Thurio frowns on you.
 
VALENTINE
Aye boy, it's for love.
 
SPEED
Not of you.
 
VALENTINE
Of my mistress then.
 
SPEED
'Twere good you knocked him.
 
[Exit]
 
SILVIA
Servant, you are sad.
 
VALENTINE
Indeed, madam, I seem so.
 
THURIO
Seem you that you are not?
 
VALENTINE
Haply I do.
 
THURIO
So do counterfeits.
 
VALENTINE
So do you.
 
THURIO
What seem I that I am not?
 
VALENTINE
Wise.
 
THURIO
What instance of the contrary?
 
VALENTINE
Your folly.
 
THURIO
And how quote you my folly?
 
VALENTINE
I quote it in your jerkin.
 
THURIO
My jerkin is a doublet.
 
VALENTINE
Well then, I'll double your folly.
 
THURIO
How?
 
SILVIA
What, angry, Sir Thurio, do you change color?
 
VALENTINE
Give him leave, madam, he is a kind of chameleon.
 
THURIO
That hath more mind to feed on your blood, than live in your air.
 
VALENTINE
You have said sir.
 
THURIO
Aye sir, and done too for this time.
 
VALENTINE
I know it well sir, you always end ere you begin.
 
SILVIA
A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly shot off.
 
VALENTINE
'Tis indeed, madam, we thank the giver.
 
SILVIA
Who is that servant?
 
VALENTINE
            ,           ,      ,          ,          ,
      Yourself |(sweet la|dy) for | you gave | the fire,
            ,   2  ,      2     ,        2      ,   2        ,
     
Sir Thur|io bor|rows his wit | from your lad|yship's^looks,
             ,         2    ,         ,    3  3       ,    ,
     
And spends | what he bor|rows kind|ly in your comp|any.  ????
 
THURIO
Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt.
 
VALENTINE
          ,         ,          ,      ,        ,  ,            ___
      I know | it well | sir: you | have an | excheq/uer of | words,
       ,        ,         ,         ,             ,          ,      ,
      And I | think, no | other | treasure | to give | your fol|lowers: (sep with prev)
           ,       ,                  ,   ,     ,
      For it | appears | by their / bare liv|eries
        ,           ,         T    T    T
      That they | live by | your bare words.
 
SILVIA
      <-     ,       ,   2          ,           ,         ,      o
        No more,|| gentlemen,| no more:| Here comes | my fath|er.
 
[Enter DUKE]
 
DUKE
       T     T   .   T   2    ,          ,       ,
      Now, daughter Sil|via, you | are hard | beset.
           ,      ,          ,        2       ,     ,
      Sir Val|entine,| your fath|er is in / good health,
            ,         ,      ,        ,            ,
      What say | you to | a let|ter from | your friends
       .   T    T    T
      Of much good news?
 
VALENTINE
                              ,    ,     2       ,
                         My lord,| I will be | thankful,
          ,    ,      ,      ,            ,
      To an|y hap|py mes|senger | from thence.
 
DUKE
        ,        ,      ,   ,           ,    2
      Know ye | Don An|toni|o, your | countryman?
 
VALENTINE
       ,                ,        ,         ,      ,
      Aye, my | good* lord,| I know | the gent|leman
          ,        ,           ,      ,    ,      2->
      To be | of worth | and worth|y est|ima||tion,
           ,         ,        ,         ,       ,      ->
      And not | without | desert | so well | reput||ed.
 
DUKE
        ,        ,       ,
      Hath | he not | a son?  \\
 
VALENTINE
       ,                ,       ,           ,         ,
      Aye, my | good* lord,| a son,| that well | deserves
           ,       ,        ,         ,       ,      2->
      The hon|or, and | regard,| of such | a fath|er.
 
DUKE
            ,          ,
      You know | him well?  \\
 
VALENTINE
          ,         ,       ,          ,         ,     ,
      I knew | him as | myself:| for from | our in|fancy (hex with next)
           ,          ,           ,           ,        ,      o
      We have | conversed,| and spent | our hours | togeth|er,
             ,         ,           ,       ,        x
      And though | myself | have been | an id|le truant,
        ,               ,    ,    ,         ,
      Omit|ting the / sweet ben|efit | of time
            ,         ,        ,      ,      ,    ,
      To clothe mine^age with angel-like perfection: ????
            ,         ,     ,          ,           ,
      Yet hath | Sir Prot|eus |(for that's | his name)
            ,          ,       ,        ,         ,
      Made^use,| and fair | advant|age of | his days:
            ,           ,      ,           ,   2     ,
      His years | but young,| but his | expe|rience old:
            ,       ,          ,          ,         ,
      His head | unmel|lowed, but | his judg|ment ripe;
           ,       ,         ,        ,          ,
      And in | a word |(for far | behind | his worth
             ,          ,        ,       ,        ,
      Comes all | the prais|es that | I now | bestow)
       ,           ,         ,         ,         ,
      He is | complete | in fea|ture, and | in mind,
            ,      T    T     .   T        ,      ,
      With all | good grace, to grace | a gent|leman.
 
DUKE
          ,         ,         ,        ,           ,
      Beshrew | me sir,| but if | he make | this good
          ,        ,      ,        ,          ,
      He is | as worth|y for | an emp|ress' love,
           ,        ,       ,   2       ,      ,
      As meet | to be | an emp|eror's couns|ellor:
        T    T     T     ,    2          ,        ,
      Well, sir: this | gentleman | is come | to me
            ,      ,               ,    ,      ,
      With com|menda|tion from / great pot|entates,
            ,         ,          ,           ,       ,
      And here | he means | to spend | his time | awhile,
          ,          ,      ,         ,        ,
      I think |'tis no | unwel|come news | to you.
 
VALENTINE
             ,           ,         ,         ,          ,
      Should^I | have wished | a thing,| it had | been he.
 
DUKE
       ,              ,       ,        ,         ,
      Welcome | him then | accord|ing to | his worth:
       ,  3  3      ,         ,          ,         ,  2
      Silvia, I | speak to | you, and | you Sir | Thurio,  ??
           ,      ,        ,          ,          x
      For Val|entine,| I need | not cite | him to it,
       2       ,         ,       ,        ,       ,
      I will send | him hith|er to | you pres|ently.
 
[Exit]
 
VALENTINE
        ,    2       ,    2         ,          ,     ,
      This is the | gentleman | I told | your lad|yship
            ,       ,          ,    ,      2       ,
      Had come | along | with me,| but that his | mistress
            ,          ,       ,              ,        ,
      Did hold | his eyes,| locked in | her cryst|al looks.
 
SILVIA
          ,          ,          ,        ,     ,
      Belike | that now | she hath | enfran|chised them
        ,          ,       ,          ,
      Upon | some oth|er pawn | for feal|ty.
 
VALENTINE
      <- ,       ,         ,           ,           ,    2      ,
        Nay || sure, I | think she | holds them | pris|oners still.
 
SILVIA
       ,               ,          ,          ,       ,
      Nay then | he should | be blind,| and be|ing blind
             ,         ,         ,     .   T   T   T
      How* could | he see | his way | to seek out you?
 
VALENTINE
           ,       ,           ,       ,         ,
      Why la|dy, Love | hath twen|ty pair | of eyes.
 
THURIO
            ,           ,          ,        ,        ,
      They say | that Love | hath not | an eye | at all.
 
VALENTINE
          ,          ,         ,   2   ,         ,
      To see | such lov|ers, Thur|io, as | yourself,
        ,        ,      ,          ,          ,
      Upon | a home|ly ob|ject*, love | can wink.
 
SILVIA
        T    T     T      ,            ,          ,    2
      Have done, have | done: here | comes the | gentleman.
 
[Exit THURIO. Enter PROTEUS]
 
VALENTINE
       ,               ,    2    ,         ,       ,         2->
      Welcome,| dear* Prot|eus: mist|ress, I | beseech || you
           ,         ,          ,          ,        ,     2->
      Confirm | his wel|come, with | some spe|cial fav||or.
 
SILVIA
            ,      ,  ,          2       ,          ,
      His worth | is war/rant for his | welcome | hither,
           ,        ,        ,            ,          ,          ->
      If this | be he | you oft | have wished | to hear || from.
 
VALENTINE
        ,          x             ,      ,      ,        2->
      Mist|ress, it is:| sweet* la|dy, ent|ertain || him
          ,       ,       ,      3  3      ,     ,
      To be | my fel|low-serv|ant to your lad|yship.
 
SILVIA
           ,       ,    ,      2       ,       ,
      Too low | a mist|ress for so | high a | servant.
 
PROTEUS
           ,           ,    2     ,      ,       ,
      Not so,| sweet* la|dy, but too | mean a | servant
           ,        ,         ,       ,       ,        2->
      To have | a look | of such | a worth|y mist||ress.
 
VALENTINE
             ,          ,         ,    ,    ,
      Leave^off | discourse | of dis|abil|ity:
              ,      ,      ,     ,     2        ,
      Sweet* la|dy, ent|ertain | him for your | servant.
 
PROTEUS
          ,      ,        ,          ,         ,
      My du|ty will | I boast | of, noth|ing else.
 
SILVIA
           ,     ,      ,          ,          ,
      And du|ty nev|er yet | did want | his meed.
       ,           2     ,    ,    2      ,          ,
      Servant,| you are wel|come to a | worthless | mistress.
 
PROTEUS
            ,        ,           ,        ,          ,
      I'll die | on him | that says | so but | yourself.
 
SILVIA
            ,         ,        o
      That you | are wel|come?
 
PROTEUS
            ,          ,         o
      That you | are worth|less.    (tri with prev)
 
[Enter THURIO]
 
THURIO
       ,           ,          ,     2        ,           ,
      Madam,| my lord | your fath|er would speak | with you.
 
SILVIA
          ,      ,          ,          ,         ,    2  ->
      I wait | upon | his pleas|ure: Come | Sir Thur||io,
       ,         ,          ,          ,       ,        ->
      Go | with me:| once^more,| new serv|ant wel||come;
        ,       ,          2    ,         ,         ,
      I'll | leave you | to confer | of home | affairs,
            ,           ,         ,         ,          ,
      When you | have done,| we look | to hear | from you.
 
PROTEUS
              ,        ,      ,          ,     ,
      We'll both | attend | upon | your lad|yship.
 
[Exeunt SILVIA and THURIO]
 
VALENTINE
            ,         ,        ,            ,           ,
      Now tell | me: how | do all | from whence | you came?
 
PROTEUS
              ,            ,          ,           ,        ,      2->
      Your friends | are well,| and have | them much | commend||ed.
 
VALENTINE
           ,         ,
      And how | do yours?
 
PROTEUS
                              ,          ,          ,
                          I left | them all | in health.
 
VALENTINE
            ,          ,      ,           ,             ,
      How does | your la|dy? And | how thrives | your love?
 
PROTEUS
           ,          ,           ,        ,      ,
      My tales | of love | were wont | to wea|ry you,
          ,         ,     ,           ,          ,
      I know | you joy | not in | a love | discourse.
 
VALENTINE
       ,   ,    2                ,        ,        ,
      Aye Prot/eus, but | that life | is alt|ered now,
                 ,   ,        ,         ,        ,
      I have / done pen|ance for | contemn|ing Love,
              ,       ,   2       ,            ,         ,
      Whose high | imper|ious thoughts | have pun|ished me
            ,        ,           ,    ,          ,
      With bit|ter fasts,| with pen|iten|tial groans,
             ,        ,          ,   .   T     T    T
      With night|ly tears,| and dai|ly heart-sore sighs,
           ,       ,         ,        ,          ,
      For in | revenge | of my | contempt | of love,
        ,            T     T     T           ,         ,
      Love hath | chased sleep from | my enthral|led eyes,
            ,           ,          2      ,     ,       ,
      And made | them watch|ers of mine^/own heart's | sorrow.
          ,       ,   2      ,         ,       ,
      O gent|le Prot|eus, Love's | a migh|ty lord,
                  ,  ,        ,      ,        ,
      And hath / so hum|bled me,| as I | confess
             ,       ,        ,        ,     ,
      There is | no woe | to his | correc|tion,
       ,             ,        ,         ,         ,
      Nor to | his serv|ice, no | such^joy | on earth:
       T    T  .    T         ,        ,        ,
      Now, no discourse,| except | it be | of love:
       ,     2      ,          T     T    T          ,
      Now can I | break my | fast, dine, sup,| and sleep,
         ,        ,     ,       ,         ,
      Upon | the ve|ry nak|ed name | of love.
 
PROTEUS
         ,         ,          ,        ,         ,
      Enough;| I read | your for|tune in | your eye:
            ,         ,       ,          ,       ,
      Was this | the id|ol, that | you worsh|ip so?
 
VALENTINE
        2   ,         ,        ,         x        ,
      Even she;| and is | she not | a heaven|ly saint?
 
PROTEUS
       ,             ,        ,       ,    ,
      No; but | she is | an earth|ly par|agon.
 
VALENTINE
        ,            ,
      Call her | divine.
 
PROTEUS
                            ,          ,       ,
                        I will | not flat|ter her.
 
VALENTINE
          ,       ,         ,         ,          ,      ->
      O flat|ter me:| for love | delights | in prais||es.
 
PROTEUS
        ,     2      ,          ,        ,        ,
      When | I was sick,| you gave | me bit|ter pills,
          ,         ,     ,          ,        ,
      And I | must min|ister | the like | to you.
 
VALENTINE
             ,           ,         ,        ,        ,
      Then speak | the truth | by her;| if not | divine,
           ,         ,       ,     ,    ,
      Yet let | her be | a prin|cipal|ity,
       ,              ,          ,         ,         ,
      Sovereign | to all | the creat|ures on | the earth.
 
PROTEUS
          ,        ,
      Except | my mist|ress.
 
VALENTINE
                              ,         ,        ,    2->
                            Sweet:| except | not^an||y,
          ,           ,        ,        ,          ,
      Except | thou wilt | except | against | my love.
 
PROTEUS
           ,        ,       ,       ,          ,
      Have I | not reas|on to | prefer | mine^own?
 
VALENTINE
          ,          ,          ,       ,         ,
      And I | will help | thee to | prefer | her too:
       ,       2      ,      ,                ,     ,
      She shall be | digni|fied with | this high | honor,
           ,        ,        ,                  ,    ,
      To bear | my la|dy's train,| lest the / base earth
               ,         ,          ,          ,         ,
      Should from | her ves|ture chance | to steal | a kiss,
           ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      And of | so great | a fav|or grow|ing proud,
           ,         ,         ,        ,          x
      Disdain | to root | the sum|mer-swel|ling flower,
       .    T    T    T      ,      ,      ,
      And make rough wint|er ev|erlast|ingly.
 
PROTEUS
           ,      ,           ,       x         ,
      Why Val|entine,| what brag|gardism | is this?
 
VALENTINE
       ,    2      ,   2     ,       ,        ,
      Pardon me |(Proteus)| all I | can is | nothing,
          ,            ,            ,       ,         ,        ->
      To her,| whose^worth,| makes^oth|er worth|ies noth||ing;
       ,           ,
      She | is a/lone.
 
PROTEUS
                        ,     ,           ,
                      Then | let her | alone.
 
VALENTINE
       ,              ,          ,         ,         ,
      Not for | the world:| why man,| she is | mine^own,
          ,        ,        ,        ,        x
      And I | as rich | in hav|ing such | a jewel
           ,       ,        ,            ,           ,
      As twen|ty seas,| if all | their sand | were pearl,
           ,       ,                    ,     ,    ,
      The wat|er, nec|tar, and the // rocks pure gold.
           ,          ,       ,         ,          ,
      Forgive | me, that | I do | not dream | on thee,
          ,            ,          ,      ,         ,
      Because | thou seest | me dote | upon | my love:
          ,        ,       ,         ,        ,
      My fool|ish riv|al that | her fath|er likes
        ,      ,            ,       2     ,     ,
      (Only | for his | posses|sions are so | huge)
      <-        ,          ,      ,         ,         ,
        Is || gone with | her a|long, and | I must | after,
            ,            ,          ,         ,     ,
      For love |(thou knowst | is full | of jeal|ousy).
 
PROTEUS
           ,      T    T  ->
      But she | loves you?
 
VALENTINE
       T     ,        ,       ,         T    T    T     ,         __
      Aye,| and we | are be||trothed:| nay more, our | marriage |hour,
            ,         ,        ,       ,          ,
      With all | the cun|ning man|ner of | our flight
         ,         ,    ,   2         ,          ,
      Determ|ined of:| how I must | climb her | window,
           ,        ,         ,          ,          ,
      The lad|der made | of cords,| and all | the means
       ,           2   ,      ,           ,      ,
      Plotted,| and agreed | on for | my hap|piness.
             ,     ,        ,     ,   2       ,
      Good* Prot|eus | go^with | me to my | chamber,
       ,      2     ,         ,         ,          ,
      In these^af|fairs to | aid me | with thy | counsel.
 
PROTEUS
          ,       ,        ,         ,           ,
      Go on | before:| I shall | inquire | you forth:
          ,       ,         ,        ,      ,
      I must | unto | the road,| to dis|embark
            ,     ,         ,        ,           ,
      Some ne|cessar|ies, that | I needs | must^use,
            ,           ,      ,       ,         o
      And then | I'll pres|ently | attend | you.
 
VALENTINE
            ,           ,
      Will you | make^haste?
 
PROTEUS
                                 ,    oo
                             I will.|
      <- ,           ,      ,      ,         ,      __
         Even || as one | heat, a|nother | heat ex|pels,
        2    ,      ,            ,             ,     ,
      Or as one | nail, by | strength drives^|out a|nother,
       ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      So the | remem|brance^of | my form|er love
       ,   2     ,       ,         ,        ,
      Is by a | newer | object | quite for|gotten,
       ,        ,         ,      T       T
      Is it | mine, or | Valen|tine's praise?
      <- T       ,       ,            ,     ,           ,
        Her || true per|fection,| or my | false trans|gression?
             ,         ,       ,        ,        ,
      That makes | me reas|onless,| to reas|on thus?
       ,         ,          ,       ,  2       2    ,
      She is | fair: and | so is | Julia | that I love,
            ,         ,         ,         ,          ,
      (That I | did^love,| for now | my love | is thawed,
              ,       ,     ,     2    ,         ,
      Which like | a wax|en im|age against | a fire
             ,       ,        ,         ,         ,
      Bears^no | impres|sion of | the thing | it was.)
           ,          ,        ,      ,         ,
      Methinks | my zeal | to Val|entine | is cold,
            ,        ,         ,       ,         ,
      And that | I love | him not | as I | was wont:
      ,     2      ,         ,      T   T    T
      O, but I | love his | lady | too too much,
             ,          ,     2    ,         ,    ,
      And that's | the reas|on I love | him so | little.
       ,              ,        ,           ,        ,
      How shall | I dote | on her | with more | advice,
             ,         ,        ,       ,           x
      That thus | without | advice | begin | to love her?
            ,         ,       ,         ,        ,
      'Tis but | her pic|ture I | have yet | beheld,
            ,          ,     ,        ,         ,
      And that | hath daz|zled | my reas|on's light:
            ,        ,        ,        ,     ,
      But when | I look | on her | perfec|tions,
             ,       ,        ,        ,          ,
      There is | no reas|on, but | I shall | be blind.
         ,         ,         ,        ,        ,
      If I | can check | my er|ring love,| I will,
          ,        ,        ,          ,         ,
      If not,| to comp|ass her | I'll use | my skill.
 
[Exit]

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