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The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Act IV, Scene 4

The same.
 
[Enter LAUNCE, with his his Dog]
 
LAUNCE
When a man's servant shall play the cur with him (look you) it goes hard: one that I brought up of a puppy: one that I saved from drowning, when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters went to it: I have taught him (even as one would say precisely, thus I would teach a dog) I was sent to deliver him, as a present to Mistress Silvia, from my master; and I came no sooner into the dining chamber, but he steps me to her trencher, and steals her capon's leg: O, 'tis a foul thing, when a cur cannot keep himself in all companies: I would have (as one should say) one that takes upon him to be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault upon me that he did, I think verily he had been hanged for it: sure as I live he had suffered for it: you shall judge: He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentlemanlike dogs, under the duke's table: he had not been there (bless the mark) a pissing while, but all the chamber smelt him: Out with the dog (says one) What cur is that (says another) Whip him out (says the third) Hang him up (says the duke). I having been acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab, and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs: Friend (quoth I) you mean to whip the dog: Aye marry do I (quoth he) you do him the more wrong (quoth I) 'twas I did the thing you wot of: He makes me no more ado, but whips me out of the chamber: How many masters would do this for his servant? Nay, I'll be sworn I have sat in the stocks, for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise he had been executed: I have stood on the pillory for geese he hath killed, otherwise he had suffered for it: Thou thinkst not of this now: nay, I remember the trick you served me, when I took my leave of Madam Silvia: did not I bid thee still mark me, and do as I do; when didst thou see me heave up my leg, and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? didst thou ever see me do such a trick?
 
[Enter PROTEUS and JULIA]
 
PROTEUS
         ,    2   ,         ,        ,           ,
      Sebas|tian is | thy name:| I like | thee well,
            ,        ,          ,         ,        ,        , ->
      And will | employ | thee in | some serv|ice pre||sently.
 
JULIA
           ,           ,           ,       2   ,
      In what | you please,| I'll do | what I can.
 
PROTEUS
          ,           ,
      I hope | thou wilt.
                                ,          ,         ,      ->
                           How now | you whore|son peas||ant,
        ,         2      ,           ,      ,   ,
      Where | have you been | these two | days loit/ering?
 
LAUNCE
Marry, sir, I carried Mistress Silvia the dog you bade me.
 
PROTEUS
And what says she to my little jewel?
 
LAUNCE
Marry she says your dog was a cur, and tells you currish thanks is good enough for such a present.
 
PROTEUS
But she received my dog?
 
LAUNCE
No indeed did she not:
Here have I brought him back again.
 
PROTEUS
What, didst thou offer her this from me?
 
LAUNCE
       ,            ,          x             x           ,
      Aye sir:| the oth|er squirrel | was stolen | from me
                 ,   ,       ,            ,        ,
      By the / hangman's | boys in | the mark|et place,
            ,       ,        ,          ,         ,      ,
      And then | I of|fered her | mine own,| who is | a dog  (hex with next)
          ,        ,         ,           ,       2      ,          ,      ->
      As big | as ten | of yours,| and there|fore the gift | the grea||ter.
 
PROTEUS
            ,           ,           ,        ,       ,
      Go*, get | thee hence,| and find | my dog | again,
           ,        ,       ,       ,        ,
      Or nere | return | again | into | my sight.
        ,       ,       ,              ,         ,
      Away,| I say:| stayst thou | to vex | me here;
          ,            ,         ,      ,             ,
      A slave,| that still | an end,| turns me | to shame:
         ,     ,   ,         ,       ,
      Sebas|tian,| I have | enter|tained thee,
        ,           ,          ,         ,        ,
      Partly | that I | have need | of such | a youth,
            ,      ,      2     ,         ,       ,
      That can | with some di|scretion | do my | business:
            ,         ,              ,   ,         ,
      For 'tis | no trust|ing to / yond fool|ish lout;
            ,        ,          ,     ,     2    ,
      But chief|ly, for | thy face,| and thy be|havior,
        ,             ,    ,       ,         ,
      Which (if | my aug|ury | deceive | me not)
       ,                ,        ,    ,              ,
      Witness | good* bring|ing up,| fortune,| and truth:
        ,           ,               ,       ,     ,          ->
      Therefore | know thee,| for this | I ent|ertain || thee.
       ,    ,     2          ,           ,           ,
      Go | presently,| and take | this ring | with thee,
         ,      ,       ,      ,    ,
      Deliv|er it | to mad|am Silv|ia;
            ,          ,       ,        ,       ,
      She loved | me well,| deliv|ered it | to me.
 
JULIA
           ,           ,          ,         ,           x
      It seems | you loved | not her,| to leave | her token:
         2     ,        ,
      She is dead | belike?
 
PROTEUS
                                ,       ,           ,
                           Not so:| I think | she lives.
 
JULIA
        ,
      Alas.
 
PROTEUS
                  ,          ,      ,
            Why dost | thou cry | alas?
 
JULIA
         ,         ,          ,     ,
      I can|not choose | but pi|ty her.
 
PROTEUS
        T    T      T            ,     ,
      Wherefore shouldst | thou pi|ty her?  (tetra with prev two)
 
JULIA
          ,          ,           ,           ,         ,
      Because,| methinks | that she | loved^you | as well
          ,         ,          ,     ,    ,
      As you | do love | your la|dy Silv|ia:
            ,          ,          ,        ,          ,
      She dreams | on him,| that has | forgot | her love,
           ,         ,           ,           ,           ,
      You dote | on her,| that cares | not* for | your love.
            ,      ,            ,    ,      ,
      'Tis pi|ty love,| should be | so con|trary:
            ,        ,         ,         ,      ,
      And think|ing on | it, makes | me cry | alas.
 
PROTEUS
       __      ,               ,          ,       ,
      Well:| give her | that ring,| and there|withal
              x        ,           ,         ,        ,
      This letter:| That's her | chamber:| Tell my | lady,
          ,          ,      3   3       x       ,       o
      I claim | the prom|ise for her heaven|ly pic|ture:
            ,         ,          ,     ,  2       ,
      Your mes|sage done,| hie home | unto my | chamber,
              ,            ,        ,         ,     x
      Where thou | shalt find | me sad,| and sol|itary.
 
[Exit]
 
JULIA
       ,    2     ,        ,          ,       ,
      How many | women | would do | such a | message?
        ,          ,    2     ,          ,       ,
      Alas | poor Prot|eus, thou | hast ent|ertained
         ,        ,         ,        ,         ,
      A fox,| to be | the shep|herd of | thy lambs;
        ,           ,     ,          ,     ,
      Alas,| poor fool,| why do | I pi|ty him
             ,         ,      ,        ,        ,
      That with | his ve|ry heart | despis|eth me?
          ,      T   T    T      2    ,       ,
      Because | he loves her,| he despis|eth me,
          ,     ,        ,             ,     ,
      Because | I love^|him, I | must pi|ty him.
             ,        ,           ,        ,     2      ,
      This ring | I gave | him, when | he part|ed from me,
           ,         ,      ,             ,    ,
      To bind | him to | remem|ber my / good will:
           ,       ,      ,      ,      ,
      And now | am I |(unhap|py mes|senger)
           ,           ,          ,          ,        ,
      To plead | for that,| which I | would not | obtain;
          ,       ,      ,         ,              ,
      To car|ry that,| which I | would have | refused;
            ,           ,       ,         ,                ,
      To praise | his faith,| which I | would have | dispraised.
      ,          ,          ,        ,        ,
      I am | my mast|er's true | confir|med love,
           ,     2     ,     ,         ,       ,
      But can|not be true | servant | to my | master,
          ,        ,       ,     ,               ,
      Unless | I prove | false trait/or to | myself.
            ,       ,         ,         ,         ,     ->
      Yet will | I woo | for him,| but yet | so cold||ly,
       ,      x          ,     2         ,               ,
      As |(heaven it | knows) I would | not have | him speed.
       ,      ,            ,        ,         ,        ,
      Gentle|woman,| good day:| I pray | you be | my mean
           ,          ,          ,           ,      ,    ,
      To bring | me where | to speak | with mad|am Silv|ia. (hex with prev)
 
SILVIA
        ,           ,          ,             ,       ,
      What would | you with | her, if | that I | be she?
 
JULIA
          ,        ,       ,       ,           ,        2->
      If you | be she,| I do | entreat | your pa||tience
           ,         ,          ,        2       ,   ,
      To hear | me speak | the mes|sage I am / sent on.
 
SILVIA
             ,
      From whom?
 
JULIA
                  ,        ,            ,    2    ,     ->
                From my | master,| Sir Prot|eus, mad||am.
 
SILVIA
       ,        ,          ,       ,
      Oh:| he sends | you for | a pic|ture?
 
JULIA
      <- ,      ,    ->
        Aye,|| madam.
 
SILVIA
       ,         ,         ,         ,
      Ursu|la, bring | my pic|ture there,
       ,              ,        ,      ,              ,
      Go, give^|your mast|er this:| tell him | from me,
           ,  2     ,          ,           ,          ,
      One Jul|ia, that | his chan|ging thoughts | forget
              x       ,          ,              ,     ,
      Would better | fit his | chamber,| than this | shadow.
 
JULIA
       ,         ,             ,          ,       o
      Madam,| please you | peruse | this let|ter;
       ,            ,      ,         ,     ,
      Pardon | me (mad|am) I | have un|advised
         ,        ,       ,    2     ,           ,
      Deliv|ered you | a pap|er that I | should not;
        ,            ,       ,         ,     ,
      This is | the let|ter to | your lad|yship.
 
SILVIA
          ,          ,         ,         ,       ,
      I pray | thee let | me look | on that | again.
 
JULIA
          ,         ,         ,       ,       ,
      It may | not be:| good mad|am, pard|on me.
 
SILVIA
               ,
      There, hold:  \\
          ,          ,      ,          ,          ,
      I will | not look | upon | your mas|ter's lines:
          ,        2       ,            ,      ,    ,
      I know | they are stuffed | with prot|esta|tions,
            ,     .  T    T     T            ,          ,
      And full | of new-found oaths,| which he | will break
          ,    ,      ,        ,         ,     ->
      As ea|sily | as I | do tear | his pa||per.
 
JULIA
       ,     2     ,           ,     ,           ,
      mad|am, he sends | your lad|yship | this ring.
 
SILVIA
            ,      ,          ,               ,         ,
      The more | shame for | him, that | he sends | it me;
          ,          ,          ,        ,         ,
      For I | have heard | him say | a thous|and times,
           ,  2    ,        ,     ,    2    ,
      His Jul|ia gave | it him,| at his de|parture.
         T    T    T      ,    2            ,           ,
      Though his false | finger have | profaned | the ring,
        ,           ,    2       , 2     T   T    T
      Mine shall | not do his | Julia | so much wrong.
 
JULIA
             ,
      She thanks you.  \\
 
SILVIA
             ,
      What sayst thou?  \\
 
JULIA
          ,          ,        ,         ,       ,
      I thank | you mad|am, that | you tend|er her:
               x    ,          ,         ,           ,
      Poor* gentle|woman,| my mast|er wrongs | her much.
 
SILVIA
        ,         ,
      Dost thou know her?   \\
 
JULIA
       ,            ,       ,        ,        ,
      Almost | as well | as I | do know | myself.
           ,       ,          ,       ,        ,
      To think | upon | her woes,| I do | protest
           ,          ,       ,         ,        ,
      That I | have wept | a hund|red seve|ral times.
 
SILVIA
          ,           ,           ,    2    ,         ,        2->
      Belike | she thinks | that Prot|eus hath | forsook || her?
 
JULIA
          ,           ,           ,           ,         ,      ->
      I think | she doth:| and that's | her cause | of sor||row.
 
SILVIA
       ,      2     ,         ,
      Is | she not pas|sing fair?  \\
 
JULIA
            ,           ,       ,        ,         ,
      She hath | been fair|er (mad|am) than | she is,
            ,          ,         ,        ,           ,
      When she | did think | my mast|er loved | her well;
       ,             ,         ,         ,        ,
      She, in | my judg|ment, was | as fair | as you.
            ,          ,        ,          ,         ,
      But since | she did | neglect | her look|ing glass,
            ,          ,      ,         ,      ,
      And threw | her sun-|expel|ling mask | away,
           ,            ,           ,      ,          ,
      The air | hath starved | the ros|es in | her cheeks,
             ,           ,      ,        ,         ,
      And pinched | the li|ly-tinc|ture of | her face,
            ,         ,       ,         ,        ,
      That now | she is | become | as black | as I.
 
SILVIA
            ,       ,
      How tall was she?   \\
 
JULIA
         ,     ,  ,                  ,      ,
      About | my sta/ture: for | at pent|ecost,
            ,         ,         ,       ,             ,
      When all | our pa|geants of | delight | were played,
            ,          ,        ,         ,         ,
      Our youth | got me | to play | the wom|an's part,
          ,          ,          ,      ,   2     ,
      And I | was trimmed | in mad|am Jul|ia's gown,
               ,       2    ,        ,      T     T   T
      Which served | me as fit,| by all | men's judgments,
          ,        ,        ,           ,         ,
      As if | the gar|ment had | been made | for me:
        ,             ,     ,    2    T   T    T
      Therefore | I know | she is a|bout my height,
           ,          ,        ,          ,       ,
      And at | that time | I made | her weep | agood,
          ,    ,    ,          ,          ,
      For I | did play / a la|mentab|le part.
        ,            ,    ,      ,       ,
      (Madam)| 'twas Ar|iad|ne, pas|sioning
           ,    2    ,     ,    .   T  T     T
      For Thes|eus' per|jury,| and unjust flight;
            ,        ,      ,       ,         ,
      Which I | so live|ly act|ed with | my tears:
                  ,   ,         ,       ,       ,
      That my / poor mist|ress mov|ed there|withal,
        ,   ,                ,         ,          ,
      Wept bit/terly:| and would | I might | be dead,
         ,    .    T      T   T         ,     ,      ->
      If I | in thought felt not | her ve|ry sor||row.
 
SILVIA
       ,      2   ,        ,          ,        ,
      She | is behol|ding to | thee (gent|le youth)
        ,           ,      ,     ,          ,
      Alas |(poor* la|dy) des|olate,| and left;
          ,        ,         ,       ,          ,
      I weep | myself | to think | upon | thy words:
        T    T      T       2     ,         ,           ,
      Here youth: there | is my purse;| I give | thee this
         2      ,      ,            ,        ,            ,               ,
      For thy sweet | mistress' | sake, be|cause thou | lovst her.| Farewell.
 
[Exit SILVIA, with attendants]
 
JULIA
           ,            ,            x         ,          ,        o
      And she | shall thank | you for it,| if ere | you know | her.  (hex with prev)
         ,           x     ,       ,           ,   2
      A vir|tuous gentle|woman,| mild, and | beautiful.
          ,        ,          ,          ,         ,
      I hope | my mast|er's suit | will be | but cold,
             ,         ,         ,           ,         ,
      Since^she | respects | my mist|ress' love | so much.
        ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      Alas,| how love | can trif|le with | itself:
        ,            ,         ,        ,        ,
      Here is | her pic|ture: let | me see,| I think
         ,         ,        ,           ,         ,
      If I | had such | a tire,| this face | of mine
             ,         ,       ,        ,         ,
      Were full | as love|ly, as | is this | of hers:
           ,          ,        ,         ,         x
      And yet | the paint|er flat|tered her | a little,
          ,        ,        ,        ,           ,
      Unless | I flat|ter with | myself | too* much.
       ,       2      ,          ,        ,         ,
      Her hair* is | auburn*,| mine is | perfect | yellow;
           ,        ,         ,           ,         ,
      If that | be all | the dif|ference in | his love,
            ,         ,       ,        ,    ,
      I'll get | me such | a col|ored per|iwig:
            ,          ,         ,          ,         ,
      Her eyes | are grey | as glass,| and so | are mine:
       ,      2        T   T     T           ,          ,
      Aye, but her | forehead's low,| and mine's | as high:
              ,         ,         ,        ,         ,
      What should | it be | that he | respects | in her,
          ,         ,        ,        ,       ,
      But I | can make | respect|ive in | myself?
       .   T    T    T          ,        ,       ,
      If this fond Love,| were not | a blind|ed god.
             ,         ,          ,          ,       ,
      Come* shad|ow, come,| and take | this shad|ow up,
            ,         ,      ,          ,          ,
      For 'tis | thy riv|al: O | thou sense|less form,
             ,          ,             ,       ,             ,
      Thou shalt | be worsh|ipped, kissed,| loved, and | adored;
            ,            ,         ,      ,    ,
      And were | there sense | in his | idol|atry,
          ,            ,         ,       ,         ,
      My sub|stance should | be sta|tue in | thy stead.
            ,           ,       ,         ,           ,
      I'll use | thee kind|ly, for | thy mist|ress' sake
             ,        ,        ,         ,       ,
      That used | me so:| or else | by Jove,| I vow,
           ,              ,        ,            ,        ,
      I should | have scratched | out your | unsee|ing eyes,
           ,                ,         ,           ,
      To make | my mast|er out | of love | with thee.
 
[Exit]

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