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The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Act V, Scene 4

Another part of the forest.
 
[Enter VALENTINE]
 
VALENTINE
           ,           ,        ,      ,      ,
      How^use | doth breed | a hab|it in | a man?
            ,    2   ,        ,  ,            ,
      This shad|owy des|ert, un|frequen|ted woods
         ,        ,            ,    2      ,         ,
      I bet|ter brook | than flour|ishing peop|led towns:
        ,     2     ,      ,        ,       ,
      Here can I | sit a|lone, un|seen of | any,
           ,         ,        ,          ,         ,
      And to | the night|ingale's | complain|ing notes
        ,            ,        ,        ,         ,
      Tune my | distres|ses, and | record | my woes.
          ,           ,       ,      ,         ,
      O thou | that dost | inhab|it in | my breast,
             ,         ,        ,     ,   ,
      Leave^not | the man|sion so | long ten/antless,
            ,        ,    ,          ,         ,
      Lest grow|ing ru|inous,| the build|ing fall,
            ,         ,    ,        ,        ,
      And leave | no mem|ory | of what | it was,
          ,          ,         ,          ,    ,
      Repair | me, with | thy pres|ence, Silv|ia:
            ,        ,      ,                  ,    ,
      Thou gent|le nymph,| cherish | thy for/lorn swain.
            ,    2            ,    ,         ,       ,
      What hal|loing, and / what stir | is this | today?
        ,              ,            ,            ,            ,
      These are | my mates,| that make | their wills | their law,
             ,       ,      ,      ,         ,
      Have some | unhap|py pas|senger | in chase;
             ,         ,        ,          ,        ,
      They love | me well:| yet I | have much | to do
           ,                 , ,      ,   ,
      To keep | them from / unciv|il out|rages.
            ,          ,      ,            ,      ,
      Withdraw | thee Val|entine:| who's^this | comes here*?
 
[Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA]
 
PROTEUS
       ,            ,       ,          ,         ,
      Madam,| this serv|ice I | have done | for you
               ,        ,           ,           ,         ,
      (Though you | respect | not aught | your serv|ant doth)
          ,        ,         ,       ,          ,
      To haz|ard life,| and res|cue you | from him,
             ,             ,           ,       ,           ,
      That would | have forced | your hon|or, and | your love,
            ,         ,         ,         ,            ,
      Vouchsafe | me for | my meed,| but one | fair* look:
          ,        ,           ,       ,       ,
      A smal|ler boon | than this | I can|not beg,
            ,           ,     2     ,         ,        ,
      And less | than this,| I am sure | you can|not give.)
 
VALENTINE
             ,        ,          ,       ,          ,
      How* like | a dream | is this?| I see,| and hear:
       __      ,        ,           2     ,       ,
      Love,| lend me | patience | to forbear | awhile.
 
SILVIA
         ,      ,       ,       ,       ,
      O mis|erable,| unhap|py that | I am.
 
PROTEUS
         ,       ,          ,       ,        ,
      Unhap|py were | you (mad|am) ere | I came:
           ,    ,  ,        2         ,         ,
      But by | my co/ming, I have | made you | happy.
 
SILVIA
       ,    2      ,            ,              ,  ,
      By thy ap|proach thou | makst me | most^un|happy.
 
JULIA
           ,         ,       ,         ,          ,        2->
      And me,| when he | approach|eth to | your pres||ence.
 
SILVIA
          ,          ,      ,       ,       x
      Had I | been seiz|ed by | a hung|ry lion,
          ,            ,        ,         ,         ,
      I would | have been | a break|fast to | the beast,
       ,    2         T    T    T    2   ,       ,
      Rather than | have false Prot|eus res|cue me:
            x         ,         ,         ,      ,
      Oh heaven | bejudge | how I | love^Val|entine,
              ,          ,       ,       ,        ,
      Whose^life's | as tend|er to | me as | my soul,
            ,         ,          ,           ,       ,
      And full | as much |(for more | there can|not be)
         ,       ,      T    T   T      ,   2
      I do | detest | false perjured | Proteus:
             ,        ,       ,      ,        ,
      Therefore | begone,| soli|cit me | no more.
 
PROTEUS
             ,   2     ,         ,          ,         ,
      What dang|erous ac|tion, stood | it next | to death
        ,    2       ,     ,         T    T    T
      Would I not | under|go, for | one calm look:
       ,              ,          ,          ,          ,
      Oh 'tis | the curse | in love,| and still | approved,
            ,      ,        ,              ,         ,
      When wom|en can|not love,| where they're | beloved.
 
SILVIA
             ,   2   ,        ,            ,        ,
      When Prot|eus can|not love,| where he's | beloved:
           ,      ,   2     ,      .    T     T    T
      Read^ov|er Jul|ia's heart,|(thy first best love,
            ,             ,           ,            ,          ,
      For whose | dear* sake,| thou didst | then rend | thy faith
       ,         ,         ,          ,            ,
      Into | a thous|and oaths;| and all | those oaths,
          ,       ,     ,     ,        ,        ->
      Descen|ded in|to per|jury,| to love || me,
        ,        2     ,       T   T    .  T              ,
      Thou | hast no faith | left now, unless | thou'dst^two,
       .     T    T    T            ,     ,              ,
      And that's far worse | than none:| better | have none
            ,        ,            ,          ,        ,
      Than plur|al faith,| which is | too* much | by one:
             ,       ,               ,     ,
      Thou count|erfeit,| to thy / true friend.
 
PROTEUS
                                                    ,
                                               In love,
       ,        T      T
      Who re|spects friend?
 
SILVIA
                             T     ,         ,   2
                            All | men but | Proteus.
 
PROTEUS
       ,             ,         x         ,        ,
      Nay, if | the gent|le spirit | of mov|ing words
           ,           ,      ,          ,        ,
      Can no | way* change | you to | a mild|er form,
            ,          ,       ,               ,    ,
      I'll woo | you like | a sol|dier, at / arms' end,
            ,       2    ,          ,     2     ,      ,
      And love | you against | the na|ture of love:| force ye.
 
SILVIA
           x
      O heaven.
 
PROTEUS
                      ,            ,         ,       ,
               I'll force | thee yield | to my | desire.
 
VALENTINE
       ,   2         ,          ,       ,       ,
      Ruffian:| let go | that rude | unciv|il touch,
              ,              ,   ,
      Thou friend | of an / ill fash|ion.
 
PROTEUS
                                          ,      ,
                                         Val|entine.
 
VALENTINE
            ,         ,              ,        ,          ,
      Thou com|mon friend,| that's^with|out faith | or love,
            ,              ,    ,       ,          ,
      For such | is a / friend now:| treache|rous man.
        ,              ,          ,        ,               ,
      Thou hast | beguiled | my hopes;| nought but | mine^eye
        ,       2     ,            ,        ,         ,
      Could have per|suaded | me: now | I dare | not say
                ,     ,        ,      ,                ,
      I have / one friend | alive;| thou wouldst^dis|prove me:
       ,                ,         ,      T     T     T
      Who should | be trust|ed, when | one's right hand
          ,         ,        ,       ,     ,
      Is per|jured to | the bos|om? Prot|eus
       2    ,     ,         ,       ,            ,
      I am sor|ry I | must nev|er trust | thee more,
            ,           ,         ,        ,          ,
      But count | the world | a strang|er for | thy sake:
           ,         ,         ,         ,     ,              ,   ->
      The priv|ate wound | is deep|est: oh | time, most^||accursed:
          T    T    T        2     ,             ,          ,   ->
      'Mongst all foes | that a friend | should be || the worst?
 
PROTEUS
           ,           ,           ,         o
      My shame | and guilt | confounds | me:
           ,        ,      ,         ,      ,
      Forgive | me Val|entine:| if hear|ty sorrow
       ,         ,        ,       ,        ,
      Be a | suffi|cient rans|om for | offense,
         ,     2     ,       ,       ,        x
      I tend|er it here:| I do | as tru|ly suffer,
          ,       ,        ,
      As ere | I did | commit.
 
VALENTINE
                                   ,        ,
                              Then I | am paid:
            ,       ,       ,       ,           ,      ->
      And once | again,| I do | receive | thee hon||est;
       ,      2   ,         ,        ,      ,
      Who | by repent|ance is | not sa|tisfied,
          ,          x           ,           ,            ,
      Is nor | of heaven,| nor earth;| for these | are pleased:
          ,     ,        2  ,           ,           ,
      By pen|itence | the Etern|al's wrath's | appeased:
       ,              ,             ,    ,           ,
      And that | my love | may^ap/pear plain | and free,
       ,      2        ,         ,  2    T   T    T
      All that was | mine, in | Silvia,| I give thee.
 
JULIA
         ,      ,
      O me | unhap|py.
 
[Swoons]
 
PROTEUS
                        ,      2     ,
                      Look | to the boy.
 
VALENTINE
                                               ,
                                        Why*, boy?
           ,         ,          2     ,               ,    ,
      Why wag:| how now?| What's the mat|ter? Look / up: speak.
 
JULIA
O good sir, my master charged me to deliver a ring to Madam Silvia: which (out of my neglect) was never done.
 
PROTEUS
        ,               ,     ,
      Where is | that ring?| Boy?
 
JULIA
                                          ,              ,
                                  Here |'tis: this | is it.
 
PROTEUS
       ,             ,
      How? let | me see.  \\
            ,      2      ,        ,        ,   ,
      Why this | is the ring | I gave | to Jul|ia.
 
JULIA
           ,         ,      ,        ,        ,
      Oh, cry | you mer|cy sir,| I have | mistook:
        ,             ,          ,        ,    ,
      This is | the ring | you sent | to Silv|ia.
 
PROTEUS
         2      ,           ,          ,     ,   2     ,
      But how camst | thou by | this ring?| At my de|part
      <-       ,          ,      ,
        I || gave this | unto | Jul||ia.
 
JULIA
           ,   ,        ,          ,        ,
      And Jul|ia | herself | did give | it me,
           ,   ,        ,            ,          ,      ->
      And Jul|ia | herself | hath brought | it hith||er.
 
PROTEUS
       ,     , 2
      How?| Julia?  \\
 
JULIA
          ,     ,                ,        ,          ,
      Behold | her, that | gave^aim | to all | thy oaths,
           ,       ,          ,      ,         ,
      And ent|ertained |'em deep|ly in | her heart.
           ,           ,          ,    2    ,           ,
      How oft | hast thou | with per|jury cleft | the root?
         ,    2    ,          ,       ,           ,
      O Prot|eus, let | this hab|it make | thee blush.
       ,     2     ,          ,          ,     ,
      Be thou a|shamed that | I have | took u|pon me,
        ,          ,        ,              ,     ,
      Such an | immod|est raim|ent; if / shame live
       ,          ,          ,
      In a | disguise | of love?  \\
          ,        ,        ,     ,         ,
      It is | the les|ser blot | mode|sty finds,
       ,            ,              ,           ,            ,
      Women | to change | their shapes,| than men | their minds.
 
PROTEUS
            ,            ,            ,          x           ,
      Than men | their minds?| 'Tis true:| oh heaven,| were man
           ,          ,         ,                ,    x
      But const|ant, he | were per|fect; that / one error
        ,      2          T      T    .   T             ,          ,
      Fills him with | faults: makes him run | through^all | the sins;
          ,            ,    ,     ,           ,
      Inconst|ancy / falls off,| ere it | begins:
        ,           ,    2     ,        ,        ,
      What is | in Silv|ia's face,| but I | may spy
              ,         ,    ,        2   ,         ,
      More* fresh | in Jul|ia's,| with a const|ant eye?
 
VALENTINE
       __      ,         ,          ,       oo
      Come,| come: a | hand from | either:|
       ,             ,           ,          ,       ,
      Let me | be blessed | to make | this hap|py close:
               x     ,            ,              T   T    T
      'Twere pity | two such | friends should | be long foes.
 
PROTEUS
             ,           x         ,         ,       ,     ->
      Bear* wit|ness (Heaven)| I have | my wish | forev||er.
 
JULIA
            ,   ,
      And / I mine.
 
[Enter Outlaws, with DUKE and THURIO]
 
OUTLAWS
                        ,         ,         ,
                    A prize:| a prize:| a prize.
 
VALENTINE
           ,         ,       ,      3  3     ,          ,
      Forbear,| forbear | I say:| it is my lord | the duke.
             ,         ,        ,      ,          ,
      Your grace | is wel|come to | a man | disgraced,
       ,          ,      ,
      Banished | Valen|tine.
 
DUKE
                                    ,     __
                             Sir | Valen|tine?
 
THURIO
       ,           ,    ,        ,    2     ,
      Yonder | is Silv|ia:| and Silv|ia's mine.
 
VALENTINE
       ,  2           ,         ,        ,           ,
      Thurio | give^back;| or else | embrace | thy death:
             ,        ,         ,        ,        ,
      Come* not | within | the meas|ure of | my wrath:
       .  T    T   T    2   ,          ,       ,
      Do not name Silv|ia thine:| if once | again,
         ,             ,    ,            ,           ,
      Veron|a shall / not hold | thee: here | she stands,
        ,            ,        ,          ,        ,
      Take but | posses|sion of | her, with | a touch:
          ,           ,          ,        ,         ,
      I dare | thee, but | to breathe | upon | my love.
 
THURIO
           ,      ,        ,     ,             ,
      Sir Val|entine,| I care | not for | her, I:
          ,         ,        ,      ,      2    ,
      I hold | him but | a fool | that will en|danger
           ,      ,        ,           ,          ,
      His bo|dy, for | a girl | that loves | him not:
          ,          ,          ,         ,         ,
      I claim | her not,| and there|fore she | is thine.
 
DUKE
            ,       ,     ,          ,          ,
      The more | degen|erate | and base | art thou
           ,           ,          ,         ,           ,
      To make | such^means | for her,| as thou | hast done,
            ,          ,           ,         ,    ,
      And leave | her on | such slight | condi|tions.
       ,             ,      ,       ,     ,
      Now, by | the hon|or of | my an|cestry,
         ,       ,          ,        ,      ,
      I do | applaud | thy spir|it, Val|entine,
            ,            ,      ,       ,          ,
      And think | thee worth|y of | an emp|ress' love:
        ,             ,        ,          ,        ,
      Know then,| I here | forget | all form|er griefs,
       ,              ,         ,           ,       ,
      Cancel | all grudge,| repeal | thee home | again,
        T   .  T    T         ,       ,          x
      Plead a new state | in thy | unriv|alled merit,
           ,         ,          ,          ,     ,
      To which | I thus | subscribe:| Sir Val|entine,
            ,       ,      ,          ,        ,
      Thou art | a gent|leman,| and well | derived,
        ,      2       ,  2     ,           ,        ,
      Take thou thy | Silvia,| for thou | hast de|served her.
 
VALENTINE
          ,            ,           ,           ,        ,     ->
      I thank | your grace,| the gift | hath made | me hap||py.
      ,    ,       ,            2       ,           ,
      I | now be|seech you |(for your daught|er's sake)
       .   T    T    T         ,          ,        ,
      To grant one boon | that I | shall ask | of you.
 
DUKE
          ,          ,           ,         ,        ,
      I grant | it (for | thine^own)| whatere | it be.
 
VALENTINE
             ,         ,         ,          ,        ,
      These ban|ished men,| that I | have kept | withal,
           ,        ,           ,       ,      ,
      Are men | endued | with worth|y qual|ities:
           ,           ,           ,        ,        ,
      Forgive | them what | they have | commit|ted here,
           ,          ,        ,                   ,  ,
      And let | them be | recalled | from their / exile:
        ,           ,        ,        ,         ,
      They are | reform|ed, civ|il, full | of good
           ,          ,         ,         ,        ,
      And fit | for great | employ|ment (worth|y lord).
 
DUKE
             ,          ,        ,        ,          ,
      Thou hast | prevailed,| I pard|on them | and thee:
          ,          ,         ,       ,               ,
      Dispose | of them,| as thou | knowst their | deserts.
        ,             ,    ,     2     T    T    T
      Come, let | us go,| we will in|clude all jars,
            ,           ,           ,       ,     ,
      With tri|umphs, mirth,| and rare | solem|nity.
 
VALENTINE
           ,        ,       ,        ,         ,
      And as | we walk | along,| I dare | be bold
            ,          ,          ,           ,          ,
      With our | discourse,| to make | your grace | to smile.
        T    T    T         ,      ,          ,
      What think you | of this | page (my | lord)?
 
DUKE
      <-       ,          ,           ,         ,          ,
        I || think the | boy hath | grace in | him, he | blushes.
 
VALENTINE
         ,        ,         ,           ,           ,
      I war|rant you |(my lord)| more grace,| than boy.
 
DUKE
        T    T   T     T   T   T       o
      What mean you | by that say|ing?
 
VALENTINE
         ,                ,          ,        ,       ,
      Please you,| I'll tell | you, as | we pass | along,
            ,          ,        ,          ,
      That you | will wond|er what | hath for|tuned:
      <-  ,      ,     ,               ,         ,         ,
        Come || Prote|us, 'tis | your pen|ance, but | to hear
           ,      ,          ,         ,     ,
      The sto|ry of | your loves | discov|ered,
             ,         ,        ,          ,          ,
      That^done,| our day | of mar|riage shall | be yours,
            ,           ,          ,   2   ,      ,
      One feast,| one house,| one mu|tual hap|piness.
 
[Exeunt]

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