SILVIA, beloved of Valentine. Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 3; so 4. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3; sc. 4. LUCETTA, waiting-woman to Julia. Servants, Musicians. SCENE, IN VERONA, IN MILAN, AND ON THE FRONTIERS OF Mantua. THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA' was first printed in the folio collection of Shakspere's plays, edited by John Heminge and Henry Condell, and published in 1623, seven years after his death. The text is singularly correct. There are not more than half a dozen passages of any real importance upon which a doubt can be entertained, if printed according to the original. It is, in all probability, a play written vory early in Shakspero's life. THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. ACT I. SCENE I.—An open place in Verona. VAL. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus; PRO Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu! Wish me partaker in thy happiness, When thou dost meet good hap: and in thy danger, Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, VAL. And on a love-book pray for my success? For he was more than over shoes in love. VAL. 'T is true; for you are over boots in love, And yet you never swom the Hellespont. PRO. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots. 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; PRO. So, by your circumstance, you call me 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 Even so by love the young and tender wit 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. To Milan let me hear from thee by letters, PRO. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! PRO. He after honour hunts, I after love: He leaves his friends to dignify them more; I leave myself, my friends, and all for love. 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 1 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, 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 overcharged, you were best stick her. PRO. Nay, in that you are astray; 't were best pound you. tern is from French word Creaning a in See Gloss, SPEED. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter. PRO. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold. SPEED. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, "T is 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.. [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. SPEED. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains. PRO. Beshrew me, but you have a 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 delivered. PRO. Well, sir, here is for your pains: What said she? PRO. Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her? 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. PRO. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from wrack; Being destin'd to a drier death on shore:- |