Enter Proteus.PROTEUS Already have I been false to Valentine, And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. Under the color of commending him, I have access my own love to prefer.5 But Sylvia is too fair, too true, too holy To be corrupted with my worthless gifts. When I protest true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; When to her beauty I commend my vows,10 She bids me think how I have been forsworn In breaking faith with Julia, whom I loved; And notwithstanding all her sudden quips, The least whereof would quell a lover’s hope, Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love,15 The more it grows and fawneth on her still. But here comes Thurio. Now must we to her window And give some evening music to her ear.
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⌜Enter⌝ Thurio ⌜and Musicians.⌝THURIO How now, Sir Proteus, are you crept before us?PROTEUS 20 Ay, gentle Thurio, for you know that love Will creep in service where it cannot go.THURIO Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here.PROTEUS Sir, but I do, or else I would be hence.THURIO Who, Sylvia?PROTEUS 25 Ay, Sylvia, for your sake.THURIO I thank you for your own.—Now, gentlemen, Let’s tune, and to it lustily awhile.⌜Enter⌝ Host ⌜of the inn, and⌝ Julia, ⌜disguised as a
page, Sebastian. They stand at a distance and talk.⌝HOST Now, my young guest, methinks you’re allycholly. I pray you, why is it?JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ 30Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry.HOST Come, we’ll have you merry. I’ll bring you where you shall hear music and see the gentleman that you asked for.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ 35But shall I hear him speak?HOST Ay, that you shall.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ That will be music.HOST Hark, hark.⌜Music plays.⌝JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Is he among these?HOST 40Ay. But peace; let’s hear ’em.
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Song.
⌜PROTEUS⌝ Who is Sylvia? What is she,
That all our swains commend her?
Holy, fair, and wise is she;
The heaven such grace did lend her
45 That she might admirèd be.
Is she kind as she is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair
To help him of his blindness;
50 And, being helped, inhabits there.
Then to Sylvia let us sing,
That Sylvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling.
55 To her let us garlands bring.HOST How now? Are you sadder than you were before? How do you, man? The music likes you not.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ You mistake. The musician likes me not.HOST 60Why, my pretty youth?JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ He plays false, father.HOST How, out of tune on the strings?JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Not so; but yet so false that he grieves my very heart-strings.HOST 65You have a quick ear.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Ay, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a slow heart.HOST I perceive you delight not in music.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Not a whit when it jars so.HOST 70Hark, what fine change is in the music!JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Ay; that change is the spite.HOST You would have them always play but one thing?
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JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ I would always have one play but one thing.75 But, host, doth this Sir Proteus, that we talk on, Often resort unto this gentlewoman?HOST I tell you what Lance his man told me: he loved her out of all nick.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Where is Lance?HOST 80Gone to seek his dog, which tomorrow, by his master’s command, he must carry for a present to his lady.⌜Music ends.⌝JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Peace. Stand aside. The company parts.⌜Host and Julia move away.⌝PROTEUS 85 Sir Thurio, fear not you. I will so plead That you shall say my cunning drift excels.THURIO Where meet we?PROTEUS At Saint Gregory’s well.THURIO Farewell.⌜Thurio and the Musicians exit.⌝⌜Enter⌝ Sylvia, ⌜above.⌝PROTEUS 90 Madam, good even to your Ladyship.SYLVIA I thank you for your music, gentlemen. Who is that that spake?PROTEUS One, lady, if you knew his pure heart’s truth, You would quickly learn to know him by his voice.SYLVIA 95Sir Proteus, as I take it.PROTEUS Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant.SYLVIA What’s your will?
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PROTEUS That I may compass yours.SYLVIA You have your wish: my will is even this,100 That presently you hie you home to bed. Thou subtle, perjured, false, disloyal man, Think’st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless, To be seducèd by thy flattery, That hast deceived so many with thy vows?105 Return, return, and make thy love amends. For me, by this pale queen of night I swear, I am so far from granting thy request That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit And by and by intend to chide myself110 Even for this time I spend in talking to thee.PROTEUS I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady, But she is dead.JULIA, ⌜aside⌝ ’Twere false if I should speak it, For I am sure she is not burièd.SYLVIA 115 Say that she be; yet Valentine thy friend Survives, to whom, thyself art witness, I am betrothed. And art thou not ashamed To wrong him with thy importunacy?PROTEUS I likewise hear that Valentine is dead.SYLVIA 120 And so suppose am I, for in ⌜his⌝ grave, Assure thyself, my love is burièd.PROTEUS Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth.SYLVIA Go to thy lady’s grave and call hers thence, Or, at the least, in hers sepulcher thine.JULIA, ⌜aside⌝ 125He heard not that.
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PROTEUS Madam, if your heart be so obdurate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, The picture that is hanging in your chamber; To that I’ll speak, to that I’ll sigh and weep,130 For since the substance of your perfect self Is else devoted, I am but a shadow; And to your shadow will I make true love.JULIA, ⌜aside⌝ If ’twere a substance you would sure deceive it And make it but a shadow, as I am.SYLVIA 135 I am very loath to be your idol, sir; But since your falsehood shall become you well To worship shadows and adore false shapes, Send to me in the morning, and I’ll send it. And so, good rest.⌜Sylvia exits.⌝PROTEUS 140 As wretches have o’ernight That wait for execution in the morn.⌜Proteus exits.⌝JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Host, will you go?HOST By my halidom, I was fast asleep.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Pray you, where lies Sir Proteus?HOST 145Marry, at my house. Trust me, I think ’tis almost day.JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ Not so; but it hath been the longest night That e’er I watched, and the most heaviest.⌜They exit.⌝
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
