ANTONIO, father to Proteus. THURIO, a foolish rival to Valentire. LAUNCE, Servant to Proteus. PANTHINO, servant to Antonio. HOST, where Julia lodges in Milan. OUTLAWS. JULIA, a lady of Verona, beloved by Proteus. SILVIA, the duke's daughter, beloved by Valentins. LUCETTA, waiting-woman to Julia. Servants, Musicians. SCENE, Sometimes in Verona; sometimes in Milan; and. cn the frontiers of Mantua. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. ACT I. SCENE I. An open place in Verona. Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS. Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus; To see the wonders of the world abroad, Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu! Think on thy Proteus, when thou haply seest When thou dost meet good hap; and, in thy danger, 1 Idleness, which prevents the giving any form or character to the manners. If ever danger do environ thee, Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, Val. And on a love-book pray for my success. Pro. Upon some book I love, I'll pray for thee. Val. That's on some shallow story of deep love, How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont. Pro. That's a deep story of a deeper love; For he was more than over shoes in love. Val. 'Tis 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.1 Val. No, I will not, for it boots thee not. 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 : Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. prove. I Do not make a laughing-stock of me. A proverbial expression, deriving its origin from a humorous punishment at harvest-home feasts. 2 Circumstance is used equivocally: it here means conduct; in the preceding line, circumstantial deduction. Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at; I am not Love. Val. Love is your master, for he masters you; And he that is so yoked by a 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 Is eaten by the canker ere it blow, Even so by love the young and tender wit Is turn'd to folly; blasting in the bud, Once more adieu: my father at the road 1 Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine. At Milan, let me hear from thee by letters, Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! At the haven where ships anchor He leaves his friends, to dignify them more; 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 Pro. A silly answer, and fitting well 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 an other. 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 |