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- {\rtf0\ansi{\fonttbl{\f0\froman Times Roman;}{\f1\fmodern Courier;}}
- {\pard\f0\fs28{\fs48 The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- }\
- \
- {\b\fs36 5.4}
- \
- {\i Enter Valentine\
- }{\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } How use doth breed a habit in a man!\
- This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods\
- I better brook than flourishing peopled towns.\
- Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,\
- And to the nightingale's complaining notes {\fs20 5}\
- Tune my distresses and record my woes.\
- O thou that dost inhabit in my breast,\
- Leave not the mansion so long tenantless\
- Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall\
- And leave no memory of what it was. {\fs20 10}\
- Repair me with thy presence, Silvia.\
- Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain.\
- What hallooing and what stir is this today?\
- These are my mates, that make their wills their law,\
- Have some unhappy passenger in chase. {\fs20 15}\
- They love me well, yet I have much to do\
- To keep them from uncivil outrages.\
- Withdraw thee, Valentine. Who's this comes here?\
- {\i He stands aside.\
- Enter Proteus, Silvia, and Julia dressed as a page-\
- boy\
- }{\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } Madam, this service I have done for you\'b1\'b1\
- Though you respect not aught your servant doth\'b1\'b1 {\fs20 20}\
- To hazard life, and rescue you from him\
- That would have forced your honour and your love.\
- Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look.\
- A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,\
- And less than this I am sure you cannot give. {\fs20 25}\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE}{\i (aside)\
- } How like a dream is this I see and hear!\
- Love lend me patience to forbear awhile.\
- {\b \fs24 SILVIA\
- } O miserable, unhappy that I am!\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came.\
- But by my coming I have made you happy. {\fs20 30}\
- {\b \fs24 SILVIA\
- } By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhappy.\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA}{\i (aside)\
- } And me, when he approacheth to your presence.\
- {\b \fs24 SILVIA\
- } Had I been seize\'c1d by a hungry lion\
- I would have been a breakfast to the beast\
- Rather than have false Proteus rescue me. {\fs20 35}\
- O heaven be judge how I love Valentine,\
- Whose life's as tender to me as my soul.\
- And full as much, for more there cannot be,\
- I do detest false perjured Proteus.\
- Therefore be gone, solicit me no more. {\fs20 40}\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } What dangerous action, stood it next to death,\
- Would I not undergo for one calm look!\
- O, 'tis the curse in love, and still approved,\
- When women cannot love where they're beloved.\
- {\b \fs24 SILVIA\
- } When Proteus cannot love where he's beloved. {\fs20 45}\
- Read over Julia's heart, thy first, best love,\
- For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith\
- Into a thousand oaths, and all those oaths\
- Descended into perjury to love me.\
- Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou'dst two, {\fs20 50}\
- And that's far worse than none. Better have none\
- Than plural faith, which is too much by one,\
- Thou counterfeit to thy true friend.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS} In love\
- Who respects friend?\
- {\b \fs24 SILVIA} All men but Proteus.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words {\fs20 55}\
- Can no way change you to a milder form\
- I'll woo you like a soldier, at arm's end,\
- And love you 'gainst the nature of love: force ye.\
- {\b \fs24 SILVIA\
- } O heaven!\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS}{\i (assailing her)} I'll force thee yield to my desire.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE}{\i (coming forward)\
- } Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch, {\fs20 60}\
- Thou friend of an ill fashion.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS} Valentine!\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } Thou common friend, that's without faith or love,\
- For such is a friend now. Treacherous man,\
- Thou hast beguiled my hopes. Naught but mine eye\
- Could have persuaded me. Now I dare not say {\fs20 65}\
- I have one friend alive. Thou wouldst disprove me.\
- Who should be trusted, when one's right hand\
- Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus,\
- I am sorry I must never trust thee more,\
- But count the world a stranger for thy sake. {\fs20 70}\
- The private wound is deepest. O time most accursed,\
- 'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS} My shame and guilt confounds me.\
- Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow\
- Be a sufficient ransom for offence, {\fs20 75}\
- I tender't here. I do as truly suffer\
- As e'er I did commit.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE} Then I am paid,\
- And once again I do receive thee honest.\
- Who by repentance is not satisfied\
- Is nor of heaven nor earth. For these are pleased; {\fs20 80}\
- By penitence th' Eternal's wrath's appeased.\
- And that my love may appear plain and free,\
- All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA\
- } O me unhappy!\
- {\i She faints\
- }{\b \fs24 PROTEUS} Look to the boy.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE} Why, boy!\
- Why wag, how now? What's the matter? Look up.\
- Speak. {\fs20 85}\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA} O good sir, my master charged me to deliver a ring\
- to Madam Silvia, which out of my neglect was never\
- done.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS} Where is that ring, boy?\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA} Here 'tis. This is it. {\fs20 90}\
- {\i She gives Proteus the ring\
- }{\b \fs24 PROTEUS} How, let me see!\
- Why, this is the ring I gave to Julia.\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA\
- } O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook.\
- {\i She offers Proteus another ring\
- } This is the ring you sent to Silvia.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } But how cam'st thou by this ring? At my depart {\fs20 95}\
- I gave this unto Julia.\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA\
- } And Julia herself did give it me,\
- And Julia herself hath brought it hither.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS} How? Julia?\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA\
- } Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths {\fs20 100}\
- And entertained 'em deeply in her heart.\
- How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root?\
- O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush.\
- Be thou ashamed that I have took upon me\
- Such an immodest raiment, if shame live {\fs20 105}\
- In a disguise of love.\
- It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,\
- Women to change their shapes than men their minds.\
- {\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } Than men their minds! 'Tis true. O heaven, were man\
- But constant, he were perfect. That one error {\fs20 110}\
- Fills him with faults, makes him run through all th'\
- sins;\
- Inconstancy falls off ere it begins.\
- What is in Silvia's face but I may spy\
- More fresh in Julia's, with a constant eye?\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE} Come, come, a hand from either. {\fs20 115}\
- Let me be blessed to make this happy close.\
- 'Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.\
- {\i Julia and Proteus join hands\
- }{\b \fs24 PROTEUS\
- } Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for ever.\
- {\b \fs24 JULIA\
- } And I mine.\
- {\i Enter the Outlaws with the Duke and Thurio as\
- captives\
- }{\b \fs24 OUTLAWS} A prize, a prize, a prize!\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } Forbear, forbear, I say. It is my lord the Duke. {\fs20 120}\
- {\i The Outlaws release the Duke and Thurio\
- (To the Duke)} Your grace is welcome to a man\
- disgraced,\
- Banishe\'c1d Valentine.\
- {\b \fs24 DUKE} Sir Valentine!\
- {\b \fs24 THURIO\
- } Yonder is Silvia, and Silvia's mine.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death.\
- Come not within the measure of my wrath. {\fs20 125}\
- Do not name Silvia thine. If once again,\
- Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands.\
- Take but possession of her with a touch\'b1\'b1\
- I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.\
- {\b \fs24 THURIO\
- } Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I. {\fs20 130}\
- I hold him but a fool that will endanger\
- His body for a girl that loves him not.\
- I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.\
- {\b \fs24 DUKE\
- } The more degenerate and base art thou\
- To make such means for her as thou hast done, {\fs20 135}\
- And leave her on such slight conditions.\
- Now by the honour of my ancestry\
- I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,\
- And think thee worthy of an empress' love.\
- Know then I here forget all former griefs, {\fs20 140}\
- Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,\
- Plead a new state in thy unrivalled merit,\
- To which I thus subscribe: Sir Valentine,\
- Thou art a gentleman, and well derived.\
- Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserved her. {\fs20 145}\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } I thank your grace. The gift hath made me happy.\
- I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake,\
- To grant one boon that I shall ask of you.\
- {\b \fs24 DUKE\
- } I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } These banished men that I have kept withal {\fs20 150}\
- Are men endowed with worthy qualities.\
- Forgive them what they have committed here,\
- And let them be recalled from their exile.\
- They are reforme\'c1d, civil, full of good,\
- And fit for great employment, worthy lord. {\fs20 155}\
- {\b \fs24 DUKE\
- } Thou hast prevailed. I pardon them and thee.\
- Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts.\
- Come, let us go. We will include all jars\
- With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } And as we walk along I dare be bold {\fs20 160}\
- With our discourse to make your grace to smile.\
- What think you of this page, my lord?\
- {\b \fs24 DUKE\
- } I think the boy hath grace in him. He blushes.\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy.\
- {\b \fs24 DUKE} What mean you by that saying? {\fs20 165}\
- {\b \fs24 VALENTINE\
- } Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along,\
- That you will wonder what hath fortune\'c1d.\
- Come, Proteus, 'tis your penance but to hear\
- The story of your loves discovere\'c1d.\
- That done, our day of marriage shall be yours, {\fs20 170}\
- One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.\
- {\i Exeunt\
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