THE Two Gentlemen of Verona.
1 Actus primus, Scena prima. 2 Valentine: Protheus, and Speed. 4CEea
se to per
swade, my louing
Protheus;
5Home-keeping youth, haue euer homely wits,
6Wer't not a
ffe
ction chaines thy tender dayes
7To the
sweet glaunces of thy honour'd Loue,
8I rather would entreat thy company,
9To
see the wonders of the world abroad,
10Then (liuing dully
sluggardiz'd at home)
11Weare out thy youth with
shapele
sse idlene
sse.
12But
since thou lou'
st; loue
still, and thriue therein,
13Euen as I would, when I to loue begin.
14Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet
Valentine adew,
15Thinke on thy
Protheus, when thou (hap'ly)
see
st 16Some rare note-worthy obie
ct in thy trauaile.
17Wi
sh me partaker in thy happine
sse,
18When thou do'
st meet good hap; and in thy danger,
19(If euer danger doe enuiron thee)
20Commend thy grieuance to my holy prayers,
21For I will be thy beade
s-man,
Valentine.
22Val. And on a loue-booke pray for my
succe
sse?
23Pro. Vpon
some booke I loue, I'le pray for thee.
24Val. That's on
some
shallow Storie of deepe loue,
25How yong
Leander cro
st the
Hellespont.
26Pro. That's a deepe Storie, of a deeper loue,
27For he was more then ouer-
shooes in loue.
28Val. 'Tis true; for you are ouer-bootes in loue,
29And yet you neuer
swom the
Hellespont.
30Pro. Ouer the Bootes? nay giue me not the Boots.
31Val. No, I will not; for it boots thee not.
33 Val. To be in loue; where
scorne is bought with(grones:
34Coy looks, with hart-
sore
sighes: one fading moments (mirth,
35With twenty watchfull, weary, tedious nights;
36If hap'ly won, perhaps a haple
sse gaine;
37If lo
st, why then a grieuous labour won;
38How euer: but a folly bought with wit,
39Or el
se a wit, by folly vanqui
shed.
40Pro. So, by your circum
stance, you call me foole.
41Val. So, by your circum
stance, I feare you'll proue.
42Pro. 'Tis Loue you cauill at, I am not Loue.
43Val. Loue is your ma
ster, for he ma
sters you;
44And he that is
so yoked by a foole,
45Me thinkes
should not be chronicled for wi
se.
46Pro. Yet Writers
say; as in the
sweete
st Bud,
47The eating Canker dwels;
so eating Loue
48Inhabits in the
fine
st wits of all.
49Val. And Writers
say; as the mo
st forward Bud
50Is eaten by the Canker ere it blow,
51Euen
so by Loue, the yong, and tender wit
52Is turn'd to folly, bla
sting in the Bud,
53Loo
sing his verdure, euen in the prime,
54And all the faire e
ffe
cts of future hopes.
55But wherefore wa
ste I time to coun
saile thee
56That art a votary to fond de
sire?
57Once more adieu: my Father at the Road
58Expe
cts my comming, there to
see me
ship'd.
59Pro. And thither will I bring thee
Valentine.
60 Val. Sweet
Protheus, no: Now let vs take our leaue:
61To
Millaine let me heare from thee by Letters
62Of thy
succe
sse in loue; and what newes el
se
63Betideth here in ab
sence of thy Friend:
64And I likewi
se will vi
site thee with mine.
65Pro. All happine
sse bechance to thee in
Millaine.
66Val. As much to you at home: and
so farewell.
Exit. 67Pro. He after Honour hunts, I after Loue;
68He leaues his friends, to digni
fie them more;
69I loue my
selfe, my friends, and all for loue:
70Thou
Iulia, thou ha
st metamorphis'd me:
71Made me negle
ct my Studies, loo
se my time;
72Warre with good coun
saile;
set the world at nought;
73Made Wit with mu
sing, weake; hart
sick with thought.
74Sp. Sir
Protheus: '
saue you:
saw you my Ma
ster?
75 Pro. But now he parted hence to embarque for
Millain.
76Sp. Twenty to one then, he is
ship'd already,
77And I haue plaid the Sheepe in loo
sing him.
78Pro. Indeede a Sheepe doth very often
stray,
79And if the Shepheard be awhile away.
80 Sp. You conclude that my Ma
ster is a Shepheard then,
83 Sp. Why then my hornes are his hornes, whether I
85Pro. A
silly an
swere, and
fitting well a Sheepe.
86Sp. This proues me
still a Sheepe.
87Pro. True: and thy Ma
ster a Shepheard.
88Sp. Nay, that I can deny by a circum
stance.
89Pro. It
shall goe hard but ile proue it by another.
90 Sp. The Shepheard
seekes the Sheepe, and not the
91Sheepe the Shepheard; but I
seeke my Ma
ster, and my
92Ma
ster
seekes not me: therefore I am no Sheepe.
93 Pro. The Sheepe for fodder follow the Shepheard,
94the Shepheard for foode followes not the Sheepe: thou
95for wages followe
st thy Ma
ster, thy Ma
ster for wages
96followes not thee: therefore thou art a Sheepe.
97Sp. Such another proofe will make me cry baâ.
98 Pro. But do'
st thou heare: gau'
st thou my Letter
The two Gentlemen of Verona. 21
100 Sp. I Sir: I (a lo
st-Mutton) gaue your Letter to her
101(a lac'd-Mutton) and
she (a lac'd-Mutton) gaue mee (a
102lo
st-Mutton) nothing for my labour.
103 Pro. Here's too
small a Pa
sture for
such
store of
105 Sp. If the ground be ouer-charg'd, you were be
st 107 Pro. Nay, in that you are a
stray: 'twere be
st pound
109 Sp. Nay Sir, le
sse then a pound
shall
serue me for car
- 111Pro. You mi
stake; I meane the pound, a Pinfold.
112Sp. From a pound to a pin? fold it ouer and ouer,
113'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your louer
114Pro. But what
said
she?
116Pro. Nod-I, why that's noddy.
117Sp. You mi
stooke Sir: I
say
she did nod;
118And you aske me if
she did nod, and I
say I.
119Pro. And that
set together is noddy.
120 Sp. Now you haue taken the paines to
set it toge
- 121ther, take it for your paines.
122Pro. No, no, you
shall haue it for bearing the letter.
123 Sp. Well, I perceiue I mu
st be faine to beare with you.
124Pro. Why Sir, how doe you beare with me?
125Sp. Marry Sir, the letter very orderly,
126Hauing nothing but the word noddy for my paines.
127Pro. Be
shrew me, but you haue a quicke wit.
128Sp. And yet it cannot ouer-take your
slow pur
se.
129 Pro. Come, come, open the matter in briefe; what
131 Sp. Open your pur
se, that the money, and the matter
132may be both at once deliuered.
133 Pro. Well Sir: here is for your paines: what
said
she?
134Sp. Truely Sir, I thinke you'll hardly win her.
135 Pro. Why? could'
st thou perceiue
so much from her?
136Sp. Sir, I could perceiue nothing at all from her;
137No, not
so much as a ducket for deliuering your letter:
138And being
so hard to me, that brought your minde;
139I feare
she'll proue as hard to you in telling your minde.
140Giue her no token but
stones, for
she's as hard as
steele.
141Pro. What
said
she, nothing?
142Sp. No, not
so much as take this for thy pains:
143To te
sti
fie your bounty, I thank you, you haue ce
stern'd (me;
144In requital whereof, henceforth, carry your letters your
145selfe; And
so Sir, I'le commend you to my Ma
ster.
146 Pro. Go, go, be gone, to
saue your Ship from wrack,
147Which cannot peri
sh hauing thee aboarde,
148Being de
stin'd to a drier death on
shore:
149I mu
st goe
send
some better Me
ssenger,
150I feare my
Iulia would not daigne my lines,
151Receiuing them from
such a worthle
sse po
st.
Exit.