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ANTHONIO, Father to PROTHEUS.

THURIO, a foolish Rival to VALENTINE.
EGLAMORE, Agent for SILVIA in her Escape.
HOST, where JULIA lodges.

OUT-LAWS with VALENTINE.

SPEED, a clownish Servant to VALENTINE.

LAUNCE, the like to PROTHEUS.

PANTHION, Servant to ANTHONIO.

JULIA, beloved of PROTHEUS.

SILVIA, beloved of VALENTINE.

LUCETTA, Waiting-woman to JULIA.

The SCENE Sometimes in Verona, fometimes in Milan, and towards the latter end on the frontiers of Mantua.

THE

THE

TWO GENTLEMEN

OF VERO N A.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

C

Verona.

Enter Valentine and Protheus.

VALENTINE.

EASE to perfuade, my loving Protheus;
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits;
Wer't not, affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,
I rather would entreat thy company,

To fee the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully fluggardiz'd at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But fince thou lov'ft, love ftill, and thrive therein,
Ev'n as I would when I to love begin!

Pro. Wilt thou be gone? fweet Valentine, adieu!
Think on thy Protheus, when thou haply seest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:

Wish me partaker in thy happiness,

When thou doft meet good hap; and in thy danger,
If ever danger do environ thee,

It may very well be doubted whether Shakespear had any other hand in this play than the enlivening it with fome speeches and lines thrown in here and there, which are easily distinguish'd, as being of a different ftamp from the rest.

VOL. I.

T

Com

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers;
For I will be thy bead's-man, Valentine.

a

Val. And on a love-book pray for my success?
Pro. Upon fome book I love I'll pray for thee.
Val. To be in love, where fcorn is bought with groans;
Coy looks, with heart-sore fighs; one moment's mirth,
With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights;

If haply won, perhaps, an hapless gain;
If loft, why then a grievous labour won;
However, but a folly bought with wit,
Or elfe a wit by folly vanquished.

Pro. So, by your circumftance, you call me fool.
Val. So, by your circumstance, I fear, you'll prove.
Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at; I am not love.
Val. Love is your master; for he masters you.
And he that is fo yoked by a fool,

Methinks, fhould not be chronicled for wife.

Pro. Yet writers fay, As in the fsweetest bud
The eating canker dwells; fo eating love
Inhabits in the fineft wits of all.

Val. And writers fay, As the most forward bud
Is eaten by the canker ere it blow;
Even fo by love the young and tender wit
Is turn'd to folly, blasting in the bud,
Lofing his verdure even in the prime,
And all the fair effects of future hopes.
But wherefore wafte I time to counsel thee,
That art a votary to fond defire?
Once more, adieu! my

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father at the road

Val. That's on fome fhallow ftory of deep love, How young Leander crofs'd the Hellefpont.

Pro. That's a deep ftory of a deeper love;

For he was more than over fhoes in love.

Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love,

And yet you never fwom the Hellefpont.

Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots.
Val. No, I will not; for it boots thee not.

Pro. What?

Val. To be in love, &c.

Ex

Expects my coming, there to fee me shipp’d.

Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine.

Val. Sweet Protheus, no: now let us take our leave.
At Milan let me hear from thee by letters

Of thy fuccefs in love; and what news elfe
Betideth here in absence of thy friend:
And I likewife will vifit thee with mine.

Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan!
Val. As much to you at home! and fo, farewel!
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.
Thou, Julia, thou haft metamorphos'd me;
Made me neglect my ftudies, lose my time,
War with good counfel, fet the world at nought;
Made wit with mufing weak, heart fick with thought.

SCENE II.

Enter Speed.

[Exit.

Speed. Sir Protheus, fave you! faw you, fir, my mafter ?
Pro. But now he parted hence t'embark for Milan..
Speed. Twenty to one then he is shipp'd already.

And I have play'd the sheep in lofing him.

Pro. Indeed, a fheep doth very often stray,

An if the shepherd be a while 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 I wake or fleep.

Pro. A filly anfwer, and fitting well a sheep.

Speed. This proves me ftill a fheep.

Pro. True; and thy mafter a fhepherd.

Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance.
Pro. It fhall go hard but I'll prove it by another.

T 2

Speed.

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