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THE

TWO GENTLEMEN

OF

VERON A.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Verona. A Street.

Enter Valentine, and Protheus.

VALENTINE.

EASE to perfuade, my loving Protheus;
Homé-keeping youth have ever homely wits:
Wer't not, affection chains thy tender days
To the fweet 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 in fhapeless idleness.

But, fince thou lov'ft, love still, and thrive therein;
Even as I would, when I to love begin.

Pro. Wilt thou be gone? fweet Valentine, adieu!
Think on thy Protheus, when thou, haply, fee'st
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
With me partaker in thy happiness,

When thou doft meet good hap; and, in thy danger,

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(If

(If ever danger do environ thee)

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beads-man, Valentine.
Val. And on a love-book

pray for my
fuccefs.
"Pro. Upon fome book I love, I'll pray for thee.
"Val. That's on fome fhallow ftory of deep love,
"How young Leander crofs'd the Hellefpont.

"Pro. That's a deep story 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.

"P. 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-where fcorn is bought with groans; Coy looks, with heart-fore fighs; one fading moment's With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights:

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

[mirth

Pro. So, by your circumftance, you call me fool.
Val. So, by your circumstance, 1 fear you'll prove.
Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at; I am not love.
Val. Love is your mafter; for he masters you :
And he that is To yoked by a fool,

Methinks, fhould not be chronicl'd for wife.
Pro. Yet writers fay, As in the sweetest bud
The eating canker dwells; fo eating love
Inhabits in the finest 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; blafting 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 ?

This fhort fpeech contains fome very fenfible and pertinent trictures on the pains, caprices and precariousness of love.

Once

Once more,

adieu :

: my father at the road Expects my coming, there to fee me ship'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 else
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 so, farewel.
[Exit Valentine.
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 counsel, fet the world at nought;
Made wit with mufing weak, heart fick with thought.
Enter Speed, bluntly.

Spe. Sir Protheus! fave you, fir; faw you my mafter?
Pro. But now he parted hence, to embark for Milan.
Spe. Twenty to one then, he is fhip'd already;
And I have play'd the sheep, in lofing him.

Pro. Indeed, a fheep doth very often tray,

An' if the shepherd be a while away.

"Spe. You conclude, that my matter is a fhepherd then, and I a sheep?

" Pro. I do.

"Spe. Why then my horns are his horns, whether I "wake or fleep.

"Pro. A filly answer, and fitting well a sheep. "Spe. This proves me ftill a sheep.

"Pro. True; and thy mafter a fhepherd.

"Spe. Nay, that I can deny by a circumftance. "Pro. It fhall go hard, but I'll prove it by another. "Spe. The fhepherd feeks the fheep, and not the "fheep the fhepherd; but I feek my mafter, and my "mafter feeks not me: therefore I am no fheep.

"Pro. The sheep for fodder follows the fhepherd, the 66 fhepherd for food follows not the fheep; thou for 66 wages

B 4

66 wages follow'ft thy mafter, thy mafter for wages follows "not thee: therefore thou art a fheep.

66

Spe. Such another proof will make me cry, ba.

Pro. But doft thou hear? gav'ft thou my letter to Julia? Spe. Ay, fir: I, a loft mutton, gave your letter to her, a lac'd mutton: and fhe, a lac'd mutton, gave me, a loft mutton, nothing for my labour,

"Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such store of

muttons.

"Spe. If the ground be overcharg'd, you were beft ❝ftick her.

"Pro. Nay, in that you're aftray; 'twere beft pound 66 you.

"Spe. Nay, fir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.

"Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold. "Spe. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, ""Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your ❝ lover.

66

"Pro. But what said she? [Speed nods.] Did she nod ? Spe. I.

66

"Pro. Nod? I? why, that's noddy.

"Spe. You miftook, fir; I faid, fhe did nod: and you ask me, if he did nod: and I said I.

"Pro. And that, fet together, is-noddy.

"Spe. Now you have taken the pains to set it toge"ther, take it for your pains.

"Pro. No, no, you shal! have it for bearing the

"letter.

"Spe. Well, I perceive, I must be fain to bear with 65 you.

"Pro. Why, fir, how do you bear with me?

"Spe. Marry, fir, the letter very orderly; having "nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains,

Pro. Behrew me, but you have a quick wit.

"Spe. And yet it cannot overtake your flow purfe*. Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief; What faid the ?

If ever this scene of egregious quibble had any brightnefs in it, the ruft of time has deeply cankered it; wherefore we have curtailed the more freely, and we hope juftifiably.

Spe. Open your purfe; that the money, and the matter, may be both at once deliver'd.

Pro. Well, fir, here is for your pains: What faid she?
Spe. Truly, fir, I think you'll hardly win her.

Pro. Why, could't thou perceive fo much from her? Spe. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not fo much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And, being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear fhe'll prove as hard to you in telling your mind. Give her no token but ftones*, for fhe's as hard as steel.

Pro. What, faid fhe nothing?

Spe. No, not fo much as-take this for thy pains. To your bounty, I thank you, you have tefter'd me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and fo, fir, I'll commend you to my mafter. [Exit.

Pro. Go, go, begone, to fave your fhip from wreck; Which cannot perish, having thee aboard, Being destin❜d to a drier death on shore :I must go fend fome better meffenger; I fear, my Julia would not deign my lines, Receiving them from such a worthless poft.

[Exit.

SCENE II. The fame. Garden of Julia's house.
Enter Julia, and Lucetta.

Jul. But fay, Lucetta, (now we are alone)
Would't thou then counfel me to fall in love?
Luc. Ay, madam, fo you ftumble not unheedfully.
Jul. Of all the fair refort of gentlemen,

That every day with parle encounter me,
In thy opinion which is worthieft love?

Luc. Please you repeat their names, I'll fhew
According to my fhallow fimple skill.

my

mind,

Jul. What think'ft thou of the fair fir Eglamour †?
Luc. As of a knight well-fpoken, neat, and fine;

But, were I you, he never fhould be mine.

*Flints would have been a more confonant word here.

+ This part of the dialogue between Julia and Lucetta, is fimilar to -the firft fcene of Portia and Neriffa, in the Merchant of Venice; fave that here the confidante criticises the lovers; whereas the lady does it in the other piece.

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