THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. ACT I. SCENE I. Verona. An open place. Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS. Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus: 5 But since thou lovest, love still, and thrive therein, Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu ! Think on thy Proteus, when thou haply seest Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel: 10 When thou dost meet good hap; and in thy danger, 15 If ever danger do environ thee, Verona. An open place] an open Place in Verona. Theobald. Enter...] Rowe. Valentine: Protheus, 1. and Speed. F1. Valentine, Protheus, and Speed. F2F3F4. 8 with] in Capell. 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. 20 Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love, 25 And yet you never swum the Hellespont. Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots. 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: If haply won, perhaps a hapless gain; If lost, why then a grievous labour won; Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. Val. Love is your master, for he masters you: 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. 19 my] F. thy F2F3F4 success?] success. Warburton. 21-28 Put in the margin as spurious by Pope. 25 for] but Singer, ed. 2 (Collier MS.). and Hudson (Staunton conj.). 31 35 35 40 26 suum] Clark and Glover. swom Ff. swam Steevens (1793). 28 thee] om. S. Walker conj. See note (II). 30 fading] om. Hanmer. Val. And writers say, as the most forward bud But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee, Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine. 45 50 55 60 To Milan let me hear from thee by letters Enter SPEED. 65 Speed. Sir Proteus, save you! Saw you my master? 70 48 blasting] blasted Collier MS. 49 Losing] Loosing F1. 57 To...hear] To Milan! let me hear Malone conj. To] F. At F2F3F4 65 leave] Pope. love Ff. all, for] Dyce. all for Ff. 66 metamorphosed] metamorphis'd F1 matamorphos'd F4. 67 Made] Make Hudson (Johnson conj.). lose] loose F (and passim). 69 Enter Speed.] Rowe. om. Ff. Enter Speed, bluntly. Capell. 70 SCENE II. Pope. 70-144 Put in the margin by Pope. 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. 75 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 sleep. Pro. A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep. Pro. True; and thy master a shepherd. 80 Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. Pro. It shall go hard but I'll prove it by another. 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. 86 Pro. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd; the shepherd for food follows not the sheep: thou for wages followest thy master; thy master for wages follows not thee therefore thou art a sheep. 90 Speed. Such another proof will make me cry 'baa.' Pro. But, dost thou hear? gavest thou my letter to Julia? Speed. Ay, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton, and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour. 96 Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons. Speed. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her. 73 losing] loosing F1. 76 a] F.FF. om. F1. 99 74 very] om. Pope (ed. 2). 87 follow] follows Pope. 75 An if] Pope. And if Ff. Pro. Nay: in that you are astray, 'twere best pound you. Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter. Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound,-a pinfold. Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover. 105 Pro. But what said she? Speed. [First nodding] Ay. Pro. Nod-Ay-why, that's noddy. Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: and you ask me if she did nod; and I say, 'Ay.' Pro. And that set together is noddy. 110 Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains. you. 116 Pro. No, no; you shall have it for bearing the letter. Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter, very orderly; having nothing but the word 'noddy' for my pains. Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse. 120 Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief: what said she? 100 Nay:...astray,] Clark and Glover. astray] a stray Theobald (Thirlby 103 a] the Delius (Capell conj.). Speed. [First nodding] Ay.] Clark said she? [Speed nods.] Did she nod? Spe. I. Capell. Pro. But what said she? [Speed nods clumsily, and Proteus imitates it jeeringly and interrogatively.] Speed. Ay. Nicholson conj. 108 Nod-Ay-] Nod-I, Ff. 109, 110 say...say] F. said...said F2 F3F4 117 orderly] motherly Staunton conj. elderly or elder-like Nicholson conj. |