The Two Gentlemen of Verona

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What say’st thou? wilt thou be of our consort?
Say ay, and be the captain of us all:
We’ll do thee homage and be ruled by thee,
Love thee as our commander and our king.

First Outlaw But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. Second Outlaw Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer’d. Valentine

I take your offer and will live with you,
Provided that you do no outrages
On silly women or poor passengers.

Third Outlaw

No, we detest such vile base practices.
Come, go with us, we’ll bring thee to our crews,
And show thee all the treasure we have got;
Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. Exeunt.

Scene II

Milan. Outside the Duke’s palace, under Silvia’s chamber.

	Enter Proteus.
Proteus	Already have I been false to Valentine And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. Under the colour of commending him, I have access my own love to prefer: But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, To be corrupted with my worthless gifts. When I protest true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend; When to her beauty I commend my vows, She bids me think how I have been forsworn In breaking faith with Julia whom I loved: And notwithstanding all her sudden quips, The least whereof would quell a lover’s hope, Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love, The more it grows and fawneth on her still. But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window, And give some evening music to her ear.
	Enter Thurio and Musicians.
Thurio	How now, Sir Proteus, are you crept before us?
Proteus	Ay, gentle Thurio: for you know that love Will creep in service where it cannot go.
Thurio	Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here.
Proteus	Sir, but I do; or else I would be hence.
Thurio	Who? Silvia?
Proteus	Ay, Silvia; for your sake.
Thurio	I thank you for your own. Now, gentlemen, Let’s tune, and to it lustily awhile.
	Enter, at a distance, Host, and Julia in boy’s clothes.
Host	Now, my young guest, methinks you’re allycholly: I pray you, why is it?
Julia	Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry.
Host	Come, we’ll have you merry: I’ll bring you where you shall hear music and see the gentleman that you asked for.
Julia	But shall I hear him speak?
Host	Ay, that you shall.
Julia	That will be music. Music plays.
Host	Hark, hark!
Julia	Is he among these?
Host	Ay: but, peace! let’s hear ’em.
	Song.
	Who is Silvia? what is she, That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair and wise is she; The heaven such grace did lend her, That she might admired be. Is she kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness. Love doth to her eyes repair, To help him of his blindness, And, being help’d, inhabits there. Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling; She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling: To her let us garlands bring.
Host	How now! are you sadder than you were before? How do you, man? the music likes you not.
Julia	You mistake; the musician likes me not.
Host	Why, my pretty youth?
Julia	He plays false, father.
Host	How? out of tune on the strings?
Julia	Not so; but yet so false that he grieves my very heart-strings.
Host	You have a quick ear.
Julia	Ay, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a slow heart.
Host	I perceive you delight not in music.
Julia	Not a whit, when it jars so.
Host	Hark, what fine change is in the music!
Julia	Ay, that change is the spite.
Host	You would have them always play but one thing?
Julia	I would always have one play but one thing. But, host, doth this Sir Proteus that we talk on Often resort unto this gentlewoman?
Host	I tell you what Launce, his man, told me: he loved her out of all nick.
Julia	Where is Launce?
Host	Gone to seek his dog; which to-morrow, by his master’s command, he must carry for a present to his lady.
Julia	Peace! stand aside: the company parts.
Proteus	Sir Thurio, fear not you: I will so plead That you shall say my cunning drift excels.
Thurio	Where meet we?
Proteus	At Saint Gregory’s well.
Thurio	Farewell. Exeunt Thurio and Musicians.
	Enter Silvia above.
Proteus	Madam, good even to your ladyship.
Silvia	I thank you for your music, gentlemen. Who is that that spake?
Proteus	One, lady, if you knew his pure heart’s truth, You would quickly learn to know him by his voice.
Silvia	Sir Proteus, as I take it.
Proteus	Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant.
Silvia	What’s your will?
Proteus	That I may compass yours.
Silvia	You have your wish; my will is even this: That presently you hie you home to bed. Thou subtle, perjured, false, disloyal man! Think’st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless, To be seduced by thy flattery, That hast deceived so many with thy vows? Return, return, and make thy love amends. For me, by this pale queen of night I swear, I am so far from granting thy request That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit, And by and by intend to chide myself Even for this time I spend in talking to thee.
Proteus	I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady; But she is dead.
Julia	Aside. ’Twere false, if I should speak it; For I am sure she is not buried.
Silvia	Say that she be; yet Valentine thy friend Survives; to whom, thyself art witness, I am betroth’d: and art thou not ashamed To wrong him with thy importunacy?
Proteus	I likewise hear that Valentine is dead.
Silvia	And so suppose am I; for in his grave Assure thyself my love is buried.
Proteus	Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth.
Silvia	Go to thy lady’s grave and call hers thence, Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine.
Julia	Aside. He heard not that.
Proteus	Madam, if your heart be so obdurate, Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love, The picture that is hanging in your chamber; To that I’ll speak, to that I’ll sigh and weep: For since the substance of your perfect self Is else devoted, I am but a shadow; And to your shadow will I make true love.
Julia	Aside.