Two Gentlemen of Verona The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] · William Shakespeare
SCENE IV. _Another part of the forest._
_Enter VALENTINE._ _Val._ How use doth breed a habit in a man! This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods, I better brook than flourishing peopled towns: Here can I sit alone, unseen of any, And to the nightingale's complaining notes 5 Tune my distresses and record my woes. O thou that dost inhabit in my breast, Leave not the mansion so long tenantless, Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall, And leave no memory of what it was! 10 Repair me with thy presence, Silvia; Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain! What halloing and what stir is this to-day? These are my mates, that make their wills their law, Have some unhappy passenger in chase. 15 They love me well; yet I have much to do To keep them from uncivil outrages. Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes here? _Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA._ _Pro._ Madam, this service I have done for you, Though you respect not aught your servant doth, 20 To hazard life, and rescue you from him That would have forced your honour and your love; Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look; A smaller boon than this I cannot beg, And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give. 25 _Val._ [_Aside_] How like a dream is this I see and hear! Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile.
_Sil._ O miserable, unhappy that I am! _Pro._ Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came; But by my coming I have made you happy. 30 _Sil._ By thy approach thou makest me most unhappy. _Jul._ [_Aside_] And me, when he approacheth to your presence. _Sil._ Had I been seized by a hungry lion, I would have been a breakfast to the beast, Rather than have false Proteus rescue me. 35 O, Heaven be judge how I love Valentine, Whose life's as tender to me as my soul! And full as much, for more there cannot be, I do detest false perjured Proteus. Therefore be gone; solicit me no more. 40 _Pro._ What dangerous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look! O, 'tis the curse in love, and still approved, When women cannot love where they're beloved! _Sil._ When Proteus cannot love where he's beloved. 45 Read over Julia's heart, thy first, best love, For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths Descended into perjury, to love me. Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou'dst two, 50 And that's far worse than none; better have none Than plural faith which is too much by one: Thou counterfeit to thy true friend! _Pro._ In love Who respects friend?
_Sil._ All men but Proteus. _Pro._ Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words 55 Can no way change you to a milder form, I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end, And love you 'gainst the nature of love,--force ye. _Sil._ O heaven! _Pro._ I'll force thee yield to my desire. _Val._ Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch, 60 Thou friend of an ill fashion! _Pro._ Valentine! _Val._ Thou common friend, that's without faith or love, For such is a friend now; treacherous man! Thou hast beguiled my hopes; nought but mine eye Could have persuaded me: now I dare not say 65 I have one friend alive; thou wouldst disprove me. Who should be trusted now, when one's right hand Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus, I am sorry I must never trust thee more, But count the world a stranger for thy sake. 70 The private wound is deepest: O time most accurst, 'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst! _Pro._ My shame and guilt confounds me. Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty sorrow Be a sufficient ransom for offence, 75 I tender 't here; I do as truly suffer As e'er I did commit. _Val._ Then I am paid; And once again I do receive thee honest. Who by repentance is not satisfied Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleased. 80 By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased: And, that my love may appear plain and free, All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.
_Val._ Come, come, a hand from either: Let me be blest to make this happy close; 'Twere pity two such friends should be long foes. _Pro._ Bear witness, Heaven, I have my wish for ever. _Jul._ And I mine. 120 _Enter _Outlaws_, with DUKE and THURIO._ _Outlaws._ A prize, a prize, a prize! _Val._ Forbear, forbear, I say! it is my lord the duke. Your Grace is welcome to a man disgraced, Banished Valentine. _Duke._ Sir Valentine! _Thu._ Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. 125 _Val._ Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death; Come not within the measure of my wrath; Do not name Silvia thine; if once again, Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands: Take but possession of her with a touch: 130 I dare thee but to breathe upon my love. _Thu._ Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I: I hold him but a fool that will endanger His body for a girl that loves him not: I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. 135 _Duke._ The more degenerate and base art thou, To make such means for her as thou hast done, And leave her on such slight conditions. Now, by the honour of my ancestry, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, 140 And think thee worthy of an empress' love: Know, then, I here forget all former griefs, Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again, Plead a new state in thy unrival'd merit, To which I thus subscribe: Sir Valentine, 145 Thou art a gentleman, and well derived; Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserved her.
_Val._ I thank your grace; the gift hath made me happy. I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, To grant one boon that I shall ask of you. 150 _Duke._ I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. _Val._ These banish'd men that I have kept withal Are men endued with worthy qualities: Forgive them what they have committed here, And let them be recall'd from their exile: 155 They are reformed, civil, full of good, And fit for great employment, worthy lord. _Duke._ Thou hast prevail'd; I pardon them and thee: Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts. Come, let us go: we will include all jars 160 With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity. _Val._ And, as we walk along, I dare be bold With our discourse to make your Grace to smile. What think you of this page, my lord? _Duke._ I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. 165 _Val._ I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy. _Duke._ What mean you by that saying? _Val._ Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along, That you will wonder what hath fortuned. Come, Proteus; 'tis your penance but to hear 170 The story of your loves discovered: That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; One feast, one house, one mutual happiness. [_Exeunt._
Notes: V, 4. SCENE IV. Another ... forest.] Capell. The outlaw's cave in the forest. Theobald. 2: _This shadowy desert,_] _These shadowy, desert,_ Collier MS. 8: _so_] _too_ Collier MS. 14: _are my_] _my rude_ Collier MS. 18: [Steps aside. Johnson. 19: _I have_] F1 F2 F3. _have I_ F4. _having_ Collier MS. 25: _I am_] _I'm_ Pope. 26, 32: [Aside] Theobald. 26: _is this I see and hear!_] Theobald. _is this? I see and hear:_ Ff. 43: _and still approved_] _for ever prov'd_ Pope. 49: _to love me_] F1. _to deceive me_ F2 F3 F4. 57: _woo_] _wooe_ F1. _move_ F2 F3 F4. 58: _ye_] Ff. _you_ Warburton. 63: _treacherous man_] F1. _Thou treacherous man_ F2. _Though treacherous man_ F3. _Tho treacherous man_ F4. 65: _now_] om. Pope. 67: _trusted now, when one's_] F2 F3 F4. _trusted, when one's_ F1. _trusted, when one's own_ Johnson. _trusted now, when the_ Pope. 69: _I am_] _I'm_ Pope. 71: _O time most accurst_] _O time accurst_ Hanmer. _O time most curst_ Johnson. _O spite accurst_ S. Verges conj.
72: _all foes that a friend_] _all my foes a friend_ Collier MS. 73: _confounds_] _confound_ Rowe. _My ... confounds me_] _My shame and desperate guilt at once confound me_ Collier MS. 82, 83: Blackstone proposes to transfer these lines to the end of Thurio's speech, line 135. 84: [Swoons.] Pope. 86-90: Printed by Capell as four verses ending _matter ... me ... Silvia ... done._ 86: _what's_] _what is_ Capell. 88: _to deliver_] _Deliver_ Steevens conj. 92: _see_] _see it_ Steevens conj. suggesting that lines 92-97 should end at _ring ... sir ... sent ... this?_ (om. _ring_) _... Julia._ 93: _Why, this is_] _This is_ Pope. _Why, 'tis_ S. Verges conj. 96: _But_] om. Pope. 102: _'em_] _them_ Capell. 103: _root_] _root on't_ Hanmer. 112: _all the sins_] _all th' sins_ Ff. _all sins_ Pope. 118: _be long_] _long be_ Pope. 120: _And I mine_] _And I have mine_ Steevens (Ritson conj.). [embracing. Capell. 121: SCENE V. Pope. 122: _Forbear, forbear, I say!_] _Forbear, I say!_ Capell. _Forbear, forbear!_ Pope. 124: _Banished_] _The banish'd_ Pope. 129: _Verona shall not hold_] _Milan shall not behold_ Theobald. _And Milan shall not hold_ Hanmer. _Milano shall not hold_ Collier MS. See note (VII). 143: _again,_] _again._ Steevens (Tyrwhitt conj.). 144: _unrival'd_] F1. _arrival'd_ F2 F3 F4. 160: _include_] _conclude_ Hanmer. 161: _rare_] F1. _all_ F2 F3 F4. 164: _page_] _stripling page_ Collier MS. 167: _saying?_] _saying, Valentine?_ Collier MS. 171: _loves discovered_] _love discovered_ Pope. _love's discoverer_ Collier MS. 172: _That done, our ... yours_] _Our day of marriage shall be yours no less_ Collier MS.
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