| [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 tomorrow, 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] If 'twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it, And make it but a shadow, as I am. |
| SILVIA | I am very loath to be your idol, sir; But since your falsehood shall become you well To worship shadows and adore false shapes, Send to me in the morning and I'll send it: And so, good rest. |
| PROTEUS | As wretches have o'ernight That wait for execution in the morn. |
| [Exeunt PROTEUS and SILVIA severally] | |
| JULIA | Host, will you go? |
| Host | By my halidom, I was fast asleep. |
| JULIA | Pray you, where lies Sir Proteus? |
| Host | Marry, at my house. Trust me, I think 'tis almost day. |
| JULIA | Not so; but it hath been the longest night That e'er I watch'd and the most heaviest. |
| [Exeunt] |