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The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Act IV, Scene 2

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The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Act IV, Scene 2

Milan. Outside the Duke’s palace.

Who is Silvia? What is she, that all our swains commend her?

Edwin Austin Abbey, circa 1900

  1. Enter Proteus.

Proteus

1 - 17
  1. Already have I been false to Valentine,
  2. And now I must be as unjust to Thurio:
  3. Under the color of commending him,
  4. I have access my own love to prefer—
  5. But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy,
  6. To be corrupted with my worthless gifts.
  7. When I protest true loyalty to her,
  8. She twits me with my falsehood to my friend;
  9. When to her beauty I commend my vows,
  10. She bids me think how I have been forsworn
  11. In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov’d;
  12. And notwithstanding all her sudden quips,
  13. The least whereof would quell a lover’s hope,
  14. Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love,
  15. The more it grows, and fawneth on her still.
  16. Enter Thurio, Musicians.
  17. But here comes Thurio. Now must we to her window,
  18. And give some evening music to her ear.

Thurio

18
  1. How now, Sir Proteus, are you crept before us?

Proteus

19 - 20
  1. Ay, gentle Thurio, for you know that love
  2. Will creep in service where it cannot go.

Thurio

21
  1. Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here.

Proteus

22
  1. Sir, but I do; or else I would be hence.

Thurio

23
  1. Who? Silvia?

Proteus

24
  1.              Ay, Silvia—for your sake.

Thurio

25 - 26
  1. I thank you for your own. Now, gentlemen,
  2. Let’s tune, and to it lustily a while.
  1. Enter at one side Host, Julia in boy’s clothes, as
  2. Sebastian.

Host

27 - 28
  1. Now, my young guest, methinks you’re allycholly; I pray you,
  2. why is it?

Julia

29
  1. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry.

Host

30 - 31
  1. Come, we’ll have you merry: I’ll bring you where you shall
  2. hear music and see the gentleman that you ask’d for.

Julia

32
  1. But shall I hear him speak?

Host

33
  1. Ay, that you shall.

Julia

34
  1. That will be music.
  1. Music plays.

Host

35
  1. Hark, hark!

Julia

36
  1. Is he among these?

Host

37 - 52
  1. Ay; but peace, let’s hear ’em.
  2. Song.
  3. Who is Silvia? What is she,
  4. That all our swains commend her?
  5. Holy, fair, and wise is she;
  6. The heaven such grace did lend her,
  7. That she might admired be.
  8. Is she kind as she is fair?
  9. For beauty lives with kindness.
  10. Love doth to her eyes repair,
  11. To help him of his blindness;
  12. And, being help’d, inhabits there.
  13. Then to Silvia let us sing,
  14. That Silvia is excelling;
  15. She excels each mortal thing
  16. Upon the dull earth dwelling.
  17. To her let us garlands bring.
Songs of Shakespeare

From: Songs of Shakespeare

H. C. Hoskyns Abrahall, 1865

Host

53 - 54
  1. How now? Are you sadder than you were before? How do you,
  2. man? The music likes you not.

Julia

55
  1. You mistake; the musician likes me not.

Host

56
  1. Why, my pretty youth?

Julia

57
  1. He plays false, father.

Host

58
  1. How, out of tune on the strings?

Julia

59 - 60
  1. Not so; but yet so false that he grieves my very
  2. heart-strings.

Host

61
  1. You have a quick ear.

Julia

62
  1. Ay, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a slow heart.

Host

63
  1. I perceive you delight not in music.

Julia

64
  1. Not a whit, when it jars so.

Host

65
  1. Hark, what fine change is in the music.

Julia

66
  1. Ay; that change is the spite.

Host

67
  1. You would have them always play but one thing?

Julia

68 - 70
  1. I would always have one play but one thing.
  2. But, host, doth this Sir Proteus that we talk on
  3. Often resort unto this gentlewoman?

Host

71 - 72
  1. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me: he lov’d her out
  2. of all nick.

Julia

73
  1. Where is Launce?

Host

74 - 75
  1. Gone to seek his dog, which tomorrow, by his master’s
  2. command, he must carry for a present to his lady.

Julia

76
  1. Peace, stand aside, the company parts.

Proteus

77 - 78
  1. Sir Thurio, fear not you, I will so plead,
  2. That you shall say my cunning drift excels.

Thurio

79
  1. Where meet we?

Proteus

80
  1.                At Saint Gregory’s well.

Thurio

81
  1.                          Farewell.
  1. Exeunt Thurio and Musicians.
  1. Enter Silvia above at her window.

Proteus

82
  1. Madam, good ev’n to your ladyship.

Silvia

83 - 84
  1. I thank you for your music, gentlemen.
  2. Who is that that spake?

Proteus

85 - 86
  1. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart’s truth,
  2. You would quickly learn to know him by his voice.

Silvia

87
  1. Sir Proteus, as I take it.

Proteus

88
  1. Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant.

Silvia

89
  1. What’s your will?

Proteus

90
  1.                   That I may compass yours.

Silvia

91 - 102
  1. You have your wish: my will is even this,
  2. That presently you hie you home to bed.
  3. Thou subtile, perjur’d, false, disloyal man,
  4. Think’st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless,
  5. To be seduced by thy flattery,
  6. That hast deceiv’d so many with thy vows?
  7. Return, return, and make thy love amends.
  8. For me (by this pale queen of night I swear),
  9. I am so far from granting thy request,
  10. That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit,
  11. And by and by intend to chide myself
  12. Even for this time I spend in talking to thee.
Songs from the Plays of Shakespeare

From: Songs from the Plays of Shakespeare

1915

Proteus

103 - 104
  1. I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady;
  2. But she is dead.

Julia

105 - 106
  1. Aside.
  2.                  ’Twere false, if I should speak it;
  3. For I am sure she is not buried.

Silvia

107 - 110
  1. Say that she be; yet Valentine thy friend
  2. Survives; to whom (thyself art witness)
  3. I am betroth’d; and art thou not asham’d
  4. To wrong him with thy importunacy?

Proteus

111
  1. I likewise hear that Valentine is dead.

Silvia

112 - 113
  1. And so suppose am I; for in his grave
  2. Assure thyself my love is buried.

Proteus

114
  1. Sweet lady, let me rake it from the earth.

Silvia

115 - 116
  1. Go to thy lady’s grave and call hers thence,
  2. Or at the least, in hers sepulchre thine.

Julia

117
  1. Aside.
  2. He heard not that.

Proteus

118 - 124
  1. Madam, if your heart be so obdurate,
  2. Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love,
  3. The picture that is hanging in your chamber;
  4. To that I’ll speak, to that I’ll sigh and weep;
  5. For since the substance of your perfect self
  6. Is else devoted, I am but a shadow;
  7. And to your shadow will I make true love.

Julia

125 - 126
  1. Aside.
  2. If ’twere a substance, you would sure deceive it,
  3. And make it but a shadow, as I am.

Silvia

127 - 131
  1. I am very loath to be your idol, sir;
  2. But since your falsehood shall become you well
  3. To worship shadows and adore false shapes,
  4. Send to me in the morning, and I’ll send it;
  5. And so, good rest.

Proteus

132 - 133
  1.                    As wretches have o’ernight
  2. That wait for execution in the morn.
  1. Exeunt Proteus and Silvia.

Julia

134
  1. Host, will you go?

Host

135
  1. By my halidom, I was fast asleep.

Julia

136
  1. Pray you, where lies Sir Proteus?

Host

137
  1. Marry, at my house. Trust me, I think ’tis almost day.

Julia

138 - 139
  1. Not so; but it hath been the longest night
  2. That e’er I watch’d, and the most heaviest.
  1. Exeunt.

He plays false, father.

Louis Rhead, 1918

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