SCENE II. Milan. Outside the DUKE's palace, under SILVIA's chamber. Two Gentlemen of Verona  Shakespeare homepage  |  Two Gentlemen of Verona  | Act 4, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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 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. 



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