[She gives another letter and takes back the first.]
SILVIA I pray thee let me look on that again.
JULIA It may not be: good madam, pardon me.
SILVIA There, hold.
I will not look upon your master’s lines:
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I know they are stuff’d with protestations,
And full of new-found oaths, which he will break
As easily as I do tear his paper.
[She tears the second letter.]
JULIA Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring.
[She offers the ring.]
SILVIA The more shame for him, that he sends it me;
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For I have heard him say a thousand times
His Julia gave it him at his departure:
Though his false finger have profan’d the ring,
Mine shall not do his Julia so much wrong.
JULIA She thanks you.
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SILVIA What say’st thou?
JULIA I thank you, madam, that you tender her:
Poor gentlewoman, my master wrongs her much.
SILVIA Dost thou know her?
JULIA Almost as well as I do know myself.
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To think upon her woes, I do protest
That I have wept a hundred several times.
SILVIA Belike she thinks that Proteus hath forsook her?
JULIA I think she doth; and that’s her cause of sorrow.
SILVIA Is she not passing fair?
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JULIA She hath been fairer, madam, than she is:
When she did think my master lov’d her well,
She, in my judgment, was as fair as you.
But since she did neglect her looking-glass,
And threw her sun-expelling mask away,
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The air hath starv’d the roses in her cheeks,
And pinch’d the lily-tincture of her face,
That now she is become as black as I.
SILVIA How tall was she?
JULIA About my stature: for at Pentecost,
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When all our pageants of delight were play’d,
Our youth got me to play the woman’s part,
And I was trimm’d in Madam Julia’s gown,
Which served me as fit, by all men’s judgments,
As if the garment had been made for me;
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Therefore I know she is about my height.
And at that time I made her weep agood,
For I did play a lamentable part.
Madam, ’twas Ariadne, passioning
For Theseus’ perjury, and unjust flight;
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Which I so lively acted with my tears,
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and would I might be dead,
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow.
SILVIA She is beholding to thee, gentle youth.
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Alas, poor lady, desolate, and left;
I weep myself to think upon thy words.
Here, youth: there is my purse; I give thee this
For thy sweet mistress’ sake, because thou lov’st her.
[She gives her a purse.]
Farewell. Exit.
175
JULIA
And she shall thank you for’t, if e’er you know her.
A virtuous gentlewoman, mild, and beautiful.
I hope my master’s suit will be but cold,
Since she respects my mistress’ love so much.
Alas, how love can trifle with itself!
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Here is her picture: let me see; I think
If I had such a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers;
And yet the painter flatter’d her a little,
Unless I flatter with myself too much.
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Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow:
If that be all the difference in his love,
I’ll get me such a colour’d periwig.
Her eyes are grey as glass, and so are mine;
Ay, but her forehead’s low, and mine’s as high.
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What should it be that he respects in her,
But I can make respective in myself,
If this fond Love were not a blinded god?
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,
For ’tis thy rival. O thou senseless form,
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Thou shalt be worshipp’d, kiss’d, lov’d, and ador’d;
And were there sense in his idolatry,
My substance should be statue in thy stead.
I’ll use thee kindly, for thy mistress’ sake
That us’d me so; or else, by Jove I vow,
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I should have scratch’d out your unseeing eyes,
To make my master out of love with thee. Exit.
5.1 Enter EGLAMOUR.
EGLAMOUR The sun begins to gild the western sky,
And now it is about the very hour
That Silvia at Friar Patrick’s cell should meet me.
She will not fail; for lovers break not hours,
Unless it be to come before their time,
5
So much they spur their expedition.
Enter SILVIA.
See where she comes. Lady, a happy evening.
SILVIA Amen, amen; go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the postern by the abbey wall;
I fear I am attended by some spies.
10
EGLAMOUR Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off;
If we recover that, we are sure enough. Exeunt.
5.2 Enter THURIO, PROTEUS and JULIA.
THURIO Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit?
PROTEUS O sir, I find her milder than she was,
And yet she takes exceptions at your person.
THURIO What? That my leg is too long?
PROTEUS No, that it is too little.
5
THURIO I’ll wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder.
JULIA [aside]
But love will not be spurr’d to what it loathes.
THURIO What says she to my face?
PROTEUS She says it is a fair one.
THURIO Nay, then the wanton lies: my face is black.
10
PROTEUS But pearls are fair; and the old saying is,
Black men are pearls, in beauteous ladies’ eyes.
JULIA [aside]
’Tis true, such pearls as put out ladies’ eyes,
For I had rather wink than look on them.
THURIO How likes she my discourse?
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PROTEUS Ill, when you talk of war.
THURIO But well, when I discourse of love and peace?
JULIA [aside]
But better, indeed, when you hold your peace.
THURIO What says she to my valour?
PROTEUS O sir, she makes no doubt of that.
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JULIA [aside]
She needs not, when she knows it cowardice.
THURIO What says she to my birth?
PROTEUS That you are well derived.
JULIA [aside] True: from a gentleman, to a fool.
THURIO Considers she my possessions?
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PROTEUS O, ay; and pities them.
THURIO Wherefore?
JULIA [aside] That such an ass should owe them.
PROTEUS That they are out by lease.
JULIA Here comes the Duke.
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Enter DUKE.
DUKE How now, Sir Proteus! How now, Thurio!
Which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late?
THURIO Not I.
PROTEUS Nor I.
DUKE Saw you my daughter?
PROTEUS Neither.
DUKE
Why, then, she’s fled unto that peasant, Valentine;
And Eglamour is in her company.
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’Tis true: for Friar Laurence met them both
As he in penance wander’d through the forest.
Him he knew well; and guess’d that it was she,
But, being mask’d, he was not sure of it.
Besides, she did intend confession
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At Patrick’s cell this even, and there she was not.
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence;
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount you presently, and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain foot
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That leads toward Mantua, whither they are fled.
Dispatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me. Exit.
THURIO Why, this it is to be a peevish girl,
That flies her fortune when it follows her.
I’ll after; more to be reveng’d on Eglamour
50
Than for the love of reckless Silvia. Exit.
PROTEUS And I will follow, more for Silvia’s love
Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her. Exit.
JULIA And I will follow, more to cross that love
Than hate for Silvia, that is gone for love. Exit.
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5.3 Enter SILVIA and Outlaws.
1OUTLAW
Come, come, be patient; we must bring you to our
CAPTAIN.
SILVIA A thousand more mischances than this one
Have learn’d me how to brook this patiently.
2OUTLAW Come, bring her away.
1OUTLAW Where is the gentleman that was with her?
5
3OUTLAW Being nimble-footed, he hath outrun us,
But Moyses and Valerius follow him.
Go thou with her to the west end of the wood,
There is our captain. We’ll follow him that’s fled;
The thicket is beset, he cannot ’scape.
10
Exeunt Second and Third Outlaws.
1OUTLAW
Come, I must bring you to our captain’s cave.
Fear not: he bears an honourable mind,
And will not use a woman lawlessly.
SILVIA O Valentine! This I endure for thee. Exeunt.
5.4 Enter VALENTINE.
VALENTINE 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.
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Repair me, with thy presence, Silvia:
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain.
[Shouts within.]
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?
[Withdraws.]
Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA and JULIA.
PROTEUS Madam, this service I have done for you
(Though you respect not aught your servant doth)
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To hazard life, and rescue you from him
That would have forc’d 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.
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VALENTINE [aside]
How like a dream is this! I see, and hear:
Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile.
SILVIA O miserable, unhappy that I am!
PROTEUS Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came;
But by my coming I have made you happy.
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SILVIA By thy approach thou mak’st me most unhappy.
JULIA [aside]
And me, when he approacheth to your presence.
SILVIA Had I been seized by a hungry lion,
I would have been a breakfast to the beast,
Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.
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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 perjur’d Proteus:
Therefore be gone, solicit me no more.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 544
