ARKCODEX
Act IV, Scene 2
1Milan. Outside the Duke’s palace, under Silvia’s chamber.
2Enter Proteus.
3ProteusAlready 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.
4Enter Thurio and Musicians.
5ThurioHow now, Sir Proteus, are you crept before us?
6ProteusAy, gentle Thurio: for you know that love
Will creep in service where it cannot go.
7ThurioAy, but I hope, sir, that you love not here.
8ProteusSir, but I do; or else I would be hence.
9ThurioWho? Silvia?
10ProteusAy, Silvia; for your sake.
11ThurioI thank you for your own. Now, gentlemen,
Let’s tune, and to it lustily awhile.
12Enter, at a distance, Host, and Julia in boy’s clothes.
13HostNow, my young guest, methinks you’re allycholly: I pray you, why is it?
14JuliaMarry, mine host, because I cannot be merry.
15HostCome, we’ll have you merry: I’ll bring you where you shall hear music and see the gentleman that you asked for.
16JuliaBut shall I hear him speak?
17HostAy, that you shall.
18JuliaThat will be music. Music plays.
19HostHark, hark!
20JuliaIs he among these?
21HostAy: but, peace! let’s hear ’em.
22Song.
23Who 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.
24HostHow now! are you sadder than you were before? How do you, man? the music likes you not.
25JuliaYou mistake; the musician likes me not.
26HostWhy, my pretty youth?
27JuliaHe plays false, father.
28HostHow? out of tune on the strings?
29JuliaNot so; but yet so false that he grieves my very heart-strings.
30HostYou have a quick ear.
31JuliaAy, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a slow heart.
32HostI perceive you delight not in music.
33JuliaNot a whit, when it jars so.
34HostHark, what fine change is in the music!
35JuliaAy, that change is the spite.
36HostYou would have them always play but one thing?
37JuliaI would always have one play but one thing.
But, host, doth this Sir Proteus that we talk on
Often resort unto this gentlewoman?
38HostI tell you what Launce, his man, told me: he loved her out of all nick.
39JuliaWhere is Launce?
40HostGone to seek his dog; which to-morrow, by his master’s command, he must carry for a present to his lady.
41JuliaPeace! stand aside: the company parts.
42ProteusSir Thurio, fear not you: I will so plead
That you shall say my cunning drift excels.
43ThurioWhere meet we?
44ProteusAt Saint Gregory’s well.
45ThurioFarewell. Exeunt Thurio and Musicians.
46Enter Silvia above.
47ProteusMadam, good even to your ladyship.
48SilviaI thank you for your music, gentlemen.
Who is that that spake?
49ProteusOne, lady, if you knew his pure heart’s truth,
You would quickly learn to know him by his voice.
50SilviaSir Proteus, as I take it.
51ProteusSir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant.
52SilviaWhat’s your will?
53ProteusThat I may compass yours.
54SilviaYou 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.
55ProteusI grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady;
But she is dead.
56JuliaAside. ’Twere false, if I should speak it;
For I am sure she is not buried.
57SilviaSay 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?
58ProteusI likewise hear that Valentine is dead.
59SilviaAnd so suppose am I; for in his grave
Assure thyself my love is buried.
60ProteusSweet lady, let me rake it from the earth.
61SilviaGo to thy lady’s grave and call hers thence,
Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine.
62JuliaAside. He heard not that.
63ProteusMadam, 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.
64JuliaAside. If ’twere a substance, you would, sure, deceive it,
And make it but a shadow, as I am.
65SilviaI 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.
66ProteusAs wretches have o’ernight
That wait for execution in the morn. Exeunt Proteus and Silvia severally.
67JuliaHost, will you go?
68HostBy my halidom, I was fast asleep.
69JuliaPray you, where lies Sir Proteus?
70HostMarry, at my house. Trust me, I think ’tis almost day.
71JuliaNot so; but it hath been the longest night
That e’er I watch’d and the most heaviest. Exeunt.