Chapter: SCENE IV.

_Milan. The DUKE'S palace._

  _Enter SILVIA, VALENTINE, THURIO, and SPEED._

_Sil._ Servant!

_Val._ Mistress?

_Speed._ Master, Sir Thurio frowns on you.

_Val._ Ay, boy, it's for love.

_Speed._ Not of you.                                                 5

_Val._ Of my mistress, then.

_Speed._ 'Twere good you knocked him.    [_Exit._

_Sil._ Servant, you are sad.

_Val._ Indeed, madam, I seem so.

_Thu._ Seem you that you are not?                                   10

_Val._ Haply I do.

_Thu._ So do counterfeits.

_Val._ So do you.

_Thu._ What seem I that I am not?

_Val._ Wise.                                                        15

_Thu._ What instance of the contrary?

_Val._ Your folly.

_Thu._ And how quote you my folly?

_Val._ I quote it in your jerkin.

_Thu._ My jerkin is a doublet.                                      20

_Val._ Well, then, I'll double your folly.

_Thu._ How?

_Sil._ What, angry, Sir Thurio! do you change colour?

_Val._ Give him leave, madam; he is a kind of chameleon.

_Thu._ That hath more mind to feed on your blood than               25
live in your air.

_Val._ You have said, sir.

_Thu._ Ay, sir, and done too, for this time.

_Val._ I know it well, sir; you always end ere you begin.

_Sil._ A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly               30
shot off.

_Val._ 'Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver.

_Sil._ Who is that, servant?

_Val._ Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Sir
Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship's looks, and              35
spends what he borrows kindly in your company.

_Thu._ Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall
make your wit bankrupt.

_Val._ I know it well, sir; you have an exchequer of
words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers,      40
for it appears, by their bare liveries, that they live by
your bare words.

_Sil._ No more, gentlemen, no more:--here comes my father.

  _Enter DUKE._

_Duke._ Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset.                   45
Sir Valentine, your father's in good health:
What say you to a letter from your friends
Of much good news?

_Val._           My lord, I will be thankful
To any happy messenger from thence.

_Duke._ Know ye Don Antonio, your countryman?                       50

_Val._ Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman
To be of worth, and worthy estimation,
And not without desert so well reputed.

_Duke._ Hath he not a son?

_Val._ Ay, my good lord; a son that well deserves                   55
The honour and regard of such a father.

_Duke._ You know him well?

_Val._ I know him as myself; for from our infancy
We have conversed and spent our hours together:
And though myself have been an idle truant,                         60
Omitting the sweet benefit of time
To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection,
Yet hath Sir Proteus, for that's his name,
Made use and fair advantage of his days;
His years but young, but his experience old;                        65
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe;
And, in a word, for far behind his worth
Comes all the praises that I now bestow,
He is complete in feature and in mind
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.                           70

_Duke._ Beshrew me, sir, but if he make this good,
He is as worthy for an empress' love
As meet to be an emperor's counsellor.
Well, sir, this gentleman is come to me,
With commendation from great potentates;                            75
And here he means to spend his time awhile:
I think 'tis no unwelcome news to you.

_Val._ Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been he.

_Duke._ Welcome him, then, according to his worth.
Silvia, I speak to you, and you, Sir Thurio,                        80
For Valentine, I need not cite him to it:
I will send him hither to you presently.    [_Exit._

_Val._ This is the gentleman I told your ladyship
Had come along with me, but that his mistress
Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks.                      85

_Sil._ Belike that now she hath enfranchised them,
Upon some other pawn for fealty.

_Val._ Nay, sure, I think she holds them prisoners still.

_Sil._ Nay, then, he should be blind; and, being blind,
How could he see his way to seek out you?                           90

_Val._ Why, lady, Love hath twenty pair of eyes.

_Thu._ They say that Love hath not an eye at all.

_Val._ To see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself:
Upon a homely object Love can wink.

_Sil._ Have done, have done; here comes the gentleman.              95

  _Enter PROTEUS.    [Exit THURIO._

_Val._ Welcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you,
Confirm his welcome with some special favour.

_Sil._ His worth is warrant for his welcome hither,
If this be he you oft have wish'd to hear from.

_Val._ Mistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him                  100
To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.

_Sil._ Too low a mistress for so high a servant.

_Pro._ Not so, sweet lady: but too mean a servant
To have a look of such a worthy mistress.

_Val._ Leave off discourse of disability:                          105
Sweet lady, entertain him for your servant.

_Pro._ My duty will I boast of; nothing else.

_Sil._ And duty never yet did want his meed:
Servant, you are welcome to a worthless mistress.

_Pro._ I'll die on him that says so but yourself.                  110

_Sil._ That you are welcome?

_Pro._                     That you are worthless.

  _Re-enter THURIO._

_Thu._ Madam, my lord your father would speak with you.

_Sil._ I wait upon his pleasure. Come, Sir Thurio,
Go with me. Once more, new servant, welcome:
I'll leave you to confer of home affairs;                          115
When you have done, we look to hear from you.

_Pro._ We'll both attend upon your ladyship.
    [_Exeunt Silvia and Thurio._

_Val._ Now, tell me, how do all from whence you came?

_Pro._ Your friends are well, and have them much commended.

_Val._ And how do yours?

_Pro._                 I left them all in health.                  120

_Val._ How does your lady? and how thrives your love?

_Pro._ My tales of love were wont to weary you;
I know you joy not in a love-discourse.

_Val._ Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter'd now:
I have done penance for contemning Love,                           125
Whose high imperious thoughts have punish'd me
With bitter fasts, with penitential groans,
With nightly tears, and daily heart-sore sighs;
For, in revenge of my contempt of love,
Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes,                    130
And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow.
O gentle Proteus, Love's a mighty lord,
And hath so humbled me; as I confess
There is no woe to his correction,
Nor to his service no such joy on earth.                           135
Now no discourse, except it be of love;
Now can I break my fast, dine, sup and sleep,
Upon the very naked name of love.

_Pro._ Enough; I read your fortune in your eye.
Was this the idol that you worship so?                             140

_Val._ Even she; and is she not a heavenly saint?

_Pro._ No; but she is an earthly paragon.

_Val._ Call her divine.

_Pro._                I will not flatter her.

_Val._ O, flatter me; for love delights in praises.

_Pro._ When I was sick, you gave me bitter pills;                  145
And I must minister the like to you.

_Val._ Then speak the truth by her; if not divine,
Yet let her be a principality,
Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth.

_Pro._ Except my mistress.

_Val._                   Sweet, except not any;                    150
Except thou wilt except against my love.

_Pro._ Have I not reason to prefer mine own?

_Val._ And I will help thee to prefer her too:
She shall be dignified with this high honour,--
To bear my lady's train, lest the base earth                       155
Should from her vesture chance to steal a kiss,
And, of so great a favour growing proud,
Disdain to root the summer-swelling flower,
And make rough winter everlastingly.

_Pro._ Why, Valentine, what braggardism is this?                   160

_Val._ Pardon me, Proteus: all I can is nothing
To her, whose worth makes other worthies nothing;
She is alone.

_Pro._      Then let her alone.

_Val._ Not for the world: why, man, she is mine own;
And I as rich in having such a jewel                               165
As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl,
The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.
Forgive me, that I do not dream on thee,
Because thou see'st me dote upon my love.
My foolish rival, that her father likes                            170
Only for his possessions are so huge,
Is gone with her along; and I must after,
For love, thou know'st, is full of jealousy.

_Pro._ But she loves you?

_Val._ Ay, and we are betroth'd: nay, more, our marriage-hour,     175
With all the cunning manner of our flight,
Determined of; how I must climb her window;
The ladder made of cords; and all the means
Plotted and 'greed on for my happiness.
Good Proteus, go with me to my chamber,                            180
In these affairs to aid me with thy counsel.

_Pro._ Go on before; I shall inquire you forth:
I must unto the road, to disembark
Some necessaries that I needs must use;
And then I'll presently attend you.                                185

_Val._ Will you make haste?

_Pro._ I will.    [_Exit Valentine._
Even as one heat another heat expels,
Or as one nail by strength drives out another,
So the remembrance of my former love                               190
Is by a newer object quite forgotten.
Is it mine, or Valentine's praise,
Her true perfection, or my false transgression,
That makes me reasonless to reason thus?
She is fair; and so is Julia, that I love.--                       195
That I did love, for now my love is thaw'd;
Which, like a waxen image 'gainst a fire,
Bears no impression of the thing it was.
Methinks my zeal to Valentine is cold,
And that I love him not as I was wont.                             200
O, but I love his lady too too much!
And that's the reason I love him so little.
How shall I dote on her with more advice,
That thus without advice begin to love her!
'Tis but her picture I have yet beheld,                            205
And that hath dazzled my reason's light;
But when I look on her perfections,
There is no reason but I shall be blind.
If I can check my erring love, I will;
If not, to compass her I'll use my skill.    [_Exit._              210



  Notes: II, 4.

  2: [They converse apart] Capell.
  7: [Exit] Edd. See note (V).
  21: _I'll_] _Ile_ Ff. _'twill_ Collier MS.
  45: SCENE V. Pope.
  Enter DUKE.] Enter DUKE attended. Capell.
  49: _happy_] F1. om. F2 F3 F4.
  50: _ye_] F1. _you_ F2 F3 F4.
  52: _worth_] _wealth_ Collier MS. and S. Walker conj.
  58: _Know_] Hanmer. _Knew_ Ff.
  68: _comes_] Ff. _come_ Rowe.
  77: _unwelcome_] F1. _welcome_ F2 F3 F4.
  81: _cite_] _'cite_ Malone.
  82: _I will_] _I'll_ Pope.
  [Exit] Rowe.
  95: SCENE VI. Pope. Enter PROTEUS.] Enter. F2.
  Exit THURIO.] Collier. See note (V).
  97: _his_] F1. _this_ F2 F3 F4.
  104: _a worthy_] _a worthy a_ F1.
  111: _welcome_] _welcome, sir_ Capell.
  _That you are worthless_] _No, that you are worthless_ Johnson.
  Re-enter THURIO.] om. Ff. Enter THURIO. Collier. Enter a Servant.
    Theobald.
  112: Thu.] Ff. Serv. Theobald.
  113: [Exit servant. Theobald.
  114: _Go_] _Go you_ Capell.
  _new servant_] _my new servant_ Pope.
  117: [Exeunt S. and T.] Rowe.
  118: SCENE VII. Pope.
  126: _Whose_] _Those_ Johnson conj.
  133: _as I confess_] _as, I confess,_ Warburton.
  135: _no such_] _any_ Hanmer.
  144: _praises_] F1. _praise_ F2 F3 F4.
  158: _summer-swelling_] _summer-smelling_ Steevens conj.
    (withdrawn).
  160: _braggardism_] Steevens. _bragadism_ Ff.
  162: _makes_] _make_ F1.
  _worthies_] _worth as_ Grant White.
  163: _Then_] _Why, then_ Hanmer.
  167: _rocks_] F1. _rocke_ F2. _rock_ F3 F4.
  175: _Ay, and we are_] _Ay, And we're_ Edd. conj.
  _nay, more_] _Nay, more, my Protheus_ Capell.
  _marriage-hour_] _marriage_ Pope.
  185: _you_] _upon you_ Hanmer. _on you_ Capell.
  187: [Exit Val.] [Exit. F1. om. F2 F3 F4. [Exeunt Valentine and
    Speed. Dyce. See note (V).
  192: _Is it ... praise,_] _It is mine, or Valentine's praise?_ F1.
    _Is it mine then, or Valentineans praise?_ F2 F3 F4. _Is it mine
    then or Valentino's praise,_ Rowe, Pope. _Is it mine eye or
    Valentine's praise,_ Theobald (Warburton). _Is it mine eyne, or
    Valentino's praise,_ Hanmer. _Is it mine own, or Valentino's
    praise,_ Capell. _Is it her mien, or Valentinus' praise,_
    Malone (Blakeway conj.). See note (VI).
  206: _dazzled_] _dazel'd_ F1. _dazel'd so_ F2 F3 F4.
  210: [Exit.] F2. [Exeunt. F1.

 At Silvia's instigation, two of her suitors, Thurio and Valentine, engage in verbal fisticuffs to cull her favor. The level of debate is not particularly high: Silvia: What, angry, Sir Thurio! Do you change color! Valentine: Give him leave, Madam; he is a kind of chameleon. Thurio: That hath more mind to feed on your blood than live in your air. Silvia's father interrupts the proceedings to tell them of the unexpected arrival of Sir Proteus; he is assured of Proteus's upstanding good character by Valentine: He is complete in feature and in mind With all good grace to grace a gentleman. Hardly has he finished when Proteus comes onto the stage and is warmly greeted by his friend, who introduces him to Silvia. Proteus greets her with conventional good manners, telling her that he is "too mean a servant/To have a look of such a worthy mistress." When Silvia exits, Valentine inquires after friends and relations in Verona, including Julia. Proteus soon learns that his friend has fallen in love with Silvia: Proteus: Enough; I read your fortune in your eye. Was this the idol that you worship so? Valentine: Even she; and is she not a heavenly saint? Proteus: No, but she is an earthly paragon. He further learns of their betrothal and that Valentine is troubled by a wealthy rival. Left alone, Proteus reveals in a monologue his own infatuation with Silvia, something he feels to such an extent that his love for Julia, . . . like a waxen image 'gainst a fire, Bears no impression of the thing it was. The scene ends on his somewhat shocking remark: If I can check my erring love, I will; If not, to compass her I'll use my skill.

