PERSONS REPRESENTED.

DUKE, father to Silvia.

Appears, Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 4.

VALENTINE.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1.

Act V. sc. 4.

PROTEUS.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 6. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 4.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1.

LAUNCE, servant to Proteus.

Appears, Act II. sc. 3; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 4.

PANTHINO, servant to Antonio.
Appears, Act. I. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3.

HOST, with whom Julia lodges.

Appears, Act IV. sc. 2.

OUTLAWS with Valentine.

Appear, Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 3; sc. 4.

JULIA, beloved of Proteus.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 7. Act IV sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 4.

SILVIA, beloved of Valentine.

Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4.
Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3; sc. 4.

LUCETTA, waiting-woman to Julia.
Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 7.

Servants, Musicians.

SCENE,IN VERONA, IN MILAN, AND ON THE FRONTIERS OF Mantua.

'THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA' was first printed in the folio collection of Shakspere's plays, edited by John Heminge and Henry Condell, and published in 1623, seven years after his death. The text is singularly correct. There are not more than half a dozen passages of any real importance upon which a doubt can be entertained, if printed according to the original. It is, in all probability, a play written very early in Shakspere s life.

THE

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

ACT I.

SCENE I-An open place in Verona.
Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS.

VAL. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus;
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits;
Were 't not affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,
I rather would entreat thy company,
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully sluggardis'd at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But, since thou lov'st, love still, and thrive therein,
Even as I would, when I to love begin.

PRO Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu!
Think on thy Proteus, when thou, haply, seest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
Wish me partaker in thy happiness,

When thou dost meet good hap: and in thy danger,
If ever danger do environ thee,

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beadsman, Valentine.

VAL. And on a love-book pray for my success?
PRO. Upon some book I love, I'll pray for thee.
VAL. That's on some shallow story of deep love,

How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont.

PRO. That's a deep story of a deeper love; For he was more than over shoes in love.

VAL. "T is true; for you are over boots in love,

And yet you never swom the Hellespont.

PRO. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots.
VAL. No, I will not, for it boots thee not.

PRO.

What?

VAL. To be in love, where scorn is bought with groans;

Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights:

If haply won, perhaps a hapless gain;

If lost, why then a grievous labour won;
However, but a folly bought with wit,
Or else a wit by folly vanquished.

PRO. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool.
VAL. So, by your circumstance, I fear you 'll prove.
PRO. 'T is love you cavil at; I am not love.
VAL. Love is your master, for he masters you:
And he that is so yoked by a fool,

Methinks should not be chronicled for wise.

PRO. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud The eating canker dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

VAL. And writers say, as the most forward bud
Is eaten by the canker ere it blow,

Even so by love the young and tender wit
Is turn'd to folly; blasting in the bud,
Losing his verdure even in the prime,
And all the fair effects of future hopes.
But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee,
That art a votary to fond desire?

Once more adieu: my father at the road

Expects my coming, there to see me shipp'd.

PRO. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine.
VAL. Sweet Proteus, no; now let us take our leave.
To Milan let me hear from thee by letters,
Of thy success in love, and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend;

And I likewise will visit thee with mine.

PRO. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! VAL. As much to you at home! and so, farewell. Exit VALENTINE. PRO. He after honour hunts, I after love: He leaves his friends to dignify them more;