1    How use doth breed a habit in a man!
2    This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods,
3    I better brook than flourishing peopled towns:
4    Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
5    And to the nightingale's complaining notes
6    Tune my distresses and record my woes.
7    O thou that dost inhabit in my breast,
8    Leave not the mansion so long tenantless,
9    Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall
10   And leave no memory of what it was!
11   Repair me with thy presence, Silvia;
12   Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!
13   What halloing and what stir is this to-day?
14   These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
15   Have some unhappy passenger in chase.
16   They love me well; yet I have much to do
17   To keep them from uncivil outrages.
18   Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes here?

19   Madam, this service I have done for you,
20   Though you respect not aught your servant doth,
21   To hazard life and rescue you from him
22   That would have forced your honour and your love;
23   Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
24   A smaller boon than this I cannot beg
25   And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.

Aside
26    How like a dream is this I see and hear!
27   Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile.

28   O miserable, unhappy that I am!

29   Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came;
30   But by my coming I have made you happy.

31   By thy approach thou makest me most unhappy.

Aside
32    And me, when he approacheth to your presence.

33   Had I been seized by a hungry lion,
34   I would have been a breakfast to the beast,
35   Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.
36   O, Heaven be judge how I love Valentine,
37   Whose life's as tender to me as my soul!
38   And full as much, for more there cannot be,
39   I do detest false perjured Proteus.
40   Therefore be gone; solicit me no more.

41   What dangerous action, stood it next to death,
42   Would I not undergo for one calm look!
43   O, 'tis the curse in love, and still approved,
44   When women cannot love where they're beloved!

45   When Proteus cannot love where he's beloved.
46   Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love,
47   For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith
48   Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
49   Descended into perjury, to love me.
50   Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou'dst two;
51   And that's far worse than none; better have none
52   Than plural faith which is too much by one:
53   Thou counterfeit to thy true friend!

54   In love
55   Who respects friend?

56   All men but Proteus.

57   Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words
58   Can no way change you to a milder form,
59   I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end,
60   And love you 'gainst the nature of love,--force ye.

61   O heaven!

62   I'll force thee yield to my desire.

63   Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch,
64   Thou friend of an ill fashion!

65   Valentine!

66   Thou common friend, that's without faith or love,
67   For such is a friend now; treacherous man!
68   Thou hast beguiled my hopes; nought but mine eye
69   Could have persuaded me: now I dare not say
70   I have one friend alive; thou wouldst disprove me.
71   Who should be trusted, when one's own right hand
72   Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus,
73   I am sorry I must never trust thee more,
74   But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
75   The private wound is deepest: O time most accurst,
76   'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!

77   My shame and guilt confounds me.
78   Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty sorrow
79   Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
80   I tender 't here; I do as truly suffer
81   As e'er I did commit.

82   Then I am paid;
83   And once again I do receive thee honest.
84   Who by repentance is not satisfied
85   Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleased.
86   By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased:
87   And, that my love may appear plain and free,
88   All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.

89   O me unhappy!

90   Look to the boy.

91   Why, boy! why, wag! how now! what's the matter?
92   Look up; speak.

93   O good sir, my master charged me to deliver a ring
94   to Madam Silvia, which, out of my neglect, was never done.

95   Where is that ring, boy?

96   Here 'tis; this is it.

97   How! let me see:
98   Why, this is the ring I gave to Julia.

99   O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook:
100  This is the ring you sent to Silvia.

101  But how camest thou by this ring? At my depart
102  I gave this unto Julia.

103  And Julia herself did give it me;
104  And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

105  How! Julia!

106  Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
107  And entertain'd 'em deeply in her heart.
108  How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!
109  O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush!
110  Be thou ashamed that I have took upon me
111  Such an immodest raiment, if shame live
112  In a disguise of love:
113  It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,
114  Women to change their shapes than men their minds.

115  Than men their minds! 'tis true.
116  O heaven! were man
117  But constant, he were perfect. That one error
118  Fills him with faults; makes him run through all the sins:
119  Inconstancy falls off ere it begins.
120  What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy
121  More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye?

122  Come, come, a hand from either:
123  Let me be blest to make this happy close;
124  'Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.

125  Bear witness, Heaven, I have my wish for ever.

126  And I mine.

127  A prize, a prize, a prize!

128  Forbear, forbear, I say! it is my lord the duke.
129  Your grace is welcome to a man disgraced,
130  Banished Valentine.

131  Sir Valentine!

132  Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine.

133  Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death;
134  Come not within the measure of my wrath;
135  Do not name Silvia thine; if once again,
136  Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands;
137  Take but possession of her with a touch:
138  I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.

139  Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I;
140  I hold him but a fool that will endanger
141  His body for a girl that loves him not:
142  I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.

143  The more degenerate and base art thou,
144  To make such means for her as thou hast done
145  And leave her on such slight conditions.
146  Now, by the honour of my ancestry,
147  I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,
148  And think thee worthy of an empress' love:
149  Know then, I here forget all former griefs,
150  Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,
151  Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit,
152  To which I thus subscribe: Sir Valentine,
153  Thou art a gentleman and well derived;
154  Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserved her.

155  I thank your grace; the gift hath made me happy.
156  I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake,
157  To grant one boom that I shall ask of you.

158  I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be.

159  These banish'd men that I have kept withal
160  Are men endued with worthy qualities:
161  Forgive them what they have committed here
162  And let them be recall'd from their exile:
163  They are reformed, civil, full of good
164  And fit for great employment, worthy lord.

165  Thou hast prevail'd; I pardon them and thee:
166  Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts.
167  Come, let us go: we will include all jars
168  With triumphs, mirth and rare solemnity.

169  And, as we walk along, I dare be bold
170  With our discourse to make your grace to smile.
171  What think you of this page, my lord?

172  I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes.

173  I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy.

174  What mean you by that saying?

175  Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along,
176  That you will wonder what hath fortuned.
177  Come, Proteus; 'tis your penance but to hear
178  The story of your loves discovered:
179  That done, our day of marriage shall be yours;
180  One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.