The Two Gentlemen of Verona - William Shakespeare (story books for 5 year olds txt) 📗
- Author: William Shakespeare
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Milan. The Duke’s palace.
Enter Silvia, Valentine, Thurio, and Speed. Silvia Servant! Valentine Mistress? Speed Master, Sir Thurio frowns on you. Valentine Ay, boy, it’s for love. Speed Not of you. Valentine Of my mistress, then. Speed ’Twere good you knocked him. Exit. Silvia Servant, you are sad. Valentine Indeed, madam, I seem so. Thurio Seem you that you are not? Valentine Haply I do. Thurio So do counterfeits. Valentine So do you. Thurio What seem I that I am not? Valentine Wise. Thurio What instance of the contrary? Valentine Your folly. Thurio And how quote you my folly? Valentine I quote it in your jerkin. Thurio My jerkin is a doublet. Valentine Well, then, I’ll double your folly. Thurio How? Silvia What, angry, Sir Thurio! do you change colour? 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. Valentine You have said, sir. Thurio Ay, sir, and done too, for this time. Valentine I know it well, sir; you always end ere you begin. Silvia A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and quickly shot off. Valentine ’Tis indeed, madam; we thank the giver. Silvia Who is that, servant? Valentine Yourself, sweet lady; for you gave the fire. Sir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship’s looks, and spends what he borrows kindly in your company. Thurio Sir, if you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt. Valentine I know it well, sir; you have an exchequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to give your followers, for it appears by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words. Silvia No more, gentlemen, no more: here comes my father. Enter Duke. DukeNow, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset.
Sir Valentine, your father’s in good health:
What say you to a letter from your friends
Of much good news?
My lord, I will be thankful
To any happy messenger from thence.
Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman
To be of worth and worthy estimation
And not without desert so well reputed.
Ay, my good lord; a son that well deserves
The honour and regard of such a father.
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,
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;
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.
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;
And here he means to spend his time awhile:
I think ’tis no unwelcome news to you.
Welcome him then according to his worth.
Silvia, I speak to you, and you, Sir Thurio;
For Valentine, I need not cite him to it:
I will send him hither to you presently. Exit.
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.
Belike that now she hath enfranchised them
Upon some other pawn for fealty.
Nay, then he should be blind; and, being blind,
How could he see his way to seek out you?
To see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself:
Upon a homely object Love can wink.
Welcome, dear Proteus! Mistress, I beseech you,
Confirm his welcome with some special favour.
His worth is warrant for his welcome hither,
If this be he you oft have wish’d to hear from.
Mistress, it is: sweet lady, entertain him
To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.
Not so, sweet lady: but too mean a servant
To have a look of such a worthy mistress.
Leave off discourse of disability:
Sweet lady, entertain him for your servant.
And duty never yet did want his meed:
Servant, you are welcome to a worthless mistress.
I wait upon his pleasure. Come, Sir Thurio,
Go with me. Once more, new servant,
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