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The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Act 3, scene 2
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The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Act 3, scene 2Act 3, scene 2
Scene 2
Synopsis:
The Duke enlists Proteus’ aid in making Sylvia fall in love with Thurio. Proteus offers to slander Valentine and to help Thurio find musicians to serenade Sylvia.
Enter Duke ⌜and⌝ Thurio.DUKE
1451 Sir Thurio, fear not but that she will love you
1452 Now Valentine is banished from her sight.
THURIO
1453 Since his exile she hath despised me most,
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1454
Forsworn my company and railed at me,1455 5 That I am desperate of obtaining her.
DUKE
1456 This weak impress of love is as a figure
1457 Trenchèd in ice, which with an hour’s heat
1458 Dissolves to water and doth lose his form.
1459 A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
1460 10 And worthless Valentine shall be forgot.
⌜Enter⌝ Proteus.
1461 How now, Sir Proteus? Is your countryman,
1462 According to our proclamation, gone?
PROTEUS 1463 Gone, my good lord.
DUKE
1464 My daughter takes his going grievously.
PROTEUS
1465 15 A little time, my lord, will kill that grief.
DUKE
1466 So I believe, but Thurio thinks not so.
1467 Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee,
1468 For thou hast shown some sign of good desert,
1469 Makes me the better to confer with thee.
PROTEUS
1470 20 Longer than I prove loyal to your Grace
1471 Let me not live to look upon your Grace.
DUKE
1472 Thou know’st how willingly I would effect
1473 The match between Sir Thurio and my daughter?
PROTEUS 1474 I do, my lord.
DUKE
1475 25 And also, I think, thou art not ignorant
1476 How she opposes her against my will?
PROTEUS
1477 She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.
DUKE
1478 Ay, and perversely she persevers so.
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1479
What might we do to make the girl forget1480 30 The love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio?
PROTEUS
1481 The best way is to slander Valentine
1482 With falsehood, cowardice, and poor descent,
1483 Three things that women highly hold in hate.
DUKE
1484 Ay, but she’ll think that it is spoke in hate.
PROTEUS
1485 35 Ay, if his enemy deliver it.
1486 Therefore it must with circumstance be spoken
1487 By one whom she esteemeth as his friend.
DUKE
1488 Then you must undertake to slander him.
PROTEUS
1489 And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do.
1490 40 ’Tis an ill office for a gentleman,
1491 Especially against his very friend.
DUKE
1492 Where your good word cannot advantage him,
1493 Your slander never can endamage him;
1494 Therefore the office is indifferent,
1495 45 Being entreated to it by your friend.
PROTEUS
1496 You have prevailed, my lord. If I can do it
1497 By aught that I can speak in his dispraise,
1498 She shall not long continue love to him.
1499 But say this weed her love from Valentine,
1500 50 It follows not that she will love Sir Thurio.
THURIO
1501 Therefore, as you unwind her love from him,
1502 Lest it should ravel and be good to none,
1503 You must provide to bottom it on me,
1504 Which must be done by praising me as much
1505 55 As you in worth dispraise Sir Valentine.
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DUKE 1506 And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this kind
1507 Because we know, on Valentine’s report,
1508 You are already Love’s firm votary
1509 And cannot soon revolt and change your mind.
1510 60 Upon this warrant shall you have access
1511 Where you with Sylvia may confer at large—
1512 For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy,
1513 And, for your friend’s sake, will be glad of you—
1514 Where you may temper her by your persuasion
1515 65 To hate young Valentine and love my friend.
PROTEUS
1516 As much as I can do I will effect.—
1517 But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough.
1518 You must lay lime to tangle her desires
1519 By wailful sonnets, whose composèd rhymes
1520 70 Should be full-fraught with serviceable vows.
DUKE
1521 Ay, much is the force of heaven-bred poesy.
PROTEUS
1522 Say that upon the altar of her beauty
1523 You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart.
1524 Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears
1525 75 Moist it again, and frame some feeling line
1526 That may discover such integrity.
1527 For Orpheus’ lute was strung with poets’ sinews,
1528 Whose golden touch could soften steel and stones,
1529 Make tigers tame, and huge leviathans
1530 80 Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands.
1531 After your dire-lamenting elegies,
1532 Visit by night your lady’s chamber window
1533 With some sweet consort; to their instruments
1534 Tune a deploring dump; the night’s dead silence
1535 85 Will well become such sweet complaining
1536 grievance.
1537 This, or else nothing, will inherit her.
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DUKE 1538 This discipline shows thou hast been in love.
THURIO, ⌜to Proteus⌝
1539 And thy advice this night I’ll put in practice.
1540 90 Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver,
1541 Let us into the city presently
1542 To sort some gentlemen well-skilled in music.
1543 I have a sonnet that will serve the turn
1544 To give the onset to thy good advice.
DUKE 1545 95About it, gentlemen.
PROTEUS
1546 We’ll wait upon your Grace till after supper
1547 And afterward determine our proceedings.
DUKE
1548 Even now about it! I will pardon you.
They exit.