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 5 To see the wonders of the world abroad , Than , living dully sluggardized at home , Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness . But since thou lovest , love still , and thrive therein , Even as I would , when I to love begin . 10 And on a love-book pray for my success ? That 's on some shallow story of deep love : How young Leander cross 'd the Hellespont . ‘ Tis true ; for you are over boots in love , 25 And yet you never swum the Hellespont . No , I will not , for it boots thee not . To be in love , where scorn is bought with groans ; Coy looks with heart-sore sighs ; one fading moment 's mirth 30 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 . 35 So , by your circumstance , I fear you 'll prove . Love is your master , for he masters you : And he that is so yoked by a fool , 40 Methinks , should not be chronicled for wise . And writers say , as the most forward bud 45 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 . 50 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 . 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 . 60 As much to you at home ! and so , farewell . Not mine ; my gloves are on . Ha ! let me see : ay , give it me , it 's mine : Sweet ornament that decks a thing divine ! Ah , Silvia , Silvia ! 5 How now , sirrah ? Why , sir , who bade you call her ? Well , you 'll still be too forward . Go to , sir : tell me , do you know Madam Silvia ? Why , how know you that I am in love ? 15 Are all these things perceived in me ? Without me ? they cannot . But tell me , dost thou know my lady Silvia ? Hast thou observed that ? even she , I mean . Dost thou know her by my gazing on her , and yet knowest her not ? Not so fair , boy , as well-favoured . What dost thou know ? I mean that her beauty is exquisite , but her favour infinite . How painted ? and how out of count ? How esteemest thou me ? I account of her beauty . 55 How long hath she been deformed ? I have loved her ever since I saw her ; and still I see her beautiful . 60 Why ? What should I see then ? Belike , boy , then , you are in love ; for last morning 70 you could not see to wipe my shoes . In conclusion , I stand affected to her . 75 Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to one she loves . I have . No , boy , but as well as I can do them . Peace ! here she comes . Madam and mistress , a thousand good-morrows . As you enjoin 'd me , I have writ your letter Unto the secret nameless friend of yours ; Which I was much unwilling to proceed in , 95 But for my duty to your ladyship . Now trust me , madam , it came hardly off ; For , being ignorant to whom it goes , I writ at random , very doubtfully . 100 No , madam ; so it stead you , I will write , Please you command , a thousand times as much ; And yet — What means your ladyship ? do you not like it ? 110 Madam , they are for you . Please you , I 'll write your ladyship another . If it please me , madam , what then ? How now , sir ? what are you reasoning with 130 yourself ? To do what ? To whom ? What figure ? Why , she hath not writ to me ? 140 No , believe me . She gave me none , except an angry word . That 's the letter I writ to her friend . I would it were no worse . I have dined . Mistress ? Ay , boy , it 's for love . Of my mistress , then . Indeed , madam , I seem so . Haply I do . So do you . Wise . 15 Your folly . I quote it in your jerkin . Well , then , I 'll double your folly . Give him leave , madam ; he is a kind of chameleon . You have said , sir . I know it well , sir ; you always end ere you begin . ‘ Tis indeed , madam ; we thank the giver . 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 . 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 . 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 55 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 , 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 Should I have wish 'd a thing , it had been he . 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 Nay , sure , I think she holds them prisoners still . Why , lady , Love hath twenty pair of eyes . 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 . Mistress , it is : sweet lady , entertain him 100 To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship . Leave off discourse of disability : 105 Sweet lady , entertain him for your servant . Now , tell me , how do all from whence you came ? And how do yours ? How does your lady ? and how thrives your love ? 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 . Even she ; and is she not a heavenly saint ? Call her divine . O , flatter me ; for love delights in praises . Then speak the truth by her ; if not divine , Yet let her be a principality , Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth . Sweet , except not any ; 150 Except thou wilt except against my love . 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 . Pardon me , Proteus : all I can is nothing To her , whose worth makes other worthies nothing ; She is alone . 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 . 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 . Will you make haste ? Please it your grace , there is a messenger That stays to bear my letters to my friends , And I am going to deliver them . The tenour of them doth but signify My health and happy being at your court . I know it well , my Lord ; and , sure , the match Were rich and honourable ; besides , the gentleman Is full of virtue , bounty , worth and qualities 65 Beseeming such a wife as your fair daughter : Cannot your Grace win her to fancy him ? What would your Grace have me to do in this ? 80 Win her with gifts , if she respect not words : Dumb jewels often in their silent kind 90 More than quick words do move a woman 's mind . A woman sometimes scorns what best contents her . Send her another ; never give her o'er ; For scorn at first makes afterlove the more . 95 If she do frown , ‘ tis not in hate of you , But rather to beget more love in you : If she do chide , ‘ tis not to have you gone ; For why , the fools are mad , if left alone . Take no repulse , whatever she doth say ; 100 For ‘ get you gone , ’ she doth not mean ‘ away ! ’ Flatter and praise , commend , extol their graces ; Though ne'er so black , say they have angels ’ faces . That man that hath a tongue , I say , is no man , If with his tongue he cannot win a woman . 105 Why , then , I would resort to her by night . 110 What lets but one may enter at her window ? Why , then , a ladder , quaintly made of cords , To cast up , with a pair of anchoring hooks , Would serve to scale another Hero 's tower , So bold Leander would adventure it . 120 When would you use it ? pray , sir , tell me that . By seven o'clock I 'll get you such a ladder . It will be light , my lord , that you may bear it Under a cloak that is of any length . 130 Ay , my good lord . Why , any cloak will serve the turn , my lord . And why not death rather than living torment ? 170 To die is to be banish 'd from myself ; And Silvia is myself : banish 'd from her , Is self from self : a deadly banishment ! What light is light , if Silvia be not seen ? What joy is joy , if Silvia be not by ? 175 Unless it be to think that she is by , And feed upon the shadow of perfection . Except I be by Silvia in the night , There is no music in the nightingale ; Unless I look on Silvia in the day , 180 There is no day for me to look upon : She is my essence ; and I leave to be , If I be not by her fair influence Foster 'd , illumined , cherish 'd , kept alive . I fly not death , to fly his deadly doom : 185 Tarry I here , I but attend on death : But , fly I hence , I fly away from life . No . Neither . Nothing . My ears are stopt , and cannot hear good news , 205 So much of bad already hath possess 'd them . Is Silvia dead ? No Valentine , indeed , for sacred Silvia . Hath she forsworn me ? No Valentine , if Silvia have forsworn me . What is your news ? 215 O , I have fed upon this woe already , And now excess of it will make me surfeit . 220 Doth Silvia know that I am banished ? No more ; unless the next word that thou speak'st Have some malignant power upon my life : If so , I pray thee , breathe it in mine ear , As ending anthem of my endless dolour . 240 I pray thee , Launce , an if thou seest my boy , Bid him make haste , and meet me at the North-gate . O my dear Silvia ! Hapless Valentine ! 260 My friends ,— Then know that I have little wealth to lose : A man I am cross 'd with adversity ; My riches are these poor habiliments , Of which if you should here disfurnish me , You take the sum and substance that I have . 15 To Verona . From Milan . Some sixteen months , and longer might have stay 'd , If crooked fortune had not thwarted me . I was . For that which now torments me to rehearse : I kill 'd a man , whose death I much repent ; But yet I slew him manfully in fight , Without false vantage or base treachery . I was , and held me glad of such a doom . My youthful travel therein made me happy , Or else I often had been miserable . 35 Peace , villain ! Nothing but my fortune . I take your offer , and will live with you , 70 Provided that you do no outrages On silly women or poor passengers . How use doth breed a habit in a man ! This shadowy desert , unfrequented woods , I better brook than flourishing peopled towns : Here can I sit alone , unseen of any , And to the nightingale 's complaining notes 5 Tune my distresses and record my woes . O thou that dost inhabit in my breast , Leave not the mansion so long tenantless , Lest , growing ruinous , the building fall , And leave no memory of what it was ! 10 Repair me with thy presence , Silvia ; Thou gentle nymph , cherish thy forlorn swain ! What halloing and what stir is this to-day ? These are my mates , that make their wills their law , Have some unhappy passenger in chase . 15 They love me well ; yet I have much to do To keep them from uncivil outrages . Withdraw thee , Valentine : who 's this comes here ? How like a dream is this I see and hear ! Love , lend me patience to forbear awhile . Ruffian , let go that rude uncivil touch , 60 Thou friend of an ill fashion ! Thou common friend , that 's without faith or love , For such is a friend now ; treacherous man ! Thou hast beguiled my hopes ; nought but mine eye Could have persuaded me : now I dare not say 65 I have one friend alive ; thou wouldst disprove me . Who should be trusted now , when one 's right hand Is perjured to the bosom ? Proteus , I am sorry I must never trust thee more , But count the world a stranger for thy sake . 70 The private wound is deepest : O time most accurst , ‘ Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst ! Then I am paid ; And once again I do receive thee honest . Who by repentance is not satisfied Is nor of heaven nor earth , for these are pleased . 80 By penitence the Eternal 's wrath 's appeased : And , that my love may appear plain and free , All that was mine in Silvia I give thee . Why , boy ! why , wag ! how now ! what 's the matter ? Look up ; speak . Come , come , a hand from either : Let me be blest to make this happy close ; ‘ Twere pity two such friends should be long foes . Forbear , forbear , I say ! it is my lord the duke . Your Grace is welcome to a man disgraced , Banished Valentine . Thurio , give back , or else embrace thy death ; Come not within the measure of my wrath ; Do not name Silvia thine ; if once again , Verona shall not hold thee . Here she stands : Take but possession of her with a touch : 130 I dare thee but to breathe upon my love . I thank your grace ; the gift hath made me happy . I now beseech you , for your daughter 's sake , To grant one boon that I shall ask of you . 150 These banish 'd men that I have kept withal Are men endued with worthy qualities : Forgive them what they have committed here , And let them be recall 'd from their exile : 155 They are reformed , civil , full of good , And fit for great employment , worthy lord . And , as we walk along , I dare be bold With our discourse to make your Grace to smile . What think you of this page , my lord ? I warrant you , my lord , more grace than boy . Please you , I 'll tell you as we pass along , That you will wonder what hath fortuned . Come , Proteus ; ‘ tis your penance but to hear 170 The story of your loves discovered : That done , our day of marriage shall be yours ; One feast , one house , one mutual happiness . Notes : V , 4 .