I would have been a breakfast to the beast,
Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.
O! heaven be judge how I love Valentine,
Whose life’s as tender to me as my soul,
And full as much—for more there cannot be—
I do detest false, perjur’d Proteus.
Therefore be gone; solicit me no more.
PROTEUS.
What dangerous action, stood it next to death,
Would I not undergo for one calm look!
O, ‘tis the curse in love, and still approv’d,
When women cannot love where they’re belov’d!
SILVIA.
When Proteus cannot love where he’s belov’d!
Read over Julia’s heart, thy first best love,
For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths
Descended into perjury, to love me.
Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou’dst two,
And that’s far worse than none: better have none
Than plural faith, which is too much by one.
Thou counterfeit to thy true friend!
PROTEUS.
In love,
Who respects friend?
SILVIA.
All men but Proteus.
PROTEUS.
Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words
Can no way change you to a milder form,
I’ll woo you like a soldier, at arms’ end,
And love you ‘gainst the nature of love,—force ye.
SILVIA.
O heaven!
PROTEUS.
I’ll force thee yield to my desire.
VALENTINE. [Coming forward.]
Ruffian! let go that rude uncivil touch;
Thou friend of an ill fashion!
PROTEUS.
Valentine!
VALENTINE.
Thou common friend, that’s without faith or love—
For such is a friend now—treacherous man,
Thou hast beguil’d my hopes; nought but mine eye
Could have persuaded me. Now I dare not say
I have one friend alive: thou wouldst disprove me.
Who should be trusted, when one’s own right hand
Is perjur’d to the bosom? Proteus,
I am sorry I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deep’st. O time most curst!
‘Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!
PROTEUS.
My shame and guilt confounds me.
Forgive me, Valentine; if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
I tender ‘t here; I do as truly suffer
As e’er I did commit.
VALENTINE.
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 pleas’d.
By penitence the Eternal’s wrath’s appeas’d:
And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.
JULIA.
O me unhappy! [Swoons]
PROTEUS.
Look to the boy.
VALENTINE.
Why, boy! why, wag! how now!
What’s the matter? Look up; speak.
JULIA.
O good sir, my master charg’d me to deliver a ring to Madam
Silvia, which, out of my neglect, was never done.
PROTEUS.
Where is that ring, boy?
JULIA.
Here ‘tis; this is it. [Gives a ring.]
PROTEUS.
How! let me see. Why, this is the ring I gave to Julia.
JULIA.
O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook;
This is the ring you sent to Silvia. [Shows another ring.]
PROTEUS.
But how cam’st thou by this ring?
At my depart I gave this unto Julia.
JULIA.
And Julia herself did give it me;
And Julia herself have brought it hither.
PROTEUS.
How! Julia!
JULIA.
Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
And entertain’d them deeply in her heart:
How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!
O Proteus! let this habit make thee blush.
Be thou asham’d that I have took upon me
Such an immodest raiment; if shame live
In a disguise of love.
It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,
Women to change their shapes than men their minds.
PROTEUS.
Than men their minds! ‘tis true. O heaven! were man
But constant, he were perfect: that one error
Fills him with faults; makes him run through all the sins:
Inconstancy falls off ere it begins.
What is in Silvia’s face, but I may spy
More fresh in Julia’s with a constant eye?
VALENTINE.
Come, come, a hand from either.
Let me be blest to make this happy close;
‘Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.
PROTEUS.
Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for ever.
JULIA.
And I mine.
[Enter OUTLAWS, with DUKE and THURIO.]
OUTLAW.
A prize, a prize, a prize!
VALENTINE.
Forbear, forbear, I say; it is my lord the duke.
Your Grace is welcome to a man disgrac’d,
Banished Valentine.
DUKE.
Sir Valentine!
THURIO.
Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia’s mine.