第1章

ACTISCENEI。Verona。Anopenplace。EnterVALENTINEandPROTEUSVALENTINECeasetopersuade，mylovingProteus:

Home—keepingyouthhaveeverhomelywits。

Were"tnotaffectionchainsthytenderdaysTothesweetglancesofthyhonour"dlove，IratherwouldentreatthycompanyToseethewondersoftheworldabroad，Than，livingdullysluggardizedathome，Wearoutthyyouthwithshapelessidleness。

Butsincethoulovest，lovestillandthrivetherein，EvenasIwouldwhenItolovebegin。PROTEUSWiltthoubegone？SweetValentine，adieu！

ThinkonthyProteus，whenthouhaplyseestSomerarenote—worthyobjectinthytravel:

WishmepartakerinthyhappinessWhenthoudostmeetgoodhap;andinthydanger，Ifeverdangerdoenvironthee，Commendthygrievancetomyholyprayers，ForIwillbethybeadsman，Valentine。VALENTINEAndonalove—bookprayformysuccess？PROTEUSUponsomebookIloveI"llprayforthee。VALENTINEThat"sonsomeshallowstoryofdeeplove:

HowyoungLeandercross"dtheHellespont。PROTEUSThat"sadeepstoryofadeeperlove:

Forhewasmorethanovershoesinlove。VALENTINE"Tistrue;foryouareoverbootsinlove，AndyetyouneverswumtheHellespont。PROTEUSOvertheboots？nay，givemenottheboots。VALENTINENo，Iwillnot，foritbootstheenot。PROTEUSWhat？VALENTINETobeinlove，wherescornisboughtwithgroans;

Coylookswithheart—soresighs;onefadingmoment"smirthWithtwentywatchful，weary，tediousnights:

Ifhaplywon，perhapsahaplessgain;

Iflost，whythenagrievouslabourwon;

However，butafollyboughtwithwit，Orelseawitbyfollyvanquished。PROTEUSSo，byyourcircumstance，youcallmefool。VALENTINESo，byyourcircumstance，Ifearyou"llprove。PROTEUS"Tisloveyoucavilat:IamnotLove。VALENTINELoveisyourmaster，forhemastersyou:

Andhethatissoyokedbyafool，Methinks，shouldnotbechronicledforwise。PROTEUSYetwriterssay，asinthesweetestbudTheeatingcankerdwells，soeatingloveInhabitsinthefinestwitsofall。VALENTINEAndwriterssay，asthemostforwardbudIseatenbythecankerereitblow，EvensobylovetheyoungandtenderwitIsturn"dtofolly，blastinginthebud，LosinghisverdureevenintheprimeAndallthefaireffectsoffuturehopes。

ButwhereforewasteItimetocounselthee，Thatartavotarytofonddesire？

Oncemoreadieu！myfatherattheroadExpectsmycoming，theretoseemeshipp"d。PROTEUSAndthitherwillIbringthee，Valentine。VALENTINESweetProteus，no;nowletustakeourleave。

ToMilanletmehearfromtheebylettersOfthysuccessinlove，andwhatnewselseBetidethhereinabsenceofthyfriend;

Andlikewisewillvisittheewithmine。PROTEUSAllhappinessbechancetotheeinMilan！VALENTINEAsmuchtoyouathome！andso，farewell。

ExitPROTEUSHeafterhonourhunts，Iafterlove:

Heleaveshisfriendstodignifythemmore，Ileavemyself，myfriendsandall，forlove。

Thou，Julia，thouhastmetamorphosedme，Mademeneglectmystudies，losemytime，Warwithgoodcounsel，settheworldatnought;

Madewitwithmusingweak，heartsickwiththought。

EnterSPEEDSPEEDSirProteus，saveyou！Sawyoumymaster？PROTEUSButnowhepartedhence，toembarkforMilan。SPEEDTwentytoonethenheisshipp"dalready，AndIhaveplay"dthesheepinlosinghim。PROTEUSIndeed，asheepdothveryoftenstray，Aniftheshepherdbeawhileaway。SPEEDYouconcludethatmymasterisashepherd，then，andIasheep？PROTEUSIdo。SPEEDWhythen，myhornsarehishorns，whetherIwakeorsleep。PROTEUSAsillyanswerandfittingwellasheep。SPEEDThisprovesmestillasheep。PROTEUSTrue;andthymasterashepherd。SPEEDNay，thatIcandenybyacircumstance。PROTEUSItshallgohardbutI"llproveitbyanother。SPEEDTheshepherdseeksthesheep，andnotthesheeptheshepherd;butIseekmymaster，andmymasterseeksnotme:thereforeIamnosheep。PROTEUSThesheepforfodderfollowtheshepherd;

theshepherdforfoodfollowsnotthesheep:thouforwagesfollowestthymaster;thymasterforwagesfollowsnotthee:thereforethouartasheep。SPEEDSuchanotherproofwillmakemecry"baa。"PROTEUSBut，dostthouhear？gavestthoumylettertoJulia？SPEEDAysir:I，alostmutton，gaveyourlettertoher，alacedmutton，andshe，alacedmutton，gaveme，alostmutton，nothingformylabour。PROTEUSHere"stoosmallapastureforsuchstoreofmuttons。SPEEDIfthegroundbeovercharged，youwerebeststickher。PROTEUSNay:inthatyouareastray，"twerebestpoundyou。SPEEDNay，sir，lessthanapoundshallservemeforcarryingyourletter。PROTEUSYoumistake;Imeanthepound，——apinfold。SPEEDFromapoundtoapin？folditoverandover，"Tisthreefoldtoolittleforcarryingalettertoyourlover。PROTEUSButwhatsaidshe？SPEED[Firstnodding]Ay。PROTEUSNod——Ay——why，that"snoddy。SPEEDYoumistook，sir;Isay，shedidnod:

andyouaskmeifshedidnod;andIsay，"Ay。"PROTEUSAndthatsettogetherisnoddy。SPEEDNowyouhavetakenthepainstosetittogether，takeitforyourpains。PROTEUSNo，no;youshallhaveitforbearingtheletter。SPEEDWell，IperceiveImustbefaintobearwithyou。PROTEUSWhysir，howdoyoubearwithme？SPEEDMarry，sir，theletter，veryorderly;

havingnothingbuttheword"noddy"formypains。PROTEUSBeshrewme，butyouhaveaquickwit。SPEEDAndyetitcannotovertakeyourslowpurse。PROTEUSComecome，openthematterinbrief:

whatsaidshe？SPEEDOpenyourpurse，thatthemoneyandthemattermaybebothatoncedelivered。PROTEUSWell，sir，hereisforyourpains。Whatsaidshe？SPEEDTruly，sir，Ithinkyou"llhardlywinher。PROTEUSWhy，couldstthouperceivesomuchfromher？SPEEDSir，Icouldperceivenothingatallfromher;no，notsomuchasaducatfordeliveringyourletter:

andbeingsohardtomethatbroughtyourmind，I

fearshe"llproveashardtoyouintellingyourmind。Givehernotokenbutstones;forshe"sashardassteel。PROTEUSWhatsaidshe？nothing？SPEEDNo，notsomuchas"Takethisforthypains。"Totestifyyourbounty，Ithankyou，youhavetesternedme;inrequitalwhereof，henceforthcarryyourlettersyourself:andso，sir，I"llcommendyoutomymaster。PROTEUSGo，go，begone，tosaveyourshipfromwreck，Whichcannotperishhavingtheeaboard，Beingdestinedtoadrierdeathonshore。

ExitSPEED

Imustgosendsomebettermessenger:

IfearmyJuliawouldnotdeignmylines，Receivingthemfromsuchaworthlesspost。

ExitSCENEII。Thesame。GardenofJULIA"shouse。EnterJULlAandLUCETTAJULIAButsay，Lucetta，nowwearealone，Wouldstthouthencounselmetofallinlove？LUCETTAAy，madam，soyoustumblenotunheedfully。JULIAOfallthefairresortofgentlemenThateverydaywithparleencounterme，Inthyopinionwhichisworthiestlove？LUCETTAPleaseyourepeattheirnames，I"llshowmymindAccordingtomyshallowsimpleskill。JULIAWhatthink"stthouofthefairSirEglamour？LUCETTAAsofaknightwell—spoken，neatandfine;