William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Why dost thou cry ‘Alas’?

JULIA.

I cannot choose

But pity her.

PROTEUS.

Wherefore shouldst thou pity her?

JULIA.

Because methinks that she lov’d you as well

As you do love your lady Silvia.

She dreams on him that has forgot her love:

You dote on her that cares not for your love.

‘Tis pity love should be so contrary;

And thinking on it makes me cry ‘alas!’

PROTEUS.

Well, give her that ring, and therewithal

This letter: that’s her chamber. Tell my lady

I claim the promise for her heavenly picture.

Your message done, hie home unto my chamber,

Where thou shalt find me sad and solitary.

[Exit.]

JULIA.

How many women would do such a message?

Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain’d

A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs.

Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him

That with his very heart despiseth me?

Because he loves her, he despiseth me;

Because I love him, I must pity him.

This ring I gave him, when he parted from me,

To bind him to remember my good will;

And now am I—unhappy messenger—

To plead for that which I would not obtain,

To carry that which I would have refus’d,

To praise his faith, which I would have disprais’d.

I am my master’s true-confirmed love,

But cannot be true servant to my master

Unless I prove false traitor to myself.

Yet will I woo for him, but yet so coldly

As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed.

[Enter SILVIA, attended.]

Gentlewoman, good day! I pray you be my mean

To bring me where to speak with Madam Silvia.

SILVIA.

What would you with her, if that I be she?

JULIA.

If you be she, I do entreat your patience

To hear me speak the message I am sent on.

SILVIA.

From whom?

JULIA.

From my master, Sir Proteus, madam.

SILVIA.

O! he sends you for a picture?

JULIA.

Ay, madam.

SILVIA.

Ursula, bring my picture there.

[A picture brought.]

Go, give your master this. Tell him from me,

One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget,

Would better fit his chamber than this shadow.

JULIA.

Madam, please you peruse this letter.—

Pardon me, madam; I have unadvis’d

Deliver’d you a paper that I should not:

This is the letter to your ladyship.

SILVIA.

I pray thee, let me look on that again.

JULIA.

It may not be: good madam, pardon me.

SILVIA.

There, hold.

I will not look upon your master’s lines:

I know they are stuff’d with protestations

And full of new-found oaths, which he will break

As easily as I do tear his paper.

JULIA.

Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring.

SILVIA.

The more shame for him that he sends it me;

For I have heard him say a thousand times

His Julia gave it him at his departure.

Though his false finger have profan’d the ring,

Mine shall not do his Julia so much wrong.

JULIA.

She thanks you.

SILVIA.

What say’st thou?

JULIA.

I thank you, madam, that you tender her.

Poor gentlewoman, my master wrongs her much.

SILVIA.

Dost thou know her?

JULIA.

Almost as well as I do know myself:

To think upon her woes, I do protest

That I have wept a hundred several times.

SILVIA.

Belike she thinks, that Proteus hath forsook her.

JULIA.

I think she doth, and that’s her cause of sorrow.

SILVIA.

Is she not passing fair?

JULIA.

She hath been fairer, madam, than she is.

When she did think my master lov’d her well,

She, in my judgment, was as fair as you;

But since she did neglect her looking-glass

And threw her sun-expelling mask away,

The air hath starv’d the roses in her cheeks

And pinch’d the lily-tincture of her face,

That now she is become as black as I.

SILVIA.

How tall was she?

JULIA.

About my stature; for at Pentecost,

When all our pageants of delight were play’d,

Our youth got me to play the woman’s part,

And I was trimm’d in Madam Julia’s gown,

Which served me as fit, by all men’s judgments,

As if the garment had been made for me:

Therefore I know she is about my height.

And at that time I made her weep agood;

For I did play a lamentable part.

Madam, ‘twas Ariadne passioning

For Theseus’ perjury and unjust flight;

Which I so lively acted with my tears

That my poor mistress, mov’d therewithal,

Wept bitterly; and would I might be dead

If I in thought felt not her very sorrow!

SILVIA.

She is beholding to thee, gentle youth.—

Alas, poor lady, desolate and left!

I weep myself, to think upon thy words.

Here, youth, there is my purse; I give thee this

For thy sweet mistress’ sake, because thou lov’st her.

Farewell.

JULIA.

And she shall thank you for’t, if e’er you know her.—

[Exit SILVIA with ATTENDANTS]

A virtuous gentlewoman, mild and beautiful!

I hope my master’s suit will be but cold,

Since she respects my mistress’ love so much.

Alas, how love can trifle with itself!

Here is her picture; let me see. I think,

If I had such a tire, this face of mine

Were full as lovely as is this of hers;

And yet the painter flatter’d her a little,

Unless I flatter with myself too much.

Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow:

If that be all the difference in his love,

I’ll get me such a colour’d periwig.

Her eyes are grey as glass, and so are mine;

Ay, but her forehead’s low, and mine’s as high.

What should it be that he respects in her

But I can make respective in myself,

If this fond Love were not a blinded god?

Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up,

For ‘tis thy rival. O thou senseless form!

Thou shalt be worshipp’d, kiss’d, lov’d, and ador’d,

And, were there sense in his idolatry,

My substance should be statue in thy stead.

I’ll use thee kindly for thy mistress’ sake,

That us’d me so; or else, by Jove I vow,

I should have scratch’d out your unseeing eyes,

To make my master out of love with thee.

[Exit.]

ACT 5.

SCENE I. Milan. An abbey

[Enter EGLAMOUR.]

EGLAMOUR.

The sun begins to gild the western sky,

And now it is about the very hour

That Silvia at Friar Patrick’s cell should meet me.

She will not fail; for lovers break not hours

Unless it be to come before their time,

So much they spur their expedition.

See, where she comes.

[Enter SILVIA.]

Lady, a happy evening!

SILVIA.

Amen, amen! Go on, good Eglamour,

Out at the postern by the abbey wall.

I fear I am attended by some spies.

EGLAMOUR.

Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off;

If we recover that, we are sure enough.

[Exeunt.]

SCENE 2. The same. A room in the DUKE’S palace.

[Enter THURIO, PROTEUS, and JULIA.]

THURIO.

Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit?

PROTEUS.

O, sir, I find her milder than she was;

And yet she takes exceptions at your person.

THURIO.

What! that my leg is too long?

PROTEUS.

No; that it is too little.

THURIO.

I’ll wear a boot to make it somewhat rounder.

JULIA.

[Aside] But love will not be spurr’d to what it loathes.

THURIO.

What says she to my face?

PROTEUS.

She says it is a fair one.

THURIO.

Nay, then, the wanton lies; my face is black.