The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 577

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.

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.

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 'em deeply in her heart.

How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!

O Proteus, let this habit make thee blus.h.!.+

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 th' 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.

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- I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.

THURIO. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I; I hold him but a fool that will endanger His body for a girl that loves him not.

I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.

DUKE. The more degenerate and base art thou To make such means for her as thou hast done And leave her on such slight conditions.

Now, by the honour of my ancestry, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an empress' love.

Know then, I here forget all former griefs, Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again, Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit, To which I thus subscribe: Sir Valentine, Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd; Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her.

VALENTINE. 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.

DUKE. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be.

VALENTINE. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endu'd with worthy qualities; Forgive them what they have committed here, And let them be recall'd from their exile: They are reformed, civil, full of good, And fit for great employment, worthy lord.

DUKE. Thou hast prevail'd; I pardon them, and thee; Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts.

Come, let us go; we will include all jars With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity.

VALENTINE. 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?

DUKE. I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes.

VALENTINE. I warrant you, my lord- more grace than boy.

DUKE. What mean you by that saying?

VALENTINE. Please you, I'll tell you as we pa.s.s along, That you will wonder what hath fortuned.

Come, Proteus, 'tis your penance but to hear The story of your loves discovered.

That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; One feast, one house, one mutual happiness! Exeunt

THE END

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1611

THE WINTER'S TALE

by William Shakespeare

Dramatis Personae

LEONTES, King of Sicilia MAMILLIUS, his son, the young Prince of Sicilia CAMILLO, lord of Sicilia ANTIGONUS, " " "

CLEOMENES, " " "

DION, " " "

POLIXENES, King of Bohemia FLORIZEL, his son, Prince of Bohemia ARCHIDAMUS, a lord of Bohemia OLD SHEPHERD, reputed father of Perdita CLOWN, his son AUTOLYCUS, a rogue A MARINER A GAOLER TIME, as Chorus

HERMIONE, Queen to Leontes PERDITA, daughter to Leontes and Hermione PAULINA, wife to Antigonus EMILIA, a lady attending on the Queen MOPSA, shepherdess DORCAS, "

Other Lords, Gentlemen, Ladies, Officers, Servants, Shepherds, Shepherdesses

SCENE: Sicilia and Bohemia

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ACT I. SCENE I.

Sicilia. The palace of LEONTES

Enter CAMILLO and ARCHIDAMUS

ARCHIDAMUS. If you shall chance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia, on the like occasion whereon my services are now on foot, you shall see, as I have said, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.

CAMILLO. I think this coming summer the King of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the visitation which he justly owes him.

ARCHIDAMUS. Wherein our entertainment shall shame us we will be justified in our loves; for indeed- CAMILLO. Beseech you- ARCHIDAMUS. Verily, I speak it in the freedom of my knowledge: we cannot with such magnificence, in so rare- I know not what to say. We will give you sleepy drinks, that your senses, unintelligent of our insufficience, may, though they cannot praise us, as little accuse us.