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The Same. A Room in ANTONIO’S House. | |
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Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO. | |
| Ant. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that | |
| Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister? | |
| Pant. ’Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son. | 5 |
| Ant. Why, what of him? | |
| Pant. He wonder’d that your lordship | |
| Would suffer him to spend his youth at home, | |
| While other men, of slender reputation, | |
| Put forth their sons to seek preferment out: | 10 |
| Some to the wars, to try their fortune there; | |
| Some to discover islands far away; | |
| Some to the studious universities. | |
| For any or for all these exercises | |
| He said that Proteus your son was meet, | 15 |
| And did request me to importune you | |
| To let him spend his time no more at home, | |
| Which would be great impeachment to his age, | |
| In having known no travel in his youth. | |
| Ant. Nor need’st thou much importune me to that | 20 |
| Whereon this month I have been hammering. | |
| I have consider’d well his loss of time, | |
| And how he cannot be a perfect man, | |
| Not being tried and tutor’d in the world: | |
| Experience is by industry achiev’d | 25 |
| And perfected by the swift course of time. | |
| Then tell me, whither were I best to send him? | |
| Pant. I think your lordship is not ignorant | |
| How his companion, youthful Valentine, | |
| Attends the emperor in his royal court. | 30 |
| Ant. I know it well. | |
| Pant. ’Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither: | |
| There shall he practise tilts and tournaments, | |
| Hear sweet discourse, converse with noblemen, | |
| And be in eye of every exercise | 35 |
| Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth. | |
| Ant. I like thy counsel; well hast thou advis’d: | |
| And that thou mayst perceive how well I like it | |
| The execution of it shall make known. | |
| Even with the speediest expedition | 40 |
| I will dispatch him to the emperor’s court. | |
| Pant. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Alphonso | |
| With other gentlemen of good esteem, | |
| Are journeying to salute the emperor | |
| And to commend their service to his will. | 45 |
| Ant. Good company; with them shall Proteus go: | |
| And in good time:—now will we break with him. | |
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Enter PROTEUS. | |
| Pro. Sweet love! sweet lines! sweet life! | |
| Here is her hand, the agent of her heart; | 50 |
| Here is her oath for love, her honour’s pawn. | |
| O! that our fathers would applaud our loves, | |
| To seal our happiness with their consents! | |
| O heavenly Julia! | |
| Ant. How now! what letter are you reading there? | 55 |
| Pro. May ’t please your lordship, ’tis a word or two | |
| Of commendations sent from Valentine, | |
| Deliver’d by a friend that came from him. | |
| Ant. Lend me the letter; let me see what news. | |
| Pro. There is no news, my lord; but that he writes | 60 |
| How happily he lives, how well belov’d | |
| And daily graced by the emperor; | |
| Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune. | |
| Ant. And how stand you affected to his wish? | |
| Pro. As one relying on your lordship’s will | 65 |
| And not depending on his friendly wish. | |
| Ant. My will is something sorted with his wish. | |
| Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed; | |
| For what I will, I will, and there an end. | |
| I am resolv’d that thou shalt spend some time | 70 |
| With Valentinus in the emperor’s court: | |
| What maintenance he from his friends receives, | |
| Like exhibition thou shalt have from me. | |
| To-morrow be in readiness to go: | |
| Excuse it not, for I am peremptory. | 75 |
| Pro. My lord, I cannot be so soon provided: | |
| Please you, deliberate a day or two. | |
| Ant. Look, what thou want’st shall be sent after thee: | |
| No more of stay; to-morrow thou must go. | |
| Come on, Panthino: you shall be employ’d | 80 |
| To hasten on his expedition. [Exeunt ANTONIO and PANTHINO. | |
| Pro. Thus have I shunn’d the fire for fear of burning, | |
| And drench’d me in the sea, where I am drown’d. | |
| I fear’d to show my father Julia’s letter, | |
| Lest he should take exceptions to my love; | 85 |
| And with the vantage of mine own excuse | |
| Hath he expected most against my love. | |
| O! how this spring of love resembleth | |
| The uncertain glory of an April day, | |
| Which now shows all the beauty of the sun, | 90 |
| And by and by a cloud takes all away! | |
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Re-enter PANTHINO. | |
| Pant. Sir Proteus, your father calls for you: | |
| He is in haste; therefore, I pray you, go. | |
| Pro. Why, this it is: my heart accords thereto, | 95 |
| And yet a thousand times it answers, ‘no.’ [Exeunt. | |
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