[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 color’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 V
Scene I
Enter Eglamour.
Egl.
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!
Sil.
Amen, amen! Go on, good Eglamour,
Out at the postern by the abbey wall;
I fear I am attended by some spies.
Egl.
Fear not: the forest is not three leagues off;
If we recover that, we are sure enough.
Exeunt.
¶
Scene II
Enter Thurio, Proteus, Julia [disguised as Sebastian].
Thu.
Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit?
Pro.
O, sir, I find her milder than she was,
And yet she takes exceptions at your person.
Thu.
What? that my leg is too long?
Pro.
No, that it is too little.
Thu.
I’ll wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder.
[Jul. Aside.]
But love will not be spurr’d to what it loathes.
Thu.
What says she to my face?
Pro.
She says it is a fair one.
Thu.
Nay then the wanton lies; my face is black.
Pro.
But pearls are fair; and the old saying is,
Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies’ eyes.
[Jul. Aside.]
’Tis true, such pearls as put out ladies’ eyes,
For I had rather wink than look on them.
Thu.
How likes she my discourse?
Pro.
Ill, when you talk of war.
Thu.
But well, when I discourse of love and peace.
Jul. [Aside.]
But better indeed, when you hold [your] peace.
Thu.
What says she to my valor?
Pro.
O, sir, she makes no doubt of that.
Jul. [Aside.]
