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The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Act I, Scene 3

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The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Act I, Scene 3

Verona. A room in Antonio’s house.

Costume design for Antonio

Costume design for Antonio

Walford Graham Robertson, circa 1900

  1. Enter Antonio and Panthino.

Antonio

1 - 2
  1. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that
  2. Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister?

Panthino

3
  1. ’Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son.

Antonio

4
  1. Why, what of him?

Panthino

5 - 17
  1.                   He wond’red that your lordship
  2. Would suffer him to spend his youth at home,
  3. While other men, of slender reputation,
  4. Put forth their sons to seek preferment out:
  5. Some to the wars, to try their fortune there;
  6. Some to discover islands far away;
  7. Some to the studious universities.
  8. For any or for all these exercises
  9. He said that Proteus, your son, was meet;
  10. And did request me to importune you
  11. To let him spend his time no more at home,
  12. Which would be great impeachment to his age,
  13. In having known no travel in his youth.

Antonio

18 - 25
  1. Nor need’st thou much importune me to that
  2. Whereon this month I have been hammering.
  3. I have consider’d well his loss of time,
  4. And how he cannot be a perfect man,
  5. Not being tried and tutor’d in the world:
  6. Experience is by industry achiev’d,
  7. And perfected by the swift course of time.
  8. Then tell me, whither were I best to send him?

Panthino

26 - 28
  1. I think your lordship is not ignorant
  2. How his companion, youthful Valentine,
  3. Attends the Emperor in his royal court.

Antonio

29
  1. I know it well.

Panthino

30 - 34
  1. ’Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither:
  2. There shall he practice tilts and tournaments,
  3. Hear sweet discourse, converse with noblemen,
  4. And be in eye of every exercise
  5. Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth.

Antonio

35 - 39
  1. I like thy counsel; well hast thou advis’d;
  2. And that thou mayst perceive how well I like it,
  3. The execution of it shall make known:
  4. Even with the speediest expedition
  5. I will dispatch him to the Emperor’s court.

Panthino

40 - 43
  1. Tomorrow, may it please you, Don Alphonso
  2. With other gentlemen of good esteem
  3. Are journeying to salute the Emperor,
  4. And to commend their service to his will.

Antonio

44 - 45
  1. Good company; with them shall Proteus go—
  2. Enter Proteus.
  3. And in good time! Now will we break with him.

Proteus

46 - 51
  1. Sweet love, sweet lines, sweet life!
  2. Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;
  3. Here is her oath for love, her honor’s pawn:
  4. O that our fathers would applaud our loves,
  5. To seal our happiness with their consents!
  6. O heavenly Julia!
Panthino

Panthino

From costume illustrations for the Daly productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona

Walford Graham Robertson, circa 1900

Antonio

52
  1. How now? What letter are you reading there?

Proteus

53 - 55
  1. May’t please your lordship, ’tis a word or two
  2. Of commendations sent from Valentine,
  3. Deliver’d by a friend that came from him.

Antonio

56
  1. Lend me the letter; let me see what news.

Proteus

57 - 60
  1. There is no news, my lord, but that he writes
  2. How happily he lives, how well-belov’d
  3. And daily graced by the Emperor;
  4. Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.

Antonio

61
  1. And how stand you affected to his wish?

Proteus

62 - 63
  1. As one relying on your lordship’s will,
  2. And not depending on his friendly wish.

Antonio

64 - 72
  1. My will is something sorted with his wish:
  2. Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed;
  3. For what I will, I will, and there an end.
  4. I am resolv’d that thou shalt spend some time
  5. With Valentinus in the Emperor’s court;
  6. What maintenance he from his friends receives,
  7. Like exhibition thou shalt have from me.
  8. Tomorrow be in readiness to go—
  9. Excuse it not, for I am peremptory.

Proteus

73 - 74
  1. My lord I cannot be so soon provided:
  2. Please you deliberate a day or two.

Antonio

75 - 78
  1. Look what thou want’st shall be sent after thee.
  2. No more of stay: tomorrow thou must go.
  3. Come on, Panthino; you shall be employ’d
  4. To hasten on his expedition.
  1. Exeunt Antonio and Panthino.

Proteus

79 - 88
  1. Thus have I shunn’d the fire for fear of burning,
  2. And drench’d me in the sea, where I am drown’d.
  3. I fear’d to show my father Julia’s letter,
  4. Lest he should take exceptions to my love,
  5. And with the vantage of mine own excuse
  6. Hath he excepted most against my love.
  7. O, how this spring of love resembleth
  8. The uncertain glory of an April day,
  9. Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
  10. And by and by a cloud takes all away.
  1. Enter Panthino.

Panthino

89 - 90
  1. Sir Proteus, your father calls for you:
  2. He is in haste; therefore I pray you go.

Proteus

91 - 92
  1. Why, this it is: my heart accords thereto,
  2. And yet a thousand times it answers “no.”
  1. Exeunt.

The uncertain glory of an April day

Wedworth Wadsworth, 1888

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