The Two Gentlemen of Verona Act II, Scene iv – First Folio

The Two Gentlemen of Verona.         Act 2, Scene 4.             Proteus

(This text is featured in our interview with Jeffrey Hawkins)

(Click here to see a fully scanned version of the speech or here to see the non-Folio version)

188  Euen as one heate, another heate expels,
189  Or as one naile, by strength driues out another.
190  So the remembrance of my former Loue
191  Is by a newer obiect quite forgotten,
192  It is mine, or Valentines praise?
193  Her true perfection, or my false transgression?
194  That makes me reasonlesse, to reason thus?
195  Shee is faire: and so is Iulia that I loue,
196  (That I did loue, for now my loue is thaw’d,
197  Which like a waxen Image ‘gainst a fire
198  Beares no impression of the thing it was.)
199  Me thinkes my zeale to Valentine is cold,
200  And that I loue him not as I was wont:
201  O, but I loue his Lady too-too much,
202  And that’s the reason I loue him so little.
203  How shall I doate on her with more aduice,
204  That thus without aduice begin to loue her?
205  ‘Tis but her picture I haue yet beheld,
206  And that hath dazel’d my reasons light:
207  But when I looke on her perfections,
208  There is no reason, but I shall be blinde.
209  If I can checke my erring loue, I will,
210  If not, to compasse her Ile vse my skill.