SOME of the incidents in this play may be supposed to have been taken from The Arcadia, book 1. chap. 6, where Pyrocles consents to head the Helots. The love-adventure of Julia resembles that of Viola, in Twelfth Night, and is indeed common to many of the ancient novels. STEEVENS. It is observable (I know not for what cause) that the style of this comedy is less figurative, and more natural and unaffected, than the greater part of this author's, though supposed to be one of the first he wrote. POPE. In this play there is a strange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country; he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more ; he makes Proteus, after an interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture; and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel, which he sometimes followed, and sometimes forsook, sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot. That this play is rightly attributed to Shakspeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given ? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest. JOHNSON. Johnson's general remarks on this play are just, except that part in which he arraigns the conduct of the poet, for making Proteus say, that he had only seen the picture of Silvia, when it appears that he had had a personal interview with her. This, however, is not a blunder of Shakspeare's, but a mistake of Johnson's, who considers the passage alluded to in a more literal sense than the author intended it. Sir Proteus, it is true, had seen Silvia for a few moments; but though he could form from thence some idea of her person, he was stillunacquainted with her temper, manners, and the qualities of her mind. He therefore considers himself as having seen her picture only.The thought is just, and elegantly expressed. So, in The Scornful Lady, the elder Loveless says to her : I was mad once when I loved pictures ; " For what are shape and colours else, but pictures ?" M. MASON. PERSONS REPRESENTED. DUKE OF MILAN, father to Silvia. VALENTINE, 2 PROTEUS, gentlemen of Verona. LAUNCE, servant to Proteus. JULIA, a lady of Verona, beloved of Proteus. SILVIA, the Duke's daughter, beloved by Valentine. LUCETTA, waiting-woman to Julia. Servants, Musicians. SCENE, sometimes in Verona ; sometimes in Milan ; and on the frontiers of Mantua. * The old copy has-Protheus; but this is merely the antiquated mode of spelling Proteus. Shakspeare's character was so called, from his disposition to change. STEEV. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. ACT I. SCENE I.-An open Place in Verona. Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS. Valentine. CEASE to persuade, my loving Proteus ; Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu ! Val. And on a love-book pray for my success. How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont. Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots. 1 [1] The boot was an instrument of torture used only in Scotland. Bishop Burnet in The History of his own Times, mentions one Maccael, a preacher, who, being suspected of treasonable practices, underwent the punishment so late as 1666:"-He was put to the torture, which, in Scotland, they call Val. No, I'll not, for it boots thee not. Pro. What? Val. To be In love, where scorn is bought with groans; coy looks, If haply won, perhaps, a hapless gain; Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. And he that is so yoked by a fool, Pro. Yet writers say, As in the sweetest bud Val. And writers say, As the most forward bud Val. Sweet Proteus, no; now let us take our leave. At Milan, let me hear from thee by letters, Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan ! Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love: [Exit. the hoots; for they put a pair of iron boots close on the leg, and drive wedges between these and the leg. The common torture was only to drive these in the calf of the leg; but I have been told they were sometimes driven upon the shin bone."" REED. |