第8章

Sendheranother;nevergivehero\'er;

Forscornatfirstmakesafter—lovethemore。

Ifshedofrown,\'tisnotinhateofyou,Butrathertobegetmoreloveinyou:

Ifshedochide,\'tisnottohaveyougone;

Forwhy,thefoolsaremad,ifleftalone。

Takenorepulse,whatevershedothsay;

For\'getyougone,\'shedothnotmean\'away!\'

Flatterandpraise,commend,extoltheirgraces;

Thoughne\'ersoblack,saytheyhaveangels\'

faces。

Thatmanthathathatongue,Isay,isnoman,Ifwithhistonguehecannotwinawoman。DUKEButsheImeanispromisedbyherfriendsUntoayouthfulgentlemanofworth,Andkeptseverelyfromresortofmen,Thatnomanhathaccessbydaytoher。VALENTINEWhy,then,Iwouldresorttoherbynight。DUKEAy,butthedoorsbelock\'dandkeyskeptsafe,Thatnomanhathrecoursetoherbynight。VALENTINEWhatletsbutonemayenteratherwindow?DUKEHerchamberisaloft,farfromtheground,AndbuiltsoshelvingthatonecannotclimbitWithoutapparenthazardofhislife。VALENTINEWhythen,aladderquaintlymadeofcords,Tocastup,withapairofanchoringhooks,WouldservetoscaleanotherHero\'stower,SoboldLeanderwouldadventureit。DUKENow,asthouartagentlemanofblood,AdvisemewhereImayhavesuchaladder。VALENTINEWhenwouldyouuseit?pray,sir,tellmethat。DUKEThisverynight;forLoveislikeachild,Thatlongsforeverythingthathecancomeby。VALENTINEByseveno\'clockI\'llgetyousuchaladder。DUKEBut,harkthee;Iwillgotoheralone:

HowshallIbestconveytheladderthither?VALENTINEItwillbelight,mylord,thatyoumaybearitUnderacloakthatisofanylength。DUKEAcloakaslongasthinewillservetheturn?VALENTINEAy,mygoodlord。DUKEThenletmeseethycloak:

I\'llgetmeoneofsuchanotherlength。VALENTINEWhy,anycloakwillservetheturn,mylord。DUKEHowshallIfashionmetowearacloak?

Ipraythee,letmefeelthycloakuponme。

Whatletteristhissame?What\'shere?\'ToSilvia\'!

Andhereanenginefitformyproceeding。

I\'llbesoboldtobreakthesealforonce。

Reads\'MythoughtsdoharbourwithmySilvianightly,Andslavestheyaretomethatsendthemflying:

O,couldtheirmastercomeandgoaslightly,Himselfwouldlodgewheresenselesstheyarelying!

Myheraldthoughtsinthypurebosomrestthem:

WhileI,theirking,thathitherthemimportune,Docursethegracethatwithsuchgracehathbless\'dthem,Becausemyselfdowantmyservants\'fortune:

Icursemyself,fortheyaresentbyme,Thattheyshouldharbourwheretheirlordwouldbe。\'

What\'shere?

\'Silvia,thisnightIwillenfranchisethee。\'

\'Tisso;andhere\'stheladderforthepurpose。

Why,Phaeton,——forthouartMerops\'son,——

WiltthouaspiretoguidetheheavenlycarAndwiththydaringfollyburntheworld?

Wiltthoureachstars,becausetheyshineonthee?

Go,baseintruder!overweeningslave!

Bestowthyfawningsmilesonequalmates,Andthinkmypatience,morethanthydesert,Isprivilegeforthydeparturehence:

ThankmeforthismorethanforallthefavoursWhichalltoomuchIhavebestow\'donthee。

ButifthoulingerinmyterritoriesLongerthanswiftestexpeditionWillgivetheetimetoleaveourroyalcourt,Byheaven!mywrathshallfarexceedtheloveIeverboremydaughterorthyself。

Begone!Iwillnothearthyvainexcuse;

But,asthoulovestthylife,makespeedfromhence。

ExitVALENTINEAndwhynotdeathratherthanlivingtorment?

Todieistobebanish\'dfrommyself;

AndSilviaismyself:banish\'dfromherIsselffromself:adeadlybanishment!

Whatlightislight,ifSilviabenotseen?

Whatjoyisjoy,ifSilviabenotby?

UnlessitbetothinkthatsheisbyAndfeedupontheshadowofperfectionExceptIbebySilviainthenight,Thereisnomusicinthenightingale;

UnlessIlookonSilviaintheday,Thereisnodayformetolookupon;

Sheismyessence,andIleavetobe,IfIbenotbyherfairinfluenceFoster\'d,illumined,cherish\'d,keptalive。

Iflynotdeath,toflyhisdeadlydoom:

TarryIhere,Ibutattendondeath:

But,flyIhence,Iflyawayfromlife。

EnterPROTEUSandLAUNCEPROTEUSRun,boy,run,run,andseekhimout。LAUNCESoho,soho!PROTEUSWhatseestthou?LAUNCEHimwegotofind:there\'snotahairon\'sheadbut\'tisaValentine。PROTEUSValentine?VALENTINENo。PROTEUSWhothen?hisspirit?VALENTINENeither。PROTEUSWhatthen?VALENTINENothing。LAUNCECannothingspeak?Master,shallIstrike?PROTEUSWhowouldstthoustrike?LAUNCENothing。PROTEUSVillain,forbear。LAUNCEWhy,sir,I\'llstrikenothing:Iprayyou,——PROTEUSSirrah,Isay,forbear。FriendValentine,aword。VALENTINEMyearsarestoptandcannotheargoodnews,Somuchofbadalreadyhathpossess\'dthem。PROTEUSThenindumbsilencewillIburymine,Fortheyareharsh,untuneableandbad。VALENTINEIsSilviadead?PROTEUSNo,Valentine。VALENTINENoValentine,indeed,forsacredSilvia。

Hathsheforswornme?PROTEUSNo,Valentine。VALENTINENoValentine,ifSilviahaveforswornme。

Whatisyournews?LAUNCESir,thereisaproclamationthatyouarevanished。PROTEUSThatthouartbanished——O,that\'sthenews!——

Fromhence,fromSilviaandfrommethyfriend。VALENTINEO,Ihavefeduponthiswoealready,Andnowexcessofitwillmakemesurfeit。

DothSilviaknowthatIambanished?PROTEUSAy,ay;andshehathoffer\'dtothedoom——

Which,unreversed,standsineffectualforce——

Aseaofmeltingpearl,whichsomecalltears:

Thoseatherfather\'schurlishfeetshetender\'d;

Withthem,uponherknees,herhumbleself;

Wringingherhands,whosewhitenesssobecamethemAsifbutnowtheywaxedpaleforwoe:

Butneitherbendedknees,purehandsheldup,Sadsighs,deepgroans,norsilver—sheddingtears,Couldpenetrateheruncompassionatesire;

ButValentine,ifhebeta\'en,mustdie。

Besides,herintercessionchafedhimso,Whensheforthyrepealwassuppliant,Thattocloseprisonhecommandedher,Withmanybitterthreatsofbidingthere。VALENTINENomore;unlessthenextwordthatthouspeak\'stHavesomemalignantpoweruponmylife:

Ifso,Ipraythee,breatheitinmineear,Asendinganthemofmyendlessdolour。PROTEUSCeasetolamentforthatthoucanstnothelp,Andstudyhelpforthatwhichthoulament\'st。