The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1397]
And now for a time, leaving matters depending as you have heard, it fell out that the right Silvio indeede (whom you have heard spoken of before, the brother of Silla,) was come to his fathers courte into ye He of Cypres, where under- stading, that his sister was departed, in maner as you have heard conjectured, that the very occasion did proceede of some liking had betweene Pedro her man (that was missing with her) and her selfe, but Silvio who loved his sister, as dearly as his owne life, and the rather for that she was his naturall sister, both by father and mother, so the one of them was so like the other, in countenance and favour, that there was no man able to descerne the one from the other by their faces, saving by their apparell, the one being a man, the other a woman.
Silvio therefore vowed to his father, not onely to seeke out his sister Silla, but also to revenge the villanie, which he conceived in Pedro, for the carrying away of his sister, and thus departing, having travailed through many citties and townes, without hearing any maner of newes, of those he went to seeke for, at the last he arrived at Constantinople, where as he was walking in an evening for his owne recrea- ation, on a pleasant greene yarde, without the walles of the citie, he fortuned to meete with the lady Julina, who likewise had been abroad to take the aire, and as she sodainly cast her eyes upon Silvio, thinking him to be her olde acquaint ance, by reason they were so like one another, as you have heard before, said unto him, Sir Silvio, if your hast be not the greater, I pray you let me have a little talke with you, seeing I have so luckely met you in this place.
Silvio wondering to heare himselfe so rightly named, being but a stranger, not of above two dayes continuance in the citie, very courteously came towards her, desirous to heare what she would say.
Julina commanding her traine something to stand back, sayd as followeth. Seeing my good will and friendly love, hath beene the onely cause to make me so prodigall to offer, that I see is so lightly rejected, it maketh me to thinke, that men be of this condition, rather to desire those things, which they cannot come by, then to esteeme or value of that, which both largely and liberallie is offered unto them, but if the liberalise of my proffer, hath made to seeme lesse the value d 2
of the thing that I meant to present, it is but in your owne conceipt, considering how many noble men there hath beene here before, and be yet at this present, which hath both served, sued, and most humbly intreated, to attaine to that, which to you of myselfe, I have freely offered, and I perceive is despised, or at the least very lightly regarded.
Silvio wondering at these wordes, but more amazed that shee could so rightly call him by his name, could not tell what to make of her speeches, assuring himselfe that shee was deceived, and did mistake him, did thinke notwithstand ing, it had bene a point of great simplicity, if he should forsake that, which fortune had so favourably proffered unto him, perceiving by her traine, that she was some lady of great honour, and viewing the perfection of her beauty, and the excellency of her grace and countenance, did thinke it unpossible that she should be despised, and therefore aunswered thus.
Madame, if before this time, I have seemed to forget my selfe, in neglecting your courtesie, which so liberally you have meant unto me: please it you to pardon what is past, and from this day forewardes, Silvio remaineth ready prest to make such reasonable amendes as his ability