And
now you are metamorphosed with a mistress, that, when I look on you, I can
hardly think you my master.
-Speed
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Act II Scene i, Line 31
Valentine (one of the two titular
gentlemen) is talking to Speed, his right-hand man. Valentine asks Speed how he
knows that Valentine is in love. Speed answers with a paragraph of reasons,
ending with today’s Totally Random line. What’s that? You want to hear all the
reasons that Speed has for knowing that Valentine is in love? Okay, here you
go.
Marry,
by these special marks: first, you have learned, like Sir Proteus, to wreathe
your arms, like a malcontent; to relish a love song, like a robin-redbreast; to
walk alone, like one that had the pestilence; to sigh, like a school-boy that
had lost his A B C; to weep, like a young wench that had buried her grandam; to
fast, like one that takes diet; to watch, like one that fears robbing; to speak
puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas. You were wont, when you laughed, to crow
like a cock; when you walked, to walk like one of the lions; when you fasted,
it was presently after dinner; when you looked sadly, it was for want of money:
and now you are metamorphosed with a mistress, that, when I look on you, I can
hardly think you my master.
There, how’s that? It’s not all
particularly easy to grasp. But perhaps you get the idea? Remember that the
first word there, marry, has nothing to do with weddings. In Will’s time
marry is just a sort of meaningless exclamatory, intro word that is used
all over the place. It doesn’t add any meaning to the sentence. The first part
of the paragraph is a list of how Valentine is acting now. Then, after You
were wont, Speed lists all the ways Valentine used to act, before he was in
love. As you can see, there is a marked difference. Now, in love, he’s walking
alone and weeping like a girl. Before he was in love, he walked proudly like a
lion and crowed like a rooster when he laughed. Sounds about right? What do you
think?
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