_Val._ And why not death rather than living torment? 170 To die is to be banish'd from myself; And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her, Is self from self: a deadly banishment! What light is light, if Silvia be not seen? What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by? 175 Unless it be to think that she is by, And feed upon the shadow of perfection. Except I be by Silvia in the night, There is no music in the nightingale; Unless I look on Silvia in the day, 180 There is no day for me to look upon: She is my essence; and I leave to be, If I be not by her fair influence Foster'd, illumined, cherish'd, kept alive. I fly not death, to fly his deadly doom: 185 Tarry I here, I but attend on death: But, fly I hence, I fly away from life. _Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE._ _Pro._ Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. _Launce._ Soho, soho! _Pro._ What seest thou? 190 _Launce._ Him we go to find: there's not a hair on's head but 'tis a Valentine. _Pro._ Valentine? _Val._ No. _Pro._ Who then? his spirit? 195 _Val._ Neither. _Pro._ What then? _Val._ Nothing. _Launce._ Can nothing speak? Master, shall I strike? _Pro._ Who wouldst thou strike? 200 _Launce._ Nothing. _Pro._ Villain, forbear. _Launce._ Why, sir, I'll strike nothing: I pray you,-- _Pro._ Sirrah, I say, forbear. Friend Valentine, a word. _Val._ My ears are stopt, and cannot hear good news, 205 So much of bad already hath possess'd them. _Pro._ Then in dumb silence will I bury mine, For they are harsh, untuneable, and bad. _Val._ Is Silvia dead? _Pro._ No, Valentine. 210 _Val._ No Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia. Hath she forsworn me? _Pro._ No, Valentine. _Val._ No Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn me. What is your news? 215 _Launce._ Sir, there is a proclamation that you are vanished. _Pro._ That thou art banished--O, that's the news!-- From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend. _Val._ O, I have fed upon this woe already, And now excess of it will make me surfeit. 220 Doth Silvia know that I am banished?