Two Gentlemen of Verona

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Shakespeare, William. ed. Alexander Chalmers

London: Bohn, 1854. The Complete Works of Shakespeare with a Memoir. pp. 60-74

Internet Archive

1854

"Friday 16. A still lovelier day. A brisk wind carried about great masses of cloud below an arch of clear blue. I read Shakspeare's [sic] "Passionate Pilgrim" at breakfast and found a sonnet in which he expresses admiration of Spenser ( Sonnet VIII) "Douland to thee is dear, whose heavenly touch Upon the lute doth ravish human sense: Spenser to me, whose deep conceit is such, As passing all conceit needs no defence." I must send word of this to G. who has written in his Goethe that Shakspeare [sic] has left no line in praise of a contemporary. [inserted later: (G. writes that this sonnet is Barnwell's)] I could not resist the temptation of walking out before I sat down to work. Came in at 1/2 past 10 and translated Spinoza till nearly 1. Walked out again till 2. After dinner read "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and some of the "Sonnets". That play disgusted me more than ever in the final scene where Valentine on Proteus' mere begging pardon where he has no longer any hope of gaining his ends, says: "All that was mine in Silvia I give thee"! -Silvia standing by. Walked up the Castle hill again and came in at 6. Read Scherr and found an important hint that I have made a mistake in a sentence of my article on Austria about the death of Franz von Sickingen. Wrote to Sara Rennell and to Miss Parkes." Diary 1854-1861 54

Shakespeare, William. ed. Alexander Chalmers, Two Gentlemen of Verona, George Eliot's Reading, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/57609

https://georgeeliotarchive.org/files/original/cc1877bcf7b534e9000987d3c25c6057.pdf