Introduction
Valentine and Proteus are the two gentlemen in question, from Verona in northern Italy. However, as Elizabeth Bennet might say, one had got all the gentlemanliness, and the other all the appearance of it...
ONE day, Valentine came to bid farewell to his fast friend Proteus. Proteus had fallen in love, and Valentine, weary of listening to Proteus’s raptures about his Julia, thought he might try his luck in Milan. Luck was unusually kind, bringing him Silvia, the pretty, teasing daughter of the Duke of Milan.
Soon Valentine was joined in Milan by Proteus, whose father, knowing nothing of Julia, despatched him there to find a wife; and it was not long before Proteus began to understand why Valentine was so taken with Silvia.
So Proteus went to the Duke, and informed him sorrowfully that his friend had arranged to elope with Silvia.
As expected, Valentine was banished from Milan and from Silvia, and the love-struck Proteus went to serenade her beneath her window.
It was at that moment that Julia, who had been feeling lonely in Verona and had slipped away disguised as a serving-boy named Sebastian, turned up at the Ducal palace, looking for Proteus.
Précis
Valentine of Verona in Italy went to Milan looking for love, and found it in Silvia. His friend Proteus followed on his father’s instructions, and though he was already promised to Julia, became infatuated with Silvia. Proteus even had his friend banished from Milan so he could woo Silvia, little knowing that Julia was watching. (55 / 60 words)
Valentine of Verona in Italy went to Milan looking for love, and found it in Silvia. His friend Proteus followed on his father’s instructions, and though he was already promised to Julia, became infatuated with Silvia. Proteus even had his friend banished from Milan so he could woo Silvia, little knowing that Julia was watching.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: despite, must, or, ought, since, unless, whether, who.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
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