Till I have found each letter in the letter,

Except mine own name; that some whirlwind bear
Unto a ragged, fearful-hanging rock,

And throw it thence into the raging sea!

Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ,-
Poor forlorn Proteus, passionate Proteus,
To the sweet Julia;-that I'll tear away ;-
And yet I will not; sith so prettily

He couples it to his complaining names;
Thus will I fold them upon one another;

Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.

Enter LUCETTA, r.

Luc. Madam, dinner's ready, and your father stays.
Jul. Well, let us go.
[Crosses, R.
Luc. (L.) What, shall these papers lie like tell-tales

here?

Jul. (R.) If you respect them, best to take them up. Luc. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down: Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold.

[Lucetta picks up the papers. Jul. Come, come, will't please you, go? I see, you have a month's mind to them. [Exit Julia, R. Luc. Ay, madam, you may say what sights you see; I see things too; although you judge, I wink. [Exit, R. SCENE III-A Room in Antonio's House, in Verona. Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO, L.

Ant. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that,
Wherewith Salanio held you in the cloister?

Pan. 'Twas of your son, Sir Proteus, my lord.
Ant. Why, what of him?

Pan. He wonder'd that your lordship

Would suffer him to spend his youth at home;
While other men, of slender reputation,
Put forth their sons to seek preferment out:
Some, to the wars, to try their fortune there;
Some, to the studious universities :
For any, or for all these exercises,

He said, that Proteus, your son, was meet;
And did request me, to importune you

To let him spend his time no more at home;
Which would be great impeachment to his age,
In having known no travel in his youth.

Ant. Nor need'st thou much importune me to that,

Whereon this month I have been hammering.
I have considered well his loss of time;
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
Not being try'd, and tutor❜d in the world;
Experience is by industry achiev'd,

And perfected by the swift course of time:
Then, tell me, whither were I best to send him?
Pan. I think your lordship is not ignorant,
How his companion, youthful Valentine,

Attends the Duke of Milan in his court.

Ant. I know it well.

Pan. 'Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither:

There shall he practise tilts and tournaments,
Hear sweet discourse, converse with noblemen;
And be in eye of every exercise,

Worthy his youth, and nobleness of birth.

Ant. I like thy counsel; well hast thou advis'd : And, that thou mayst perceive how well I like it, The execution of it shall make known:

Even with the speediest expedition,

I will despatch him to the court of Milan

Pan. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Alphonso, With other gentlemen of good esteem,

Are journeying to salute the royal duke,
And to commend their service to his will.

Ant. Good company; with them shall Proteus go :And, in good time.-Now will we break with him.

[They retire a little, R.

Enter PROTEUS, reading a letter, and followed by

LAUNCE, L.

Pro. Sweet love! sweet lines! sweet life!
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;
Here her oath for love, her honour's pawn:
Oh, that our fathers would applaud our loves,
To seal our happiness with their consents!
O heavenly Julia !-How got you this letter?

Lau. Madam Julia beckon'd me from the balcony, and dropp'd it into mybonnet. [Antonio and Panthino advance,R. Ant. How now? what are you reading there?

Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or two

Of commendation sent from Valentine,

Brought by a friend that met him on the way.

Ant. Lend me the letter; let me see what news.

Pro. There is no news, my lord; but that he writes Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune. Ant. And how stand you affected to his wish? Pro. As one relying on your lordship's will, And not depending on his friendly wish.

Ant. My will is something sorted with his wish :
Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed;

For what I will, I will, and there an end.
I am resolv'd, that thou shalt spend some time
With Valentinus in the court of Milan;
What maintenance he from his friends receives,
Like exhibition thou shalt have from me.
To-morrow be in readiness to go :-

Excuse it not, for I am peremptory.

Pro. My lord, I cannot be so soon provided.

Please you, deliberate a day or two.

Ant. Look, what thou want'st shall be sent after thee; No more of stay; to-morrow thou must go.Run, my good Launce, and pack up speedily; To-morrow you must both away for Milan.

[Exit Launce, L.

Come on, Panthino; you shall be employed
To hasten on his expedition.

[Exeunt Antonio and Panthino, R. Pro. Thus have I shunn'd the fire, for fear of burning; And drench'd me in the sea, where I am drown'd:

I fear'd to show my father Julia's letter,

Lest he should take exceptions to my love;
And with the vantage of mine own excuse
Hath he accepted most against my love.
O, how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away!

Enter PANTHINO, R.

Pan. Sir Proteus, your father calls for you; He is in haste; therefore, I pray you, go.

[Crosses behind, and exit Panthino, L.

Pro. Why, this it is!—my heart accords thereto; And yet a thousand times it answers, no.

SCENE IV.-A Street in Verona.

Enter LAUNCE, crying, L.

[Exit, R.

Lau. O, miserable, undone Launce, what will become

of thee? To be forc'd to leave my pretty birth-place of Verona, and all my natural kindred in it, to wander away with Sir Proteus to Milan !—O, O, O!

Pan. [Without, R.] Why, Launce,-why, Launce,— thou knave, thou!

Enter PANTHINO, r.

Lau. (L.) Nay, 'twill be this hour ere I have done weeping; all the kind of the Launces have this very fault. 0, 0, 0!

Pan. (R.) Away, away, aboard; thy master's necessaries are embarking, and thou art to post after with oars. Lau. O, me! O, me!

Pan. What's the matter? Why weep'st thou, man? -Away, ass; if thou tarry any longer, thou wilt lose the flood; and, in losing the flood, lose thy voyage; and, in losing thy voyage, lose thy master; and, in losing thy master, lose thy service; and, in losing thy serviceWhy dost thou stop my mouth?

Lau. For fear thou shouldst lose thy tongue.-Lose the flood, and the voyage, and the master, and the service! Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with my tears; if the wind were down, I could drive the boat with my sighs; if the—

Pan. Come, come; away, man.-I was sent to call thee.

Lau. Call me? Sir, call me what you dare.
Pan. Come; wilt thou go?

Lau. [Crosses, R.] Well, sir,-Well sir,-I will go.
[Exeunt, R., Panthino driving Launce before him.

SCENE V.-The Garden of Julia's House in Verona. Enter PROTEUS and JULIA, R.

Pro. Have patience, gentle Julia.

Jul. I must, where is no remedy.

Pro. When possibly I can, I will return.

Jul. If you turn not, you will return the sooner,

Keep this remembrance for thy Julia's sake.

[Gives him a ring.

Pro. Why then we'll make exchange, love;-take

you this :

[Gives Julia a ring.

Here on this hand I seal my constancy;

And when that hour o'erslips me in the day

Wherein I sigh not, Julia, for thy sake,
The next ensuing hour some foul mischance
Torment me for my love's forgetfulness!
My father stays my coming; I must go;
The tide is now :-nay, not the tide of tears;
That tide will stay me longer than I should.
Julia, farewell!-

[Julia breaks from him, and throws herself on the seat in the arbour.

What! gone without a word?

Ay, so true love should do: it cannot speak;
For truth hath better deeds than words to grace it.
Enter LUCETTA, L.

Luc. Sir Proteus, you are stay'd for.
Pro. Well, I come:

Alas! this parting strikes poor lovers dumb.

[Exit Proteus, L., Julia advances, R.
Jul. Counsel, Lucetta: gentle girl, assist me!
And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,-
Who art the table wherein all my thoughts
Are visibly engrav'd, and character'd-
To lesson me, and tell me some good mean,
How, with my honour, I may undertake
A journey to my loving Proteus.

Luc. Alas! the way is wearisome and long.
Jul. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps,
Much less shall she, that hath love's wings to fly;
And when the flight is made to one so dear,

Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus.

Luc. Better forbear, till Proteus make return. Jul. Oh! know'st thou not, his looks are my soul's food?

Didst thou but feel the inly touch of love,

Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow,
As seek to quench the fire of love with words.

[Crosses, L.

Luc. Madam, I do not seek to quench the fire, But qualify the fire's extreme rage;

Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason.

Jul. The more thou damm'st it up, the more it burns: The current, that with gentle murmur glides,

Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But when his fair course is not hindered,