I muft go fend some better messenger; I fear, my Julia would not deign my lines, SCENE II. The fame. Garden of Julia's houfe. Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. Jul. But fay, Lucetta, now we are alone, Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll fhew my mind According to my fimple fhallow fkill. Jul. What think'ft thoù of the fair Sir Eglamour? 6 Jul. What think 'ft thou of the rich Mercatio? Should cenfure thus on lovely gentlemen. 8 Luc. I have no other but a woman's reafon : I think him fo, because I think him fo. Jul. 6 This Sir Eglamour must not be confounded with the perfona dramatis of the fame name. The latter lived at Milan, and had vowed "pure chastity" upon the death of his "true love." RITSON. 7 Perhaps Sir Eglamour was once the common cant term for an infignificant inamorato. STEEVENS. 8 To cenfure, means, in this place, to pass fentence. STEEVENS. To cenfure, in our author's time, generally fignified to give one's judgement or opinion. MALONE. Ful. And would'st thou have me caft my love on him? Luc. Perufe this paper, madam. Jul. To Julia,-Say, from whom? Luc. That the contents will fhew. Jul. Say, Say, who gave it thee? Luc. Sir Valentine's page, and fent, I think, from Proteus: Luc. To plead for love deserves more fee than hate. Luc. That you may ruminate. [Exit, Jul. And yet, I would I had o'erlook'd the letter. It were a fhame, to call her back again, And pray her to a fault for which I chid her. What fool is fhe, that knows I am a maid, And would not force the letter to my view? Since maids, in modefty, say No, to that 2 Which they would have the profferer conftrue, Ay. Fie, fie! how wayward is this foolish love, That, like a tefty babe, will feratch the nurse, And prefently, all humbled, kifs the rod ! 9 A broker was used for matchmaker, fometimes for a procurefs. JOHNSON. 2 A paraphrafe on the old proverb, " Maids fay nay, and take it." VOL. I. F STEEVENS. How How churlishly 1 chid Lucetta hence, And afk remiffion for my folly past;- Luc. Re-enter LUCETTA. What would your ladyfhip? Jul. Is it near dinner-time ? Luc. I would it were; That you might kill your stomach on your meat,3 And not upon your maid. Jul. What is't you took up So gingerly? Luc. Nothing. Jul. Why did't thou stoop then? Nothing concerning me. Luc. To take a paper up that I let fall. Jul. And is that paper nothing? Luc. Jul. Then let it lie for thofe that it concerns. Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhime. Give me a note: your ladyfhip can set. Ful. As little by fuch toys as may be possible: Best fing it to the tune of Light o' love. Luc. It is too heavy for fo light a tune. Jul. Heavy belike, it hath fome burden then. Luc. I cannot reach fo high. Jul. Let's fee your fong:-How now, minion? Luc. Keep tune there ftill, fo you will fing it out: And yet, methinks, I do not like this tune, Jul. You do not? 3 Stomach was used for paffion or obftinacy. JOHNSON. Luc. + This tune is given in a note on Much edo about Nothing, A&t III. fc. iv. STEEVENS, Luc. No, madam, it is too sharp. And mar the concord with too harfh a defcant :5 Jul. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base. Jul. This babble fhall not henceforth trouble me. T Go, get you gone; and let the papers lie: [Tears the letter Luc. She makes it ftrange; but he would be beft pleas'd To be fo anger'd with another letter. Jul. Nay, would I were fo anger'd with the fame! I throw thy name against the bruifing ftones, Except mine own name; that some whirlwind bear? F 2 [Exit, Unto s Defcant is a term in mufic. See Sir John Hawkins's note on the first fpeech in K. Richard III. STEEVENS. 6 The mean is the tenor in mufic. STEEVENS. 7 The speaker here turns the allufion (which her mistress employed) from the bafe in mufic to a country exercife, Bid the base: in which fome purfue, and others are made prifoners. So that Lucetta would intend, by this, to fay, Indeed I take pains to make you a captive to Proteus's paffion. WARBURTON. Dr. Warburton is not quite accurate. The game was not called Bid the Bafe, but the Bafc. To bid the bafe means here, I believe, the challenge to a conteft. MALONE. 8 To write down is still a provincial expreffion for to write, HENLEY. Unto a ragged, fearful, hanging rock, ; He couples it to his complaining names: Luc. Madam, dinner's ready, and your father stays. Luc. What, fhall thefe papers lie like tell-tales here? Jul. I fee, you have a month's mind to them.* SCENE III. The fame. A Room in Antonio's Houfe. Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO. [Exeunt. Ant. Tell me, Panthino, what fad talk 3 was that, Pan: 9 That is, as Mr. M. Mafon obferves, left they should catch cold. This mode of expreffion (he adds) is not frequent in Shakspeare, but occurs in every play of Beaumont and Fletcher. STEEVENS. 2 A month's mind was an anniversary in times of popery; or, as Mr. Ray calls it, a lefs folemnity directed by the will of the deceased. There was alfo a year's mind, and a week's mind. GREY. A month's mind, in the ritual fenfe, fignifies not defire or inclination, but remembrance; yet I suppose this is the true original of the expreffion. JOHNSON. In Hampshire, and other western counties, for "I can't remember it," they fay, I can't mind it.” BLACKSTONE. 3 Sad is the fame as grave or ferious. JOHNSON. |