Speed. No, not fo much as-take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have teftern'd me ; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourfelf: and fo, fir, I'll commend you to my mafter. Pro. Go, go, be gone, to fave your fhip from wreck; Which cannot perish, having thee aboard, Being destined to a drier death on shore :I muit go fend fome better meffenger; I fear, my Julia would not deign my lines, Receiving them from fuch a worthless poft. The fame. Garden of Julia's house. Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. Jul. But fay, Lucetta, now we are alone, Would't thou then counsel me to fall in love? [Exeunt. Luc. Ay, madam; fo you stumble not unheedfully. That every day with parle encounter me, In thy opinion, which is worthieft love? Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll fhew my mind According to my fhallow fimple fkill. ful. What think'ft thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?? Luc. As of a knight well-fpoken, neat and fine; But, were I you, he never should be mine. Jul. What think'ft thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Well, of his wealth; but of himself, fo, fo. Jul. What think'st thou of the gentle Protheus? Luc. Lord, lord! to fee what folly reigns in us! Jul. How now, what means this paffion at his name? Luc. Pardon, dear madam; 'tis a paffing fhame, That I, unworthy body as I am, 5-you bave teftern'd me;] You have gratified me with a tefter, tefern, or teften, that is, with a fixpence. JOHNSON. The old reading isceffern'd. STEEVENS. This typographical error was corrected by the editor of the second folio. MALONE. 6 Which cannot perish, &c.] The fame proverb has been already alJuded to. See p. 6. REED. 7-fair Sir Eglamour?] Sir Eglamour of Artoys is the hero of an ancient metrical romance, STEEVENS. Should Should cenfure thus on lovely gentlemen. Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason; I think him fo, because I think him fo. ful. And would'st thou have me caft my love on him? Luc. Perufe this paper, madam. Luc. Sir Valentine's page; and fent, I think, from He would have given it you, but I, being in the way, There, take the paper, fee it be return'd; Luc. To plead for love deferves more fee than hate. Luc. That you may ruminate. [Exit. ful. 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. 8 Should cenfure thus-] To cenfure, in our author's time, generally fignified to give one's judgment or opinion. MALONE. 9 - a goodly broker !] A broker was used for matchmaker, fometimes for a procurefs. JOHNSON. VOL. I. I What What fool is fhe, that knows I am a maid, And afk remiffion for my folly past:- Re-enter LUCETTA. Luc. What would your ladyfhip? Jul. Is it near dinner-time? Luc. I would, it were; That you might kill your stomach on your meat, And not upon your maid. Jul. What is't that you Took up fo gingerly? Luc. Nothing. Jul. Why didft thou ftoop then? Luc. To take a paper up that I let fall. Jul. And is that paper nothing? Luc. Nothing concerning me. Jul. Then let it lie for those that it concerns. Unless it have a falfe interpreter. Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhime. Give me a note: your ladyfhip can fet. Jul. As little by fuch toys as may be possible : Beft 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. I-fay No, to that &c.] A paraphrafe on the old proverb, "Maids fay nay, and take it." STEEVENS. fiomach] was used for paffion or obftinacy. JouNsoN. Luc. Luc. Ay; and melodious were it, would you fing it. ful. And why not you? Luc. I cannot reach fo high. Jul. Let's fee your fong :-How now, minion? Luc. No, madam; it is too fharp. And mar the concord with too harsh a defcant 3: Jul. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base. Go, get you gone; and let the papers lie: Luc. She makes it ftrange; but he would be beft pleas'd To be fo anger'd with another letter. [Exit. Jul. Nay, would I were fo anger'd with the fame! O hateful hands, to tear fuch loving words! Look, here is writ-kind Julia ;-unkind Julia! I throw thy name against the bruifing ftones, And 3- too barfo a defcant:] Defcant is a term in mufic. See Sir John Hawkins's note on the firft fpeech in K. Richard III. STEEVENS. 4 but a mean, &c.] The mean is the tenor in mufic. STEEVENS 5 Indeed, I bid the bafe for Protheus.] The fpeaker here turns the allufion (which her mistress employed) from the base in mufick to a country exercife, Bid the bafe: 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 Protheus's paffion. WARE. Dr. Warburton is not quite accurate. The game was not called Bid 1 2 the And thus I fearch it with a fovereign kifs. But twice, or thrice, was Protheus written down: Now kifs, embrace, contend, do what you will. Luc. Madam, dinner's ready, and your father ftays. Luc. What, fhall these papers lie like tell-tales here? I fee things too, although you judge I wink. [Exeunt. the Bafe, but the Bafe. To bid the base means here, I believe, to cballenge to a centeft. So, in our author's Venus and Adonis: "To bid the wind a bafe he now prepares, "And wh'er he run, or fly, they knew not whether." MALONE. 6 I fee, you have a month's mind to them.] 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 deceafed. There was alfo a year's mind, and a week's mind. See Proverbial Phrafes. GREY. A month's mind, in the ritual fenfe, fignifies not defire or inclination, but remembrance; yet I fuppofe this is the true original of the expreffion. JoHNSON. In Hamphire, and other weftern counties, for "I can't remember it," they fay, "I can't mind it." BLACKSTONE. If this line was defigned for a verfe, we should read-monthes mind. So, in the Midfummer Night's Dream: "Swifter than the moones fphere." Both these are the Saxon genitive cafe. STEEVENS. SCENE |