5

Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone,
Would'st thou then counsel me to fall in love?
Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheed-10
Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen, [fully.
That every day with parle encounter me,
In thy opinion which is worthiest love?

Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll shew
iny mind

According to my shallow simple skill.

Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?
Luc. As of a knight well spoken, neat and fine;
But, were I you, he never should be mine.

Jul. What thinks't thou of the rich Mercatio?
Luc. Weil, of his wealth; but of himself, so, so.
Jul. What think'st thou of the gentle Protheus?
Luc. Lord, lord! to see what folly reigns in us!
Jul. How now? what means this passion at

his name?

Luc. Pardon, dear madam ; 'tis a passing shame,
That I, unworthy body as I am,
Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen.

Jul. Why not on Protheus, as of all the rest?

Luc. That you may ruminate.

[Exit.

[ter.

Jul. And yet, I would I had o'erlook'd the let-
It were a shame, to call her back again,
And pray her to a fault for which Ichid her.
What fool is she, that knows I am a maid,
And would not force the letter to my view?
Since maids, in modesty, say No, to that
Which they would have the profferer construe Ay.
Fie, fie! how wayward is this foolish love,
That, like a testy babe, will scratch the nurse,
And presently, all humbled, kiss the rod!
15 How churlishly I chid Lucetta hence,
When willingly I would have had her here!
How angerly I taught my brow to frown,
When inward joy enforc'd my heart to smile!
My penance is, to call Lucetta back,
And ask remission for my folly past:-
What ho! Lucetta!

20

25

Luc. Then thus,-of many good, I think him 30
Jul. Your reason?

[best.

Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason;
I think him so, because I think him so.
Jul. And would'st thou have me cast my love

1451

Jul. I would I knew his mind.
Luc. Peruse this paper, madam.
Jul. To Julia,-Say from whom?
Luc. That the contents will shew.
Jul. Say, say; who gave it thee?
Luc. Sir Valentine's page; and sent, I think,
from Protheus:
[way, 50
He would have given it you, but I. being in the
Did in your name receive it; pardon the fault Ipray.
Jul. Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker2!
Dare you presume to harbour wanton lines?
To whisper and conspire against my youth?
Now, trust me, 'tis an office of great worth,
And you an officer fit for the place.
There, take the paper, see it be return'd;

Luc. Nothing concerning me.

Jul. Then let it lie for those that it concerns.
Luc. Madain, it will not lye where it concerns,
Unless it have a false interpreter.

[rhime.
Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in
Luc. That I might sing it, madam, to a tune :
Give me a note; your ladyship can set.
Jul. As little by such toys as may be possible:
Best sing it to the tune of Light o' love.
Luc. It is too heavy for so light a tune.
Jul. Heavy? belike, it hath some burden then.
Luc. Ay; and melodious were it, would you sing
Jul. And why not you?

Luc. I cannot reach so high.

[it.

Jul. Let's see your song:-How now, minion?
Luc. Keep tune there still, so you will sing it out:
And yet, methinks, I do not like this tune.
Jul. You do not.

Luc. No, madam, it is too sharp.
Jul. You, minion, are too saucy.
Luc. Nay, now you are too flat,

55 And mar the concord with too harsh a descant':
There wanteth but a mean' to fill your song.
Jul. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base.
Luc. Indeed, I bid the base for Protheus.

4

To censure means, in this place, to pass sentence. 2 A broker was used for matchmaker, sometimes for procuress. 3 Stomach was used for passion or obstinacy. Descant is a term in music. The mean is the tenor in music. The speaker here turns the allusion (which her mistress employed) from the base in music to a country exercise, Bid the base; in which some pursue, and others are made prisoners.

Jul.

Jul. This babble shall not henceforth trouble me.)
Here is a coil with protestation!-- [Tears it.
Go, get you gone; and let the papers lie:
You would be fingering them to anger me.

Luc. She makes it strange; but she would be
best pleas'd

To be so anger'd with another letter.

[Exit.

Jul. Nay, would I were so anger'd with the

same!

Oh hateful hands, to tear such loving words!
Injurious wasps, to feed on such sweet honey,
And kill the bees that yield it, with your stings!
I'll kiss each several paper for amends.
Look, here is writ-kind Julia;—unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,

5

Put forth their sons to seek preferment out:
Some to the wars, to try their fortune there;
Some, to discover islands far away;

Some, to the studious universities.
For any, or for all of these exercises,
He said, that Protheus, 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,
10In having known no travel in his youth. [that

Ant. Nor need'st thou much importune me to
Whereon this month I have been hammering.
I have consider'd well his loss of time;
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
15 Not being try'd, and tutor'd in the world:
Experience is by industry atchiev'd,
And perfected by the swift course of time:
Then, tell me, whither were I best to send him?
Pant. I think, your lordship is not ignorant,
How his companion, youthful Valentine,
Attends the emperor in his royal court.

I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
Look, here is writ-love-wounded Protheus:-
Poor wounded name! my bosom, as a bed, [heal'd;
Shall lodge thee, till thy wound be thoroughly 20
And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice, or thrice, was Protheus written down:
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away,
Till I have found each letter in the letter, [bear]
Except mine own name; that some whirlwind 25
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 Protheus, passionate Protheus,
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 one upon another;
Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.
Re-nter Lucetta.

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

here?

[him thither:

Ant. I know it well.
Pant. 'Twere good, I think, your lordship sent
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; weli hast thou advis'd:
And, that thou may'st perceive how well I like it,
30 The execution of it shall make known;
Even with the speediest expedition

I will dispatch him to the emperor's court. [phonso.
Pant. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Al-
With other gentlemen of good esteem,

35 Are journeying to salute the emperor,
And to commend their service to his will. [go:

Jul. If thou respect them, best to take them up. 40
Luc. Nay, I was taken up for laying thein
down;

Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold.
Jul. I see, you have a month's mind to them'.
Luc. Ay, madam, you may say what sights you 45

Ant. Good company; with them shall Protheus
And, in good time',-now will we break with him.
Enter Protheus.

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

[there?

Ant. How now? what letter are you reading Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or Of commendation sent from Valentine, [two Deliver'd by a friend that came from him.

Ant. Lend me the letter; let me see what news.
Pro. There is no news, my lord; but that he
w rites

How happily he lives, how well belov❜d,
And daily graced by the emperor;
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;

1 A month's mind was an anniversary in times of popery; or, as Mr. Ray calls it, a less solemnity directed by the will of the deceased. There was also a year's mind, and a week's mind. See Proverbial Phrases. The old expres

3 2 Sad is the same as grace or serious. Impeachment is hindrance. sion when something happened which suited the thing in hand, similar to the French à propos.

For

ACT II,

30

That is, allowance. 2 To take diet was the phrase for being under a regimen. about the feast of All-Saints, when the poor people in Staffordshire, and probably in Warwickshire, go from parish to parish a souling as they call it; i. e. begging and puling (or singing small) for soul-cakes, or any good thing to make them merry. This custom seems a remnant of Popish superştition to for departed souls, particularly those of friends.

Speed. Your own present folly, and her passing 10 deformity: for he, being in love, could not see to garter his hose; and you, being in love, cannot see to put on your hose.

Val. Belike, boy, then you are in love; for last morning you could not see to wipe my shoes.

Speed. True, sir; I was in love with my bed; I thank you, you swing'd me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours. Val. In conclusion, I stand affected to her. Speed. I would you were set, and your affection so would cease.

Val. Last night she enjoin'd me to write some lines to one she loves.

15

But since unwillingly, take them again;
Nay, take them.

Val. Madam, they are for you.

Sil. Ay, ay; you writ them, sir, at my request;
But I will none of them: they are for you:

I would have had them writ more movingly.
Val. Please you, I'll write your ladyship another.
Sil. And, when it's writ, for my sake read it

over:

And, if it please you, so; if not, why, so.
Val. If it please me, madam? what then?
Sil. Why, if it please you, take it for your
labour;

steeple !

And so good-morrow, servant. [Exit. Speed. O jest unseen, inscrutable, invisible, As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a [suitor, My master sues to her; and she hath taught her He being her pupil, to become her tutor. 200 excellent device! was there ever heard a better? That my master, being the scribe, to himself should write the letter!

25

Speed. Oh, excellent motion'! Oh, exceeding 30 puppet! now will he interpret to her.

Val. Madam and mistress, a thousand good

morrows.

Speed. Oh! 'give ye good even! here's a million of manners.

Sil. Sir Valentine and servant, to you two thousand.

Speed. He should give her interest; and she gives it him.

Speed. To be a spokesman from madam Silvia.
Val. To whom?

[figure. Speed. To yourself; why, she wooes you by a Val. What figure?

Speed. By a letter, I should say.

Val. Why, she hath not writ to me?

Speed. What need she, when she made you 35 write to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the jest?

Fal. As you enjoin'd me, I have writ your letter 40
Unto the secret nameless friend of yours;
Which I was much unwilling to proceed in,
But for my duty to your ladyship.

Sil. I thank you, gentle servant: 'tis very clerkly done'.

[off; 45

Fal. Now trust me, madam, it came hardly For, being ignorant to whom it goes,

I writ at random, very doubtfully.

Sil. Perchance you think too much of so much

Val. No, believe me.

Speed. No believing you indeed, sir: But did you perceive her earnest ?

Val. She gave me none, except an angry word.
Speed. Why, she hath given you a letter.
Val. That's the letter I writ to her friend.
Speed. And that letter hath she deliver'd, and
there an end".

Val. I would, it were no worse.

Speed. I'll warrant you, 'tis as well: [desty, For often you have writ to her; and she, in moOr else for want of idle time,could not again reply; Or fearing else some messenger, that might her mind discover,

Herself hath taught her love himself to write un-
to her lover.-

All this I speak in print, for in print I found it.—
Why muse you, sir? 'tis dinner-time.
Val. I've din'd,

Speed. Ay, but hearken, sir: though the cameleon love can feed on the air, I am one that am nourish'd by my victuals, and would fain have meat: Oh! be not like your mistress; be mov'd, 60be moved.

Motion, in Shakspeare's time, signified puppet, or a puppet-shew.

[Exeunt.

This was the language of

ladies to their lovers in Shakspeare's time. That is, like a scholar. * That is, discoursing, talk

i. e. there's the conclusion of the matter. In print means with exactness.

SCENE

Jmy mother-oh that she could speak now like a wood woman'!-well, I kiss her;-why there tis; here's my mother's breath up and down: now come I to my sister; mark the moan she makes: 5 now the dog all this while sheds not a tear, nor speaks a word; but see how I lay the dust with my tears.

Pan. Launce, away, away, aboard; thy master is shipp'd, and thou art to post after with oars. What's the matter? why weep'st thou man? Away, ass; you will lose the tide, if you tarry any longer. Laun. It is no matter if the tide were lost; for it is the unkindest ty'd that ever any man ty’d. Pan. What's the unkindest tide?

Laun. Why, he that's ty'd here; Crab, my dog. Pan. Tut, man, I mean thou'lt lose the flood; and, in losing the flood, lose thy voyage; and, in losing thy voyage, lose thy master; and, in losing 20 thy master, lose thy service; and, in losing thy service,-Why dost thou stop my mouth?

Laun. Lose the tide, and the voyage, and the master, and the service, and the tide? Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with my 30 boat with my sighs.

Alas! this parting strikes poor lovers dumb. [Exe. tears; if the wind were down, I could drive the

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

Laun. Sir, call me what thou dar'st.
Pan. Wilt thou go?

Laun. Well, I will go.

SCENE IV.

MILAN.

1 That is, crazy, frantic with grief; or distracted, from any other cause. The word is very frequently used in Chaucer; and sometimes writ wood, sometimes wode. Wood, or crazy women, were anciently supposed to be able to tell fortunes. To quote is to observe.