Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheed fully. Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen, That every day with parle* encounter me, Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll show According to my shallow simple skill. Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour? Jul. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Pardon, dear madam; 'tis a passing shame, Should censure + thus on lovely gentlemen. Jul. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest? Jul. Your reason? Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason; Jul. And woulds't thou have me cast my love on Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not cast away. Jul. I would, I knew his mind. Peruse this paper, madam. Jul. To Julia,-Say, from whom? Luc. That the contents will show. Jul. Say, say; who gave it thee? Proteus : He would have given it you, but I, being in the way, Did in your name receive it; pardon the fault, I pray. Jul. Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker* ! There, take the paper, see it be return'd; Luc. To plead for love deserves more fee than hate. Jul. Will you be gone? Luc. That you may ruminate. [Exit. Jul. And yet, I would I had o'erlook'd the letter. It were a shame to call her back again, And pray her to a fault for which I chid her. And would not force the letter to my view? And ask remission for my folly past :- Luc. Re-enter Lucetta. What would your ladyship? * A matchmaker, Jul. Is it near dinner-time ? Luc. I would it were ; That you might kill your stomach* on your meat, 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 those that it concerns. Luc. Madam, it will not lie where it concerns, Unless it have a false interpreter. Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme. 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 it. Jul. And why not you? Luc. I cannot reach so high. 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. And mar the concord with too harsh a descant† ; Jul. the mean is drown'd with your unruly base. Luc. Indeed, I bid the base § for Proteus. Jul. This babble shall not henceforth trouble me. Here is a coil with protestation !— [Tears the letter. * Passion or obstinacy. The tenor in music. A term in music. § A challenge. Il Stir, bustle. Go, get you gone; and let the papers lie: To be so anger'd with another letter. [Exit. Jul. Nay, would I were so anger'd with the same! O 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. And here is writ-kind Julia ;-unkind Julia ! I throw thy name against the bruising stones, And throw it thence into the raging sea! Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ,— Re-enter Lucetta. Luc. Madam, dinner's ready, and your father stays. Jul. Well, let us go. Luc. What, shall these papers lie like tell-tales here? Jul. If you respect them, best to take them up. * Since. Luc. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down : Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold. Jul. I see, you have a month's mind to them. see; I see things too, although you judge I wink. SCENE III. The same. A room in Antonio's house. Enter Antonio and Panthino. Ant. Tell me, Panthino, what sad* talk was that, Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister? Pan. 'Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son. Ant. Why, what of him? Pan. He said, that Proteus, your son, was meet; To let him spend his time no more at home, Ant. Nor need'st thou much impórtune me to that And perfected by the swift course of time: * Serious. + Little consequence. + Reproach. |