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To teftify your bounty, I thank you, you have teftern'd me:
In requital whereof, henceforth carry your letter your-
felf: and fo, Sir, I'll commend you to my mafter.
Pro. Go, go, begone, to fave your ship from wreck,
Which cannot perish, having thee aboard,
Being deftin'd to a drier death on shore.
I must go fend fome better meffenger:
I fear, my Julia would not deign my lines,
Receiving them from fuch a worthless poft.

[Exeunt feverally:

SCENE changes to Julia's Chamber.

ful. B

Enter Julia and Lucetta.

UT fay, Lucetta, now we are alone,

Would't thou then counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheedfully. Jul. Of all the fair refort of gentlemen,

That ev'ry day with parle encounter me,

In thy opinion which is worthiest love?

Luc. Please you repeat their names; I'll fhew my mind, According to my fhallow fimple fkill.

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

Jul. What think'ft thou of the rich Mercatio?
Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, fo, io.
Jul. What think'ft 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,

Should cenfure thus on lovely gentlemen.
Jul. Why not on Protheus, as of all the reft?
Luc. Then thus; of many good, I think him beft,

Jul. Your reafon ?

Luc. I have no other but a woman's reafon;

I think him fo, because I think him fo.

Jul. And would'st thou have me cast my love on him?
Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not caft away.

Jub

Jul. Why, he of all the reft hath never mov'd me..
Luc. Yet he of all the rest, I think, beft loves ye.
Jul. His little fpeaking fhews his love but small.
Luc. The fire, that's closeft kept, burns most of all.
Jul. They do not love, that do not fhew their love.
Luc. Oh, they love leaft, that let men know their love..
Jul. I would, I knew his mind.

Luc. Perufe this paper, madam.
Jul. To Julia; fay, from whom?

Luc. That the contents will fhew.
Jul. Say, fay; who gave it thee?

Luc.Sir Valentine's page; and fent, I think, from Protheus.
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 modefty, a goodly broker!
Dare you prefume to harbour wanton lines?
To whisper and confpire against my youth?
Now, truft me, 'tis an office of great worth;
And you an officer fit for the place.

There, take the paper; fee, it be return'd;
Or elfe return no more into my fight.

Luc. To plead for love deferves more fee than hate.
Jul. Will you be gone?

Luc. That you may ruminate.

[Exit.

Jul. And yet I would, tI had o'er-look'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, fay no, to that

Which they would have the proff'rer conftrue, ay
Fy, fy; how.wayward is this foolish love,
That, like a tefty babe, will fcratch the nurse,
And presently, all humbled, kifs the rod ?
How churlishly I chid Lucetta hence,
When willingly I would have had her here!.
How angrily I taught my brow to frown,
When inward joy enforc'd my heart to smile!
My penance is to call Lucetta back,

And

And-afk remiffion for my folly past.

What ho! Lucetta!

Re-enter Lucetta.

Luc. What would your Ladyship?

Jul. Is't near dinner-time?

Luc. I would it were;

That you might kill your ftomach on your meat,
And not upon your maid.

Jul. What is, that you

Took up fo gingerly?

Luc. Nothing.

Jul. Why didft thou stoop 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 thofe that it concerns. Luc. Madam, it will not lie, where it concerns; Unless it have a falfe interpreter.

Jul. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme. Luc. That I might fing it, madam, to a tune; Give me a note; your Ladyfhip can fet.

Jul. As little by fuch toys as may be poffible, 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.
Luc. Ay; and melodious were it, would you fuq it.
Jul. And why not you?

Luc. I cannot reach so 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.

ful. You do not?

Luc. No, madam, 'tis too fharp.

ful. You, minion, are too faucy.

Luc. Nay, now you are too flat;

And mar the concord with too harfh a defcant:
There wanteth but a mean to fill your fong,

Jul. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base.

Luc.

Luc. Indeed, I bid the bafe for Protheus. (5) Jul. This babble shall not henceforth trouble me. Here is a coil with protestation! [Tears it.

lie:

Go, get you gone; and let the papers
You would be fingering them, to anger me.

Luc. She makes it ftrange, but she 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!
Oh hateful hands, to tear fuch loving words;
Injurious wafps, to feed on fuch fweet honey,
And kill the bees, that yield it, with your ftings!
I'll kiss each several paper for amends:
Look, here is writ kind Julia; unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,

I throw thy name against the bruifing ftones;
Trampling contemptuously on thy difdain.
Look, here is writ, Love-wounded Protheus.
Poor wounded name! my bofom, as a bed,
Shall lodge thee, 'till thy wound be throughly heal'd:
And thus I fearch it with a fov'reign kifs.
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,
Except mine own name: That fome whirl-wind bear
Unto a ragged, fearful, hanging rock,

And throw it thence into the raging fea!
Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ :
Poor forlorn Protheus, paffionate Protheus,
To the fweet Julia: that I'll tear away;
And yet I will not, fith fo prettily
He couples it to his complaining names:
Thus will I fold them one upon another;

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

(5) bid the bafe for Protheus.] Luccetta here alters the allegory from the bafe in mufick to a country exercife, call'd in the North, Bid-the-bafe; in which fome purfue, to take the others prifoners." So that Lucetta would intend to fay, "Indeed, I take pains to make you a captive for Protheus?” Mr. Warbutton.

Enter

Enter Lucetta.

Luc. Madam, dinner is ready, and your father stays. Jul. Well, let us go.

Luc. What, fhall these papers lie like tell-tales here? Jul. If thou refpect them, beft to take them up. Luc. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down: Yet here they fhall not lie, for catching cold.

Jul. I fee, you have a month's mind to them. Luc. Ay, madam, you may fay what fights you fee: I fee things too, although you judge I wink. Jul. Come, come, will't please you go?

Ant.

T

SCENE, Anthonio's House,

Enter Anthonio and Panthion.

[Exeunt.

ELL me, Panthion, what sad talk was that, Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister 2 Pant. 'Twas of his nephew Protheus, your fon. Ant. Why, what of him?

Pant. He wonder'd that your Lordship

Would fuffer him to spend his youth at home,
While other men of flender reputation

Put, forth their fons to feek preferment out: (6)
Some to the wars, to try their fortune there;
Some, to discover iflands far away;

Some, to the ftudious univerfities.
For any, or for all these exercises,

He faid, that Protheus your fon was meet:
And did requeft 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.

(6) Put forth their fons.] In Shakespeare's times, voyages for the difcovery of the West Indies were all in vogue. And we find, in the journals of travellers of that time, that the fons of noblemen, and of others of the best quality in England, went commonly on thofe adventures. To which prevailing fashion, 'tis evident, the Poet frequently alludes in this play; not without high commendations of it. Mr. Warburten.

Ant.

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