Chapter: SCENE II.

_The same. Garden of JULIA'S house._

  _Enter JULIA and LUCETTA._

_Jul._ But say, Lucetta, now we are alone,
Wouldst thou, then, counsel me to fall in love?

_Luc._ Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully.

_Jul._ Of all the fair resort of gentlemen
That every day with parle encounter me,                              5
In thy opinion which is worthiest love?

_Luc._ Please you repeat their names, I'll show my 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;                   10
But, were I you, he never should be mine.

_Jul._ What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio?

_Luc._ Well of his wealth; but of himself, so so.

_Jul._ What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus?

_Luc._ Lord, Lord! to see what folly reigns in us!                  15

_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 Proteus, as of all the rest?                      20

_Luc._ Then thus,--of many good I think him best.

_Jul._ Your reason?

_Luc._ I have no other but a woman's reason;
I think him so, because I think him so.

_Jul._ And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him?                25

_Luc._ Ay, if you thought your love not cast away.

_Jul._ Why, he, of all the rest, hath never moved me.

_Luc._ Yet he, of all the rest, I think, best loves ye.

_Jul._ His little speaking shows his love but small.

_Luc._ Fire that's closest kept burns most of all.                  30

_Jul._ They do not love that do not show their love.

_Luc._ O, they love least that let men know their love.

_Jul._ I would I knew his mind.

_Luc._ Peruse this paper, madam.

_Jul._ 'To Julia.'--Say, from whom?                                 35

_Luc._ That the contents will show.

_Jul._ Say, say, who gave it thee?

_Luc._ Sir Valentine's page; and sent, I think, from Proteus.
He would have given it you; but I, being in the way,
Did in your name receive it: pardon the fault, I pray.              40

_Jul._ Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker!
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.                               45
There, take the paper: see it be return'd;
Or else return no more into my sight.

_Luc._ To plead for love deserves more fee than hate.

_Jul._ Will ye be gone?

_Luc._                That you may ruminate.    [_Exit._

_Jul._ And yet I would I had o'erlook'd the letter:                 50
It were a shame to call her back again,
And pray her to a fault for which I chid her.
What a 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                           55
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!
How churlishly I chid Lucetta hence,                                60
When willingly I would have had her here!
How angerly I taught my brow to frown,
When inward joy enforced my heart to smile!
My penance is, to call Lucetta back,
And ask remission for my folly past.                                65
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 stomach on your meat,
And not upon your maid.

_Jul._ What is't that you took up so gingerly?                      70

_Luc._ Nothing.

_Jul._ Why didst thou stoop, then?

_Luc._ To take a paper up that I let fall.

_Jul._ And is that paper nothing?

_Luc._ Nothing concerning me.                                       75

_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.                      80
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?                     85

_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.                           90

_Jul._ You do not?

_Luc._           No, madam; it is too sharp.

_Jul._ You, minion, are too saucy.

_Luc._ Nay, now you are too flat,
And mar the concord with too harsh a descant:
There wanteth but a mean to fill your song.                         95

_Jul._ The mean is drown'd with your unruly bass.

_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._
Go get you gone, and let the papers lie:                           100
You would be fingering them, to anger me.

_Luc._ She makes it strange; but she would be best pleased
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!                        105
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,                                  110
I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
And here is writ 'love-wounded Proteus.'
Poor wounded name! my bosom, as a bed,
Shall lodge thee, till thy wound be throughly heal'd;              115
And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice or thrice was 'Proteus' 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 some whirlwind bear                     120
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 Proteus, passionate Proteus,
To the sweet Julia':--that I'll tear away.--                       125
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-enter LUCETTA._

_Luc._ Madam,                                                      130
Dinner is 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.

_Luc._ Nay, I was taken up for laying them down:                   135
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 see;
I see things too, although you judge I wink.

_Jul._ Come, come; will't please you go?    [_Exeunt._             140



  Notes: I, 2.

  SCENE II.] SCENE III. Pope.
  Garden &c.] Malone. Changes to Julia's chamber. Pope.
  1: _now we are_] F1. _now are we_ F2 F3 F4.
  5: _parle_] _par'le_ Ff.
  15: _reigns_] _feigns_ Anon. conj.
  18: _am_] _can_ Collier MS.
  19: _censure ... gentlemen_] _censure on a lovely gentleman_
    S. Verges conj. _censure on this lovely gentleman_ Edd. conj.
  _thus_] _pass_ Hanmer.
  _on lovely gentlemen_] _a lovely gentleman_ Pope. _a loving
    gentleman_ Collier MS.
  20: _of_] _on_ S. Verges conj.
  30: _Fire_] Ff. _The fire_ Pope.
  _that's_] _that is_ Johnson.
  39: _being in the way_] _being by_ Pope.
  40: _pardon the fault, I pray_] _pardon me_ Pope.
  53: _What a fool_] _What 'foole_ F1 F2 F3. _What fool_ F4.
    See note (III).
  67: _Is't_] _Is it_ Capell.
  _near_] om. Boswell.
  81: F1 omits the stop after _set_.
  83: _o' Love_] Theobald. _O, Love_ F1 F2. _O Love_ F3 F4.
  88: _How now_] _Why, how now_ Hanmer. After this line Hanmer adds
    a stage direction [Gives her a box on the ear].
  96: _your_] _you_ F1.
  99: [Tears the letter.] [Tears it. Pope.
  102: _best pleased_] _pleased better_ Collier MS.
  103: [Exit] F2.
  121: _fearful-hanging_] Delius. _fearful, hanging_ Ff.
  130, 131: _Madam, Dinner is_] _Madam, dinner's_ Capell conj.
  137: _to_] _unto_ Collier MS.
  _them._] _them, minion._ Hanmer.
  138: _say what sights you see_] _see what sights you think_
    Collier MS.

 Julia asks her "waiting woman," Lucetta, if she "counsels" her "to fall in love," after which the servant appraises the eligible suitors named by her mistress. Sir Eglamour is "well-spoken, neat, and fine," Mercatio is wealthy, but Proteus is most favored. Asked to explain why, Lucetta responds: I have no other but a woman's reason: I think him so because I think him so. Julia apparently grows angry with Lucetta when she learns of Proteus's letter: Dare you presume to harbour wanton lines? To whisper and conspire against my youth? But with Lucetta out of the room, she has second thoughts, and she calls after her to return with the letter. The scene ends as Julia tears the letter to shreds, only desperately to try piecing it together again. The servant wryly tells her mistress that she knows exactly what is going on: "I see things too, although you judge I wink" .

