SCENE VI.-The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter PROTEUS. PRO. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn ; Love bade me swear, and love bids me forswear: To learn his wit to exchange the bad for better.- I cannot leave to love, and yet I do ; If I keep them, I needs must lose myself; I will forget that Julia is alive, SCENE VII.-Verona. A Room in Julia's House. Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. JUL. Counsel, Lucetta! gentle girl, assist me! And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,Who art the table wherein all my thoughts Are visibly character'd and engrav'd,— To lesson me; and tell me some good mean, How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Proteus. Luc. Alas! the way is wearisome and long. JUL. A true devoted pilgrim is not weary To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps; Much less shall she that hath love's wings to fly! And when the flight is made to one so dear, Of such divine perfection, as sir Proteus. Luc. Better forbear, till Proteus make return. JUL. O, know'st thou not, his looks are my soul's food? Pity the dearth that I have pined in, By longing for that food so long a time. a Who art the table-] Alluding to the table-book, or tables made of slate and ivory, and used as a note or memorandum-book. Thus Hamlet, "My tables-meet it is I set it down.' Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow, Luc. I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire; The current that with gentle murmur glides, But, when his fair course is not hindered, b The inly touch of love,-] Inly, Halliwell says, is used as an adjective: "Trust me, Lorrique, besides the inlie grief, That swallowes my content."- The Tragedy of Hoffman, 4to. 1631. Luc. But in what habit will you go along? JUL. Not like a woman; for I would prevent The loose encounters of lascivious men : Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds As may beseem some well-reputed page. Luc. Why, then, your ladyship must cut your hair. JUL. No, girl; I'll knit it up in silken strings, With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots: To be fantastic, may become a youth Of greater time than I shall show to be. Luc. What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches? JUL. That fits as well as-" Tell me, good my lord, What compass will you wear your farthingale ?" Why, ev'n what fashion thou best lik'st, Lucetta. Luc. You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam. JUL. Out, out, Lucetta! that will be ill favour'd. Luc. A round hose, madam, now's not worth go. JUL. Nay, that I will not. Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but If Proteus like your journey, when you come, No matter who's displeas'd, when you are gone: I fear me, he will scarce be pleas'd withal. JUL. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear: A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears, And instances of infinite of love," Warrant me welcome to my Proteus. Luc. All these are servants to deceitful men. JUL. Base men, that use them to so base effect! But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth: His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles; His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate; His tears, pure messengers sent from his heart; His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth. Luc. Pray Heaven he prove so, when you come to him! JUL. Now, as thou lov'st me, do him not that wrong, To bear a hard opinion of his truth: [Exeunt. but we are not for that reason to conclude the passage is corrupt. The second folio reads: "And instances as infinite of love." DUKE. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have some secrets to confer about. [Exit THURIO. Now, tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me? PRO. My gracious lord, that which I would discover, The law of friendship bids me to conceal : My duty pricks me on to utter that Which else no worldly good should draw from me. a My jealous aim might err,-] Aim, as Malone and Steevens remark, in this instance, implies guess, surmise, as in "Romeo and Juliet:" A pack of sorrows, which would press you down, Being unprevented, to your timeless grave. DUKE. Proteus, I thank thee for thine honest care; Which to requite, command me while I live. PRO. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a mean How he her chamber-window will ascend, "I aim'd so near, when I supposed you lov'd." b Soon suggested,-] See Note (a) at p. 17. DUKE. Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? VAL. Please it your grace, there is a messenger That stays to bear my letters to my friends, And I am going to deliver them. DUKE. Be they of much import? VAL. The tenor of them doth but signify My health, and happy being at your court. DUKE. Nay then, no matter; stay with me a while; I am to break with thee of some affairs, That touch me near, wherein thou must be secret. Were rich and honourable; besides, the gentleman DUKE. No, trust me; she is peevish, sullen, froward, Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty; Now, therefore, would I have thee to my tutor, VAL. Win her with gifts, if she respect not words; her. VAL. A woman sometimes scorns what best contents her: Send her another; never give her o'er; DUKE. But she I mean is promis'd by her friends That no man hath recourse to her by night. VAL. What lets, but one may enter at her window? DUKE. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground; And built so shelving, that one cannot climb it Without apparent hazard of his life. VAL. Why, then, a ladder, quaintly made of cords, To cast up with a pair of anchoring hooks, DUKE. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, DUKE. This very night; for love is like a child, That longs for everything that he can come by. VAL. By seven o'clock I'll get you such a ladder. DUKE. But, hark thee; I will go to her alone; An error of the same kind occurs in Act II. Sc. 5, where Speed says, "Welcome to Padua," instead of Milan. The corrections were made by Pope. • What lets,-] What stops, what debars. So "Hamlet," Act I. Sc. 4, "By Heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me." f Quaintly made of cords,-] Cleverly, skilfully made of cords. |