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 II.

Changes to Julia's chamber.

Enter Julia and Lucetta.

Jul. But fay, Lucetta, now we are alone,
Would't thou then counfel me to fall in love?
Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully.
Jul. Of all the fair refort of gentlemen,

That every day with parle encounter me,
In thy opinion which is worthieft love?

Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll fhew my

mind

According to my fhallow fimple skill.

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'st thou of the rich Mercatio?
Luc. Well, of his wealth; but, of himself, fo, fo.
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 shame,

6 he never should be mine.] Perhaps the infignificancy of fir Eglamour's character is burlefqued in the following paffage in Decker's Satiromaftix.

"Adieu, fir Eglamour; adieu lute-ftring, curtain-rod, goosequill, &c." Sir Eglamour of Artoys, is the hero of an ancient metrical romance," Imprinted at London, in Fofter-lane, at the fygne of the Hartefhorne, by John Walley." bl. 1. no date. STEEVENS.

That

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 reason;

I think him fo, because I think him so.

ful. And would't thou have me caft my love on him?

Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not caft away.
Jul. Why, he of all the reft hath never mov'd me.
Luc. Yet he of all the reft, I think, beft loves ye.
Jul. His little fpeaking fhews his love but small.
Luc. Fire, that is closest kept, burns most of all.
Jul. They do not love, that do not fhew their love.
Luc. Oh, they love least, that let men know their
love.

ful. I would I knew his mind.
Luc. Perufe this paper, madam.
Jul. To Julia,-Say, 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,

7 Should cenfure thus &c.] To cenfure means, in this place, to pass sentence. So in Othello:

to you, lord governor,

"Remains the cenfure of this hellish villain." STEEVENS. 3 a goodly broker !] A broker was used for matchmaker, fometimes for a procurefs. JOHNSON.

So in Daniel's Complaint of Rofamond, 1599:

"And flie (oh flie) these bed-brokers unclean,
"The monsters of our fex, &c." STEEVENS,

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 ye be gone?

Luc. That you may ruminate.

[Exit.

ful. And yet, I would I had o'erlook'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 profferer conftrue, Ay.
Fie, fie! how wayward is this foolish love,
That, like a tefty babe, will scratch the nurse,
And presently, all humbled, kifs the rod !
How churlifhly 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 afk remiffion for my folly past :--
What ho! Lucetta!

Re-enter Lucetta.

Luc. What would your ladyship?

Jul. Is it 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't that you

Took up fo gingerly?

9

Luc. Nothing.

Jul. Why didft thou ftoop then?

-Say No, to that, &c.] A paraphrafe on the old proverb, Maids fay nay, and take it." STEEVENS.

ftomach on your meat,] Stomach was used for passion or obftinacy. JOHNSON.

Luc

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 lye where it concerns, Unless it have a falfe interpreter.

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

Ful. 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 fing it. ful. And why not you?

Luc. I cannot reach fo 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.

Jul. You do not?

Luc. No, madam, it is too sharp.

Jul. You, minion, are too faucy.

Luc. Nay, now you are too flat,

And mar the concord with too harfh a defcant 3:
There wanteth but a mean to fill your fong.

2

ful. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base. Luc. Indeed, I bid the base for Protheus.

Jul.

Light o' love.] This tune is given in a note on Much ado about Nothing, act III. fc. iv. STEEVENS.

3 too harsh a defcant:] Defcant is a term in mufic. See Sir John Hawkins's note on the first speech in K. Richard III. STEEVENS.

-but a mean &c.] The mean is the tenor in mufic. So in the enterlude of Mary Magdalene's Repentaunce, 1569: "Utilitie can fing the bafe full cleane,

"And noble honour shall fing the meane." STEEVENS, 5 Indeed, I bid the bafe for Protheus.] The speaker here turns the allufion (which her miftrefs employed) from the bafe in mufick to a country exercise, Bid the bafe: in which fome pursue, and

K 3

others

Jul. This babble fhall not henceforth trouble me. Here is a coil with proteftation!

[Tears it. Go, get you gone; and let the papers lie: You would be fingering them, to anger me. Luc. She makes it ftrange; but fhe would be best 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 such sweet 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 disdain.
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 fovereign 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 whirlwind 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;

others are made prifoners. So that Lucetta would intend, by this, to fay, Indeed I take pains to make you a captive to Protheus's paffion. He uses the fame allufion in his Venus and Adonis: "To bid the winds a base he now prepares,"

And in his Cymbeline he mentions the game:

66

Lads more like

"To run the country bafe, WARBURTON,

Thus