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?

Luc. Nothing concerning me.

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' love2." 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.

Nay, now you are too flat,

Jul. You, minion, are too saucy.

Luc.
And mar the concord with too harsh a descant3:

2 Best sing it to the tune of "LIGHT O' LOVE."] This tune is often mentioned; the earliest authority for it, perhaps, being the "Gorgeous Gallery of Gallant Inventions,” 4to. 1578. In Deloney's "Strange Histories,” 8vo. 1607, “the doleful lamentation of Lord Matrevers," &c. is “to the tune of Light of love." Percy Society's reprint, p. 42.

too harsh a DESCANT:] Descant (says Malone) signified formerly what we now denominate variations. See also Vol. viii. p. 447.

There wanteth but a mean to fill your song.

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. Go, get you gone, and let the papers lie:

You would be fingering them to anger me.

Luc. She makes it strange, but she would be best

pleas'd

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.

Look, here is writ-"kind Julia ;"-unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,

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;
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
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;

There wanteth but a MEAN-] The mean is what is now called the tenor. 5 - I BID THE BASE] The allusion of Lucetta is to the well-known game of prison base, or prisoner's base, at which, " to bid the base" seems to have meant, to invite to a contest. See the note on "To bid the wind a base," in "Venus and Adonis," Vol. viii. p. 382.

6 And thus I SEARCH it-] To search a wound is to probe it, or to tent it.

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.

Luc. Madam,

Re-enter LUCETTA.

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; 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.

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? Pant. "Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son.

a

7- a MONTH'S MIND to them.] A month's mind is here equivalent to great mind" or strong inclination; "A month's mind" in its "ritual sense," is a month's remembrance; and when Nash wrote his "Martin's Month's Mind," 4to. 1589, he applied it in that way: it was a month's remembrance of Martin Mar-prelate. The "Month's Mind" was derived from times prior to the Reformation, when masses were said for a stated period in memory of the dead. Hence they were also called "Month's Memories," and "Month's monuments." For the sake of the measure we ought to read, “a moneth's mind to them," and so the word was often printed.

8 – what SAD talk was that,] orace. See Vol. ii. pp. 221. 499.

Sad was generally used of old for serious or
Vol. iii. p. 384, &c.

Ant. Why, what of him?

Pant.
He wonder'd, that your lordship
Would suffer him to spend his youth at home,
While other men, of slender reputation,

Put forth their sons to seek preferment out:
Some to the wars, to try their fortune there;
Some, to discover islands far away;
Some, to the studious universities.
For any, or for all these exercises,

He said, that Proteus, your son, was meet,
And did request 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.

Ant. Nor need'st thou much importune me to that Whereon this month I have been hammering.

I have consider'd well his loss of time,
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
Not being tried and tutor'd in the world:
Experience is by industry achiev'd,

And perfected by the swift course of time.

Then, tell me, whither were I best to send him?
Pant. I think, your lordship is not ignorant
How his companion, youthful Valentine,
Attends the emperor in his royal court.

Ant. I know it well.

Pant. "Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither.

There shall he practise tilts and tournaments,

Hear sweet discourse, converse with noblemen,

And be in eye of every exercise,

Worthy his youth, and nobleness of birth.

Ant. I like thy counsel: well hast thou advis'd; And, that thou may'st perceive how well I like it, The execution of it shall make known.

Even with the speediest expedition

I will dispatch him to the emperor's court.

Pant. To-morrow, may it please you, Don Alphonso, With other gentlemen of good esteem,

Are journeying to salute the emperor,

And to commend their service to his will.

Ant. Good company; with them shall Proteus go: And, in good time,-now will we break with him'.

Enter PROTEUS.

Pro. Sweet love! sweet lines! sweet life!
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;
Here is her oath for love, her honour's pawn.
O! that our fathers would applaud our loves,
To seal our happiness with their consents!
O heavenly Julia !

Ant. How now! what letter are you reading there? Pro. May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or two Of commendations sent from Valentine,

Deliver❜d by a friend that came from him.

Ant. Lend me the letter: let me see what news. Pro. There is no news, my lord, but that he writes How happily he lives, how well belov'd,

And daily graced by the emperor;

Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.

Ant. And how stand you affected to his wish?
Pro. As one relying on your lordship's will,
And not depending on his friendly wish.

Ant. My will is something sorted with his wish.
Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed,
For what I will, I will, and there an end.
I am resolv'd, that thou shalt spend some time
With Valentinus in the emperor's court:

What maintenance he from his friends receives,

1 And, in good time,—now will we break with him.] Proteus, whose entrance is not marked in the old copies, comes in on the sudden, and very opportunely, "in good time," so that Antonio cannot finish his sentence: he therefore stops short merely adding to Panthino, that he will break the matter to Proteus. "To break with" affords another instance of the different use of prepositions now, and formerly.