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And kill the bees that yield it with your stings!
I'll kiss cach 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.

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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

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To the sweet Julia:"-that I'll tear away;

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.

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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 unto them3.

And thus I SEARCH it] To "search" a wound is to probe it, or tent it. Respecting tent, see Vol. iv. p. 510.

5 — a MONTH'S MIND UNTO them.] A "month's mind " is here equivalent to "a 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 ritual "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." "Unto," for to, is from the corr. fo. 1632, and it amends the measure without the slightest violence to the meaning.

Luc. Ay, madam, you may see what sights you think ';
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. 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,

6 you may SEE what sights you THINK;] Here again Lucetta rhymes before she goes out, the old copies being most likely corrupt, which read "say what sights you see for " see what sights you think :" the latter is the emendation of the

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corr. fo. 1632.

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what SAD talk was that,] "Sad" was generally used of old for serious or grave. See Vol. ii. pp. 38. 289. 692; Vol. iii. pp. 80. 192; Vol. iv. p. 164, &c. 8 Which would be great IMPEACHMENT to his age,] "Impeachment" has two senses, that of impediment and imputation, with two different etymologies, though our dictionaries only give one: they are both French, empêcher and pécher, the first meaning to obstruct or hinder, and the last to sin or trespass. Here Panthino means that it would be a great imputation upon Proteus in his age, that he had known no travel in his youth. Impeachment," in the sense of hindrance, was a word not unfrequently used of old.

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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 mayst 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'.

[Kissing a letter.

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

[Putting it up.

9 Enter Proteus.] "Not seeing his father" adds the old corrector of the folio, 1632, in MS., in order to guide the performer. The stage-directions "Kissing a letter" and "Putting it up" are also from the corr. fo. 1632, and are explanatory of the way in which the business of the scene was to be conducted: the old printed copies are without these notes. "Now we will break with him" means "Now we will break the matter to 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 Valentino' in the emperor's court:
What maintenance he from his friends receives,
Like exhibition' thou shalt have from me.
To-morrow be in readiness to go:

Excuse it not, for I am peremptory.

Pro. My lord, I cannot be so soon provided:

Please you, deliberate a day or two.

Ant. Look, what thou want'st shall be sent after thee: No more of stay; to-morrow thou must go.

Come on, Panthino: you shall be employ'd

To hasten on his expedition.

[Exeunt ANTONIO and PANTHINO.

Pro. Thus have I shunn'd the fire for fear of burning,
And drench'd me in the sea, where I am drown'd.

I fear'd to show my father Julia's letter,
Lest he should take exceptions to my love;
And, with the vantage of mine own excuse,
Hath he excepted most against my love.
Oh! how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day,
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away.

1 With VALENTINO] It is Valentinus in the old copies, but "Valentino," as the Italian for Valentine, is clearly right: Shakespeare was in want of a word of four syllables, but the Latin termination must probably have been the printer's fancy. "Valentino" is the name in the corr. fo. 1632.

2 Like EXHIBITION] Like allowance or "maintenance," the word used in the preceding line, which perhaps affords a sufficient explanation: we still every day speak of exhibitions for young men at the Universities. See also Vol. vi. p. 29 where we have not thought farther explanation necessary.

Re-enter PANTHINO.

Pant. Sir Proteus, your father calls for you: He is in haste; therefore, I pray you, go.

Pro. Why, this it is: my heart accords thereto, And yet a thousand times it answers, no.

[Exeunt.

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Speed. Why then this may be your's, for this is but one‘. Val. Ha! let me see: ay, give it me, it's mine.—

Sweet ornament, that decks a thing divine!

Ah Silvia! Silvia!

Speed. Madam Silvia! madam Silvia!
Val. How now, sirrah?

Speed. She is not within hearing, sir.

Val. Why, sir, who bade you call her?
Speed. Your worship, sir; or else I mistook.

Val. Well, you'll still be too forward.

Speed. And yet I was last chidden for being too slow.
Val. Go to, sir. Tell me, do you know madam Silvia?
Speed. She that your worship loves?

Val. Why, how know you that I am in love?

Speed. Marry, by these special marks. First, you have learn'd, like sir Proteus, to wreath your arms, like a malcontent; to relish a love-song, like a robin-red-breast; to

3 Enter Valentine and Speed.] The folios introduce the name of Silvia here, as if she were on the stage from the opening of the scene; but she does not come on until some time afterwards. This mode of naming all the persons, who are engaged at any time in the same scene, at the beginning of it, was (as remarked in “The Merry Wives of Windsor") very usual in our old printed plays.

4 Val.

Not mine; my gloves are on.

Speed. Why then this may be your's, for this is but ONE.] Hence we see that the word "one" was anciently pronounced on: indeed it was often so written and printed in our author's time, and the folio, 1623, would afford several instances.

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