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 speaking fhews his love but small.
Luc. The fire, that's clofeft kept, burns most of all.
Jul, They do not love, that do not fhew their love.
Luc. Oh, they love leaft, that let men know their love.
Jul. I would, I knew his mind.

Luc. Perufe this paper, madam.
Jul. To Julia; fay, 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 giv'n 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, trust me, 'tis an office of great worth;
And you an officer fit for the place.

There, take the paper; fee, it be return'd;
Or else 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'er-look'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 proffèrer 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 churlishly 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 fmile!

My

Luc. What would your ladyship?
Jul. Is't near dinner-time?
Luc. I would it were;

That you might kill your

And not upon your maid.
Jul. What is't that you
Took up fo gingerly?
Luc. Nothing.

ftomack on your meat,

Jul. Why didft thou stoop then?

Luc. To take a paper up, that I let fall.
Ful. And is that paper nothing?

Luc. Nothing concerning me.

ful. Then let it lye for those that it concerns. Luc. Madam, it will not lye, where it concerns; Unless it have a false 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 ladyship can fet.

Jul. 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 burthen then.
Luc. Ay; and melodious were it, would you fing it.
Jul. 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, 'tis too fharp.
Jul. You, minion, are too fawcy.
Luc. Nay, now you are too flat;

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

Jul.

Jul. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base.
Luc. Indeed, I bid the bafe for Protheus. (5)
Jul. This babble shall not henceforth trouble me.
Here is a coil with proteftation!
[Tears it.

Go, get you gone; and let the papers lye:
You would be fingering them, to anger me.

Luc. She makes it ftrange, but the 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 fuch fweet honey,
And kill the bees, that yield it, with your ftings!
I'll kiss each feveral paper for amends:
Look, here is writ kind Julia; Unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,

I throw thy name against the bruifing stones;
Trampling contemptuously on thy dildain.
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 fov'raign kiss.

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 whirl-wind 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:
Thus will I fold them one upon another;

Now kifs, embrace, contend, do what you will.

(5) Ibid the Bafe for Protheus] Lucetta here alters the Allegory from the Bafe in Mufick to a Country Exercise, call'd in the North, Bid-theBafe; in which Some purfue, to take the Others Prifoners. So that Lucetta would intend to fay, Indeed, I take Pains to make you a "Captive for Proteus. Mr. Warburton.

VOL I.

66

Enter Lucetta.

Luc. Madam, dinner is ready, and your father stays.
Jul. Well, let us go.

Luc. What, fhall thefe papers lye like tell-tales here?
Jul. If thou refpect them, beft to take them up.
Luc. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down:
Yet here they shall not lye, for catching cold.

Jul. I fee, you have a month's mind to them. Luc. Ay, madam, you may fay what fights you see: I fee things too, although you judge I wink. Jul. Come, come, will't pleafe you go?

SCENE, Anthonio's Houfe.

Enter Anthonio and Panthion.

[Exeunt.

Ant. TELL with my brother held you in the ELL me, Panthion, what fad talk was that,

cloister?

Pant. 'Twas of his nephew Protheus, your fon.
Ant. Why, what of him?

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

Put forth their fons to feek preferment out: (6)
Some to the wars, to try their fortune there;
Some, to discover Iflands far away;

Some, to the ftudious universities.
For any, or for all these exercises,
He faid, that Protheus your fon was meet :
And did requeft me to importune you,

To let him spend his time no more at home
Which would be great impeachment tò his age,

(6) Put forth their fons.] In Shakespeare's Time, Voyages for the Discovery of the Weft-Indies were all in Vogue. And we find, in the Journals of Travellers of that Time, that the Sons of Noblemen, and of others of the best Quality in England, went commonly on those Adventures. To which prevailing Fashion, 'tis evident, the Poet frequently alludes in this Play; not without high Commendations of it.

Mr. Warburton.

In having known no travel in his youth.

Ant. Nor need'ft thou much importune me to that,
Whereon this month I have been hammering.
I have confider'd well his lofs of time;
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
Not being try'd, and tutor❜d in the world:
Experience is by industry atchiev'd,

And perfected by the fwift 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. (7)
Ant. I know it well.

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

There fhall 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 counfel; well haft thou advis'd: And that thou may'ft perceive how well I like it, The execution of it fhall make known

Evin with the speedieft expedition

I will dispatch him to the Emperor's court.

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

Are journeying to falute the Emperor;
And to commend their fervice to his will.

Ant. Good company: with them fhall Protheus go: And, in good time, now will we break with him.

(7) Attends the Emperor in his royal Court.] The Emperor's Royal Court is properly at Vienna, but Valentine, 'tis plain, is at Milan; where, in most other Paffages, 'tis faid he is attending the Duke, who makes one of the Characters in the Drama. This feems to convict the Author of a Forgetfulness and Contradiction; but, perhaps, it may be folv'd thus, and Milan be call'd the Emperor's Court, as, fince the Reign of Charlemaigne, this Dukedom and its Territories have belong'd to the Emperors. I wifh, I could as cafily folve another Abfurdity, which encounters us; of Valentine's going from Verona to Milan, both Inland places, by Sea.