READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, scenes ii-iii |
|
Act I, Scene ii:
2. THe same. The garden Of JULIA'S house.
2. THe same. The garden Of JULIA'S house.
| [Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.] |
| JULIA: |
| But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, |
| Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully. |
| JULIA: |
| Of all the fair resort of gentlemen |
| That every day with parle encounter me, |
| In thy opinion which is worthiest love? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Please you, repeat their names; I'll show my mind |
| According to my shallow simple skill. |
| JULIA: |
| What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour? |
| LUCETTA: |
| As of a knight well-spoken, neat, and fine; |
| But, were I you, he never should be mine. |
| JULIA: |
| What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Well of his wealth; but of himself, so so. |
| JULIA: |
| What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Lord, Lord! to see what folly reigns in us! |
| JULIA: |
| How now! what means this passion at his name? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Pardon, dear madam; 'tis a passing shame |
| That I, unworthy body as I am, |
| Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen. |
| JULIA: |
| Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Then thus,—of many good I think him best. |
| JULIA: |
| Your reason? |
| LUCETTA: |
| I have no other but a woman's reason: |
| I think him so, because I think him so. |
| JULIA: |
| And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Ay, if you thought your love not cast away. |
| JULIA: |
| Why, he, of all the rest, hath never moved me. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Yet he, of all the rest, I think, best loves ye. |
| JULIA: |
| His little speaking shows his love but small. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Fire that's closest kept burns most of all. |
| JULIA: |
| They do not love that do not show their love. |
| LUCETTA: |
| O! they love least that let men know their love. |
| JULIA: |
| I would I knew his mind. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Peruse this paper, madam.[Gives a letter.] |
| JULIA: |
| 'To Julia'—Say, from whom? |
| LUCETTA: |
| That the contents will show. |
| JULIA: |
| Say, say, who gave it thee? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Sir Valentine's page, and sent, I think, from Proteus. |
| He would have given it you; but I, being in the way, |
| Did in your name receive it; pardon the fault, I pray. |
| JULIA: |
| Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker! |
| Dare you presume to harbour wanton lines? |
| To whisper and conspire against my youth? |
| Now, trust me, 'tis an office of great worth, |
| And you an officer fit for the place. |
| There, take the paper; see it be return'd; |
| Or else return no more into my sight. |
| LUCETTA: |
| To plead for love deserves more fee than hate. |
| JULIA: |
| Will ye be gone? |
| LUCETTA: |
| That you may ruminate. |
| [Exit.] |
| JULIA: |
| And yet, I would I had o'erlook'd the letter. |
| It were a shame to call her back again, |
| And pray her to a fault for which I chid her. |
| What fool is she, that knows I am a maid |
| And would not force the letter to my view! |
| Since maids, in modesty, say 'No' to that |
| Which they would have the profferer construe 'Ay.' |
| Fie, fie, how wayward is this foolish love, |
| That like a testy babe will scratch the nurse, |
| And presently, all humbled, kiss 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 smile. |
| My penance is, to call Lucetta back |
| And ask remission for my folly past. |
| What ho! Lucetta! |
| [Re-enter LUCETTA.] |
| LUCETTA: |
| What would your ladyship? |
| JULIA: |
| Is it near dinner time? |
| LUCETTA: |
| I would it were; |
| That you might kill your stomach on your meat |
| And not upon your maid. |
| JULIA: |
| What is't that you took up so gingerly? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Nothing. |
| JULIA: |
| Why didst thou stoop, then? |
| LUCETTA: |
| To take a paper up |
| That I let fall. |
| JULIA: |
| And is that paper nothing? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Nothing concerning me. |
| JULIA: |
| Then let it lie for those that it concerns. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Madam, it will not lie where it concerns, |
| Unless it have a false interpreter. |
| JULIA: |
| Some love of yours hath writ to you in rime. |
| LUCETTA: |
| That I might sing it, madam, to a tune: |
| Give me a note: your ladyship can set. |
| JULIA: |
| As little by such toys as may be possible; |
| Best sing it to the tune of 'Light o' Love.' |
| LUCETTA: |
| It is too heavy for so light a tune. |
| JULIA: |
| Heavy! belike it hath some burden then? |
| LUCETTA: |
| Ay; and melodious were it, would you sing it. |
| JULIA: |
| And why not you? |
| LUCETTA: |
| I cannot reach so high. |
| JULIA: |
| Let's see your song.[Taking the letter.] |
| How now, minion! |
| LUCETTA: |
| Keep tune there still, so you will sing it out: |
| And yet methinks, I do not like this tune. |
| JULIA: |
| You do not? |
| LUCETTA: |
| No, madam; it is too sharp. |
| JULIA: |
| You, minion, are too saucy. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Nay, now you are too flat |
| And mar the concord with too harsh a descant; |
| There wanteth but a mean to fill your song. |
| JULIA: |
| The mean is drown'd with your unruly bass. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Indeed, I bid the base for Proteus. |
| JULIA: |
| 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. |
| LUCETTA: |
| She makes it strange; but she would be best pleas'd |
| To be so anger'd with another letter. |
| [Exit.] |
| JULIA: |
| 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; |
| 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. |
| [Re-enter LUCETTA.] |
| LUCETTA: |
| Madam, |
| Dinner is ready, and your father stays. |
| JULIA: |
| Well, let us go. |
| LUCETTA: |
| What! shall these papers lie like tell-tales here? |
| JULIA: |
| If you respect them, best to take them up. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Nay, I was taken up for laying them down; |
| Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold. |
| JULIA: |
| I see you have a month's mind to them. |
| LUCETTA: |
| Ay, madam, you may say what sights you see; |
| I see things too, although you judge I wink. |
| JULIA: |
| Come, come; will't please you go? |
| [Exeunt.] |
|
|
||||
|
