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!

Jul. Why didst thou stoop then?

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 those that it concerns. Luc. Madam, it will not lie where it concerns, Unless it have a false interpreter.

Jul. Some love of your's hath writ to you in rhyme. Luc. That I might sing it, madam, to a tune: Give me a note: your ladyship can set7.

6 Stomach, for passion or obstinacy.

7 Set is here used equivocally; in the preceding speech in the sense in which it is used by musicians, and in the present line in a quite different sense. To set by in old language signifies, to make account of, to estimate. See the First Book of Samuel, xviii. 30.

Jul. As little by such toys as may be possible: Best sing it to the tune of Light o' love.

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.
Jul. You, minion, are too saucy.

Luc. Nay, now you are too flat,

And mar the concord with too harsh a descant8: 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 9 for Proteus. Jul. This babble shall not henceforth trouble me. Here is a coil 10 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,

• Descant signified formerly what we now call variations. It has been well defined to be musical paraphrase. The mean is the tenor in music.

9 To bid the base means, to run fast, challenging another to pursue at the rustic game called Base, or Prisonbase. The allusion is somewhat obscure, but it appears to mean here, "to challenge to an encounter."

10 i. e. bustle, stir.

And kill the bees, that yield it, with your stings!
I'll kiss each several paper for amends.
And 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.
Look, 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 11 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.

Luc. Madam,

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 12 catching cold.

11 Since.

12

for catching cold," i. e. lest they should catch cold, anciently a common form of expression. See Horne Tooke's expla nation of this word in the first volume of "The Diversions of Purley."

VOL. I.

L

Jul. I see you have a month's mind 13 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 sad1 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 impórtune you,
To let him spend his time no more at home,
Which would be great impeachment2 to his age,
In having known no travel in his youth.

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

13 MONTH'S MIND, a longing, probably from "the longing of women, which takes place (or commences, at least) in the first month of pregnancy." This is the ingenious conjecture of John Croft, Esq. of York. The commentators have endeavoured to refer this passage to the month's minds, or periodical celebrations in memory of dead persons, usual in times of popery;—but the phrase in this place can have no relation to them.

1 i. e. grave or serious.

2 Impeachment in this passage means reproach or imputation.

I have consider'd well his loss of time;
And how he cannot be a perfect man,
Not being try'd 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 advised: 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 despatch 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 him3.

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,

3 i. e. break the matter to him.