But there I leave to love, where I should love.
Julia I lofe, and Valentine I lose :
If I keep them, I needs must lofe myself;
If I lose them, thus find I by their lofs,
For Valentine, myfelf; for Julia, Sylvia.
I to myself am dearer than a friend;
For love is ftill more precious in itself:
And Silvia, witness heaven, that made her fair!
Shews Julia but a fwarthy Ethiope.
I will forget that Julia is alive,
Rememb'ring that my love to her is dead;
And Valentine I'll hold an enemy,
Aiming at Silvia as a tweeter friend.
I cannot now prove conftant to myself,
Without fome treachery us'd to Valentine :-
This night, he meaneth with a corded ladder
To climb celeftial Silvia's chamber-window
Myfelf in counfel, his competitor :8
Now prefently I'll give her father notice
Of their difguifing, and pretended flight;9
Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine;
For Thurio, he intends, fhall wed his daughter:
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross,
By fome fly trick, blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.
Love, lend me wings to make my purpofe fwift,
As thou haft lent me wit to plot this drift!2
8 Myfelf, who am bis competitor or rival, being admitted to his counfel.
Competitor is confederate, affiftant, partner. STEEVENS. 9 Pretended flight is propofed or intended flight.
Mr. M. Mafon juftly obferves, that the verb pretendre in French, has the fame fignification. STEEVENS.
2 I fufpect that the author concluded the act with this couplet, and that the next fcene fhould begin the third act; but the change, as it will add nothing to the probability of the action, is of no great importance.
Verona. A room in JULIA's house.
Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.
Jul. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, affift me!
And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,-
Who art the table wherein all my thoughts
Are vifibly character'd and engrav'd,—
To leffon me; and tell me fome good mean,
How, with my honour, I may undertake
A journey to my loving Proteus.
Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long.
Jul. A true devoted pilgrim is not weary
To meafure kingdoms with his feeble fteps;
Much lefs fhall the, that hath love's wings to fly;
And when the flight is made to one fo dear,
Of fuch divine perfection, as fir Proteus.
Luc. Better forbear, till Proteus make return.
Jul. O, know'ft thou not, his looks are my foul's food? Pity the dearth that I have pined in,
By longing for that food fo long a time."
Didit thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou would't as foon go kindle fire with fnow,
As feek to quench the fire of love with words.
Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire;
But qualify the fire's extreme rage,
Left it fhould burn above the bounds of reafon.
ful. The more thou dam'ft it up, the more it burns ; The current, that with gentle murmur glides,
Thou know'ft, being ftopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But, when his fair courfe is not hindered,
He makes sweet mufick with the enamel'd stones,
Giving a gentle kifs to every fedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And fo by many winding nooks he ftrays,
With willing fport, to the wild ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my
I'll be as patient as a gentle ftream,
And make a paftime of each weary step,
Till the laft ftep have brought me to my love;
And there I'll reft, as, after much turmoil,
A bleffed foul doth in Elyfium.
Luc. But in what habit will you go along?
Jul. Not like a woman; for I would prevent
The loofe encounters of lafcivious men:
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with fuch weeds
As may befeem fome well-reputed page.
Luc. Why then your ladyship muft cut your hair.
Jul. No, girl; I'll knit it up in filken strings,
With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots :
To be fantastic may become a youth
Of greater time than I fhall fhow to be.
Luc. What fashion, madam, fhall I make your breeches? Jul. That fits as well, as-" tell me, good my lord, "What compass will you wear your farthingale?" Why, even that fashion thou beft lik'ft, Lucetta.
Luc. You must needs have them with a cod-piece, madam.3 Jul. Out, out, Lucetta!4 that will be ill-favour'd. Luc. A round hofe, madam, now's not worth a pin, Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on.
Jul. Lucetta, as thou lov'ft me, let me have What thou think st meet, and is most mannerly: But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me, For undertaking fo unftaid a journey?
I fear me, it will make me fcandaliz'd.
Luc. If you think fo, then stay at home, and go not.
Jul. Nay, that I will not.
Luc. Then never dream on infamy, but go.
If Proteus like your journey, when you come, No matter who's difpleas'd, when you are gone: he will fcarce be pleas'd withal.
3 Whoever wishes to be acquainted with this particular, relative to drefs, may confult Bulwer's Artificial Changeling, in which fuch matters are very amply difcuffed.
Ocular inftruction may be had from the armour shown as John of Gaunt's in the Tower of London. STEEVENS.
+ Dr. Percy obferves, that this interjection is fill used in the North.
Jul. That is the leaft, Lucetta, of my fear:
A thoufand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
And inftances as infinite of love,
Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.
Luc. All thefe are fervants to deceitful men.
Jul. Bafe men, that use them to fo base effect!
But truer ftars did govern Proteus' birth:
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles;
His love fincere, his thoughts immaculate;
His tears, pure meffengers fent from his heart;
His heart as far from fraud, as heaven from earth.
Luc. Pray heaven, he prove fo, when you come to him!?
Jul. Now, as thou lov'ft me, do him not that wrong,
To bear a hard opinion of his truth:
Only deferve my love, by loving him;
And prefently go with me to my chamber,
To take a note of what I ftand in need of,
To furnish me upon my longing journey.s
All that is mine I leave at thy difpofe,
My goods, my lands, my reputation;
Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence:
Come, anfwer not, but to it presently;
I am impatient of my tarriance.
Milan. An Anti-room in the Duke's Palace.
Enter DUKE, THURIO, and PROTEUS.
Duke. Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile; We have fome fecrets to confer about..
Now, tell me, Proteus, what's your will with me?
Pro. My gracious lord, that which I would difcover,
The law of friendship bids me to conceal :
But, when I call to mind your gracious favours
5 Dr. Grey obferves, that longing is a participle active, with a passive fignification; for longed, wifhed, or defired.
Mr. M. Mafon fupposes Julia to mean a journey which she shall pass in longing. STEEVENS.
Done to me, undeferving as I am,
My duty pricks me on to utter that
Which elfe no worldly good fhould draw from me.
Know, worthy prince, fir Valentine, my friend,
This night intends to fteal away your daughter;
Myfelf am one made privy to the plot.
I know, you have determin'd to bestow her
On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
And fhould fhe thus be ftolen away from you,,
It would be much vexation to your age.
Thus, for my duty's fake, I rather chofe
To crofs my friend in his intended drift,
Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
A pack of forrows, which would prefs you down,
Being unprevented, to your timeless grave.
Duke. Proteus, I thank thee for thine honeft care
Which to requite, command me while I live.
This love of theirs myfelf have often feen,
Haply, when they have judg'd me fast asleep;
And oftentimes have purpos'd to forbid
Cir Valentine her company, and my court:
But, fearing left my jealous aim might err,
And fo, unworthily, difgrace the man,
(A rafhnefs that I ever yet have fhunn'd,)
I gave him gentle looks; thereby to find
That which thyfelf has now difclos'd to me.
And, that thou may'ft perceive my fear of this,
Knowing that tender youth is foon fuggefted,
I nightly lodge her in an upper tower,
The key whereof myfelf have ever kept;
And thence the cannot be convey'd away.
Pro. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd ́a mean
How he her chamber-window will afcend,
And with a corded ladder fetch her down;
For which the youthful lover now is gone,,
And this way comes he with it presently;
Where, if it please you, you may intercept him.
6 Aim is guefs, in this inftance, as in the following. So, in Romeo and› Juliet:
"Laim'd fo near when I fuppos'd you lov'd." STRIVING,
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