Two Gentlemen of Verona | Page 6

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.]

SCENE 3. The same. A room in ANTONIO'S house.
[Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO.]
ANTONIO. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that Wherewith my
brother held you in the cloister?
PANTHINO. 'Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son.
ANTONIO. Why, what of him?
PANTHINO. 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.
ANTONIO. 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,
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?
PANTHINO. I think your lordship is not ignorant How his companion,
youthful Valentine, Attends the emperor in his royal court.
ANTONIO. I know it well.
PANTHINO. '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.
ANTONIO. 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.
PANTHINO. 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.
ANTONIO. Good company; with them shall Proteus go. And in good