SCENE II. The same. Garden of JULIA's house. Two Gentlemen of Verona  Shakespeare homepage  |  Two Gentlemen of Verona  | Act 1, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. The same. Garden of JULIA's house. 

 Enter JULlA 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. 

 JULIA  'To Julia.' Say, from whom? 

 LUCETTA  That the contents will show. 

 JULIA  Say, say, who gave it thee? 

 LUCETTA  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. 

 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'erlooked the letter: 

 It were a shame to call her back again 

 And pray her to a fault for which I chid her. 

 What a 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 enforced 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't 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 interpeter. 

 JULIA  Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme. 

 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. 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 pleased 

 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 thoroughly 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 on 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? 



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