SPEED. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her.
PRO. Nay, in that you are astraya; 't were best pound you.

SPEED. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.
PRO. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold.

SPEED. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over,

"T is threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover.

PRO. But what said she? did she nod b?

SPEED. Ic.

PRO. Nod, I; why, that 's noddy.

[SPEED nods.

SPEED. You mistook, sir; I say she did nod: and you ask me if she did nod;

and I say, I.

PRO. And that set together is-noddy.

SPEED. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

PRO. No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.

SPEED. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.

PRO. Why, sir, how do you bear with me?

SPEED. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains.

PRO. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit.

SPEED. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse.

PRO. Come, come, open the matter in brief: what said she?

SPEED. Open your purse, that the money, and the matter, may be both at once delivered.

PRO. Well, sir, here is for your pains: What said she?

SPEED. Truly, sir, I think you 'll hardly win her.

PRO. Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from her? SPEED. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear she 'll prove as hard to you in telling your mind. Give her no token but stones; for she 's as hard as steel.

PRO. What said she,-nothing?

SPEED. No, not so much as-"Take this for thy pains." To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testern'd' me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to my master. PRO. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from wrack;

Which cannot perish, having thee aboard,

Being destined to a drier death on shoree:

Astray. The adjective here should be read "a stray"-a stray sheep.

Did she nod? These words, not in the original text, were introduced by Theobald. The stage-direction, "Speed nods," is also modern.

• I—the old spelling of the affirmative particle Ay.

The second folio changes the passage to "her mind." The first gives it "your mind." Speed says, she was hard to me that brought your mind, by letter;-she will be as hard to you in telling it, in person.

• The same allusion to the proverb, "He that is born to be hanged," &c., occurs in 'The Tempest.'

I must go find some better messenger;
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines,

Receiving them from such a worthless post.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same. Garden of Julia's House.

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

JUL. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone,

Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully.

JUL. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen,

That every day with parlea encounter me,
In thy opinion, which is worthiest love?

Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll show

According to my shallow simple skill.

my

mind

JUL. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?
Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine;

But, were I you, he never should be mine.
JUL. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio?
Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so, so.
JUL. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus?
Luc. Lord, lord! to see what folly reigns in us!
JUL. How, now! what means this passion at his name?
Luc. Pardon, dear madam; 't is a passing shame,
That I, unworthy body as I am,

Should censureb thus on lovely gentlemen.

JUL. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest?
Luc. Then thus: of many good I think him best.
JUL. Your reason?

Luc. I have no other reason but a woman's reason;

I think him so, because I think him so.

JUL. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him?
Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not cast away.
JUL. Why, he of all the rest hath never mov'd me.
Luc. Yet he of all the rest, I think, best loves ye.
JUL. His little speaking shows his love but small.
Luc. Fire that's closest kept burns most of all.
JUL. They do not love that do not show their love.
Luc. O, they love least that let men know their love.

JUL. I would I knew his mind.

• Parle-speech. The first folio spells it par'le, which shows the abbreviation of the original French parole.

Censure-give an opinion-a meaning which repeatedly occurs.

• Fire is here used as a dissyllable. When the reader has a key to the reading of such wordsfi-er, hou-er-he may dispense with the notes that he will perpetually find on these matters in the earlier commentators.

Luc.

Peruse this paper, madam.

JUL. "To Julia,"- Say, from whom?
Luc.

JUL. Say, say; who gave it thee?

That the contents will show.

Luc. 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.
JUL. Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker!

Dare you presume to harbour wanton lines?
To whisper and conspire against my youth?
Now, trust me, 't is 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.

Luc. To plead for love deserves more fee than hate.
JUL. Will you be gone?

That

you may ruminate.

Luc.
JUL. 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 a 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!

And not upon your maid.

What is 't that

you

Took up so gingerly?

[Exit.

Angerly, not angrily, as many modern editions have it, was the adverb used in Shakspere's time. Stomach is here used in the double sense of appetite, and obstinacy, or ill temper.

Nothing.

Why didst thou stoop then?

Luc.

JUL.

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 yours hath writ to you in rhyme.
Luc. That I might sing it, madam, to a tune:

Give me a note: your ladyship can seta.
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; 't is too sharp.

JUL. You, minion, are too saucy.

Luc. Nay, now you are too flat,

And mar the concord with too harsh a descant":
There wanteth but a mean to fill your song.

JUL. The mean is drown'd with your unruly base.
Luc. Indeed, I bid the based for Proteus.
JUL. This babble shall not henceforth trouble me.
Here is a coil with protestation !—

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.

JUL. Nay, would I were so anger'd with the same!

O hateful hands, to tear such loving words!

[Tears the letter.

[Exit.

Set-compose. Julia plays upon the word, in the next line, in a different sense,-to "set by" being to make account of.

Descant. The simple air, in music, was called the “Plain song," or ground. The "descant" was what we now call a "variation."

• Mean-the tenor. The whole of the musical allusions in this passage show that the terms of the art were familiar to a popular audience; and that music (of which there can be no doubt) was generally cultivated in Shakspere's time.

The quibbling Lucetta here turns the allusion to the country game of base, or prison-base, in which one runs and challenges another to pursue.

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 a 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.

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 catching cold".

JUL. I see you have a month's mind 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?

SCENE III.-The same. A Room in Antonio's House.

Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO.

ANT. Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that,

Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister?

PAN. "T was of his nephew Proteus, your son.

[Exeunt.

• Search-probe.

For catching cold-lest they should catch cold.

Sad-serious.