JULIA  ‘To Julia’–say, from whom? LUCETTA        That the contents will show. JULIA Say, say – who gave it thee? LUCETTA 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.       (1.2.35-40)   ‘To […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

15 January 2024   Enter Julia 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? […]

PROTEUS       What said she? Nothing? SPEED            No, not so much as ‘Take this for thy pains’. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testerned me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself. And so, sir, I’ll commend you to my master. [Exit] PROTEUS       Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from […]

PROTEUS       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. PROTEUS [giving money] Well, sir, here is for your pains. What said she? SPEED Truly, sir, I think you’ll hardly win her. PROTEUS Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from […]

PROTEUS       But what said she? SPEED            [nodding] Ay. PROTEUS Nod, ‘ay’? Why, that’s ‘noddy’. SPEED You mistook, sir. I say she did nod, and you ask me if she did nod, and I say, ‘Ay’. PROTEUS And that set together is ‘noddy’. SPEED Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains. […]

PROTEUS But dost thou hear? Gav’st thou my letter to Julia? SPEED Ay, sir. I (a lost mutton) gave your letter to her (a laced mutton),and she (a laced mutton) gave me (a lost mutton) nothing for my labour. PROTEUS       Here’s too small a pasture for such store of muttons. SPEED If the ground be […]

10 January 2024   SPEED This proves me still a sheep. PROTEUS       True, and thy master a shepherd. SPEED Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. PROTEUS It shall go hard but I’ll prove it by another. SPEED The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the shepherd. But I seek my master, […]