ANTONIO       Lend me the letter. Let me see what news. PROTEUS       There is no news, my lord, but that he writes How happily he lives, how well-beloved, And, daily graced by the Emperor, Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune. ANTONIO And how stand you affected to his wish? PROTEUS As one relying on […]

PROTEUS       Sweet love, sweet lines, sweet life! Here is her hand, the agent of her heart. Here is her oath for love, her honour’s pawn. O that our fathers would applaud our loves To seal our happiness with their consents! O heavenly Julia!– ANTONIO       How now? What letter are you reading there? PROTEUS May’t please […]

ANTONIO       I like thy counsel. Well hast thou advised. 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. PANTINO       Tomorrow, may it please you, Don Alphonso, With other gentlemen of good esteem, Are journeying […]

ANTONIO       Then tell me, whither were I best to send him? PANTINO       I think your lordship is not ignorant How his companion, youthful Valentine, Attends the Emperor in his royal court. ANTONIO I know it well. PANTINO ’Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither. There shall he practise tilts and tournaments, Hear sweet […]

PANTINO       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 […]

Enter Antonio and Pantino ANTONIO       Tell me, Pantino, what sad talk was that Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister? PANTINO       ’Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son. ANTONIO Why, what of him? PANTINO He wondered that your lordship Would suffer him to spend his youth at home While other men, of slender reputation, […]

[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 […]

JULIA  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 […]

JULIA  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 healed, And thus I […]

JULIA  This babble shall not henceforth trouble me. Here is a coil with protestation. [She tears the letter] Go, get you gone, and let the papers lie. You would be fing’ring them to anger me. LUCETTA        She makes it strange, but she would be best pleased To be so angered with another letter. [Exit] JULIA […]