The two Gentlemen of Verona. 21
100 Sp. I Sir: I (a lo
st-Mutton) gaue your Letter to her
101(a lac'd-Mutton) and
she (a lac'd-Mutton) gaue mee (a
102lo
st-Mutton) nothing for my labour.
103 Pro. Here's too
small a Pa
sture for
such
store of
105 Sp. If the ground be ouer-charg'd, you were be
st 107 Pro. Nay, in that you are a
stray: 'twere be
st pound
109 Sp. Nay Sir, le
sse then a pound
shall
serue me for car
- 111Pro. You mi
stake; I meane the pound, a Pinfold.
112Sp. From a pound to a pin? fold it ouer and ouer,
113'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your louer
114Pro. But what
said
she?
116Pro. Nod-I, why that's noddy.
117Sp. You mi
stooke Sir: I
say
she did nod;
118And you aske me if
she did nod, and I
say I.
119Pro. And that
set together is noddy.
120 Sp. Now you haue taken the paines to
set it toge
- 121ther, take it for your paines.
122Pro. No, no, you
shall haue it for bearing the letter.
123 Sp. Well, I perceiue I mu
st be faine to beare with you.
124Pro. Why Sir, how doe you beare with me?
125Sp. Marry Sir, the letter very orderly,
126Hauing nothing but the word noddy for my paines.
127Pro. Be
shrew me, but you haue a quicke wit.
128Sp. And yet it cannot ouer-take your
slow pur
se.
129 Pro. Come, come, open the matter in briefe; what
131 Sp. Open your pur
se, that the money, and the matter
132may be both at once deliuered.
133 Pro. Well Sir: here is for your paines: what
said
she?
134Sp. Truely Sir, I thinke you'll hardly win her.
135 Pro. Why? could'
st thou perceiue
so much from her?
136Sp. Sir, I could perceiue nothing at all from her;
137No, not
so much as a ducket for deliuering your letter:
138And being
so hard to me, that brought your minde;
139I feare
she'll proue as hard to you in telling your minde.
140Giue her no token but
stones, for
she's as hard as
steele.
141Pro. What
said
she, nothing?
142Sp. No, not
so much as take this for thy pains:
143To te
sti
fie your bounty, I thank you, you haue ce
stern'd
(me; 144In requital whereof, henceforth, carry your letters your
145selfe; And
so Sir, I'le commend you to my Ma
ster.
146 Pro. Go, go, be gone, to
saue your Ship from wrack,
147Which cannot peri
sh hauing thee aboarde,
148Being de
stin'd to a drier death on
shore:
149I mu
st goe
send
some better Me
ssenger,
150I feare my
Iulia would not daigne my lines,
151Receiuing them from
such a worthle
sse po
st.
Exit.
153 Enter Iulia and Lucetta.
154Iul. But
say
Lucetta (now we are alone)
155Would'
st thou then coun
saile me to fall in loue?
156Luc. I Madam,
so you
stumble not vnheedfully.
157Iul. Of all the faire re
sort of Gentlemen,
158That euery day with par'le encounter me,
159In thy opinion which is worthie
st loue?
160 Lu. Plea
se you repeat their names, ile
shew my minde,
161According to my
shallow
simple skill.
162Iu. What think
st thou of the faire
sir
Eglamoure?
163Lu. As of a Knight, well-
spoken, neat, and
fine;
164But were I you, he neuer
should be mine.
165Iu. What think'
st thou of the rich
Mercatio?
166Lu. Well of his wealth; but of him
selfe,
so,
so.
167Iu. What think'
st thou of the gentle
Protheus?
168Lu. Lord, Lord: to
see what folly raignes in vs.
169 Iu. How now? what meanes this pa
ssion at his name?
170Lu. Pardon deare Madam, 'tis a pa
ssing
shame,
171That I (vnworthy body as I am)
172Should cen
sure thus on louely Gentlemen.
173Iu. Why not on
Protheus, as of all the re
st?
174Lu. Then thus: of many good, I thinke him be
st.
176Lu. I haue no other but a womans rea
son
: 177I thinke him
so, becau
se I thinke him
so.
178 Iul. And would'
st thou haue me ca
st my loue on him?
179Lu. I: if you thought your loue not ca
st away.
180Iul. Why he, of all the re
st, hath neuer mou'd me.
181Lu. Yet he, of all the re
st, I thinke be
st loues ye.
182Iul. His little
speaking,
shewes his loue but
small.
183Lu. Fire that's clo
se
st kept, burnes mo
st of all.
184 Iul. They doe not loue, that doe not
shew their loue.
185Lu. Oh, they loue lea
st, that let men know their loue.
186Iul. I would I knew his minde.
187Lu. Peru
se this paper Madam.
188Iul. To
Iulia: say, from whom?
189Lu. That the Contents will
shew.
190Iul. Say,
say: who gaue it thee?
191 Lu. Sir
Valentines page: &
sent I think from
Protheus;
192He would haue giuen it you, but I being in the way,
193Did in your name receiue it
: pardon the fault I pray.
194Iul. Now (by my mode
sty) a goodly Broker:
195Dare you pre
sume to harbour wanton lines?
196To whi
sper, and con
spire again
st my youth?
197Now tru
st me, 'tis an o
ffice of great worth,
198And you an o
fficer
fit for the place:
199There: take the paper:
see it be return'd,
200Or el
se returne no more into my
sight.
201Lu. To plead for loue, de
serues more fee, then hate.
203Lu. That you may ruminate.
Exit. 204Iul. And yet I would I had ore-look'd the Letter>;
205It were a
shame to call her backe again,
206And pray her to a fault, for which I chid her.
207What 'foole is
she, that knowes I am a Maid,
208And would not force the letter to my view?
209Since Maides, in mode
sty,
say no, to that,
210Which they would haue the pro
fferer con
strue, I.
211Fie,
fie: how way-ward is this fooli
sh loue;
212That (like a te
stie Babe) will
scratch the Nur
se,
213And pre
sently, all humbled ki
sse the Rod?
214How churli
shly, I chid
Lucetta hence,
215When willingly, I would haue had her here?
216How angerly I taught my brow to frowne,
217When inward ioy enforc'd my heart to
smile?
218My pennance is, to call
Lucetta backe
219And aske remi
ssion, for my folly pa
st.
221Lu. What would your Ladi
ship?
222Iul. Is't neere dinner time?
224That you might kill your
stomacke on your meat,
And