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The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Act II, Scene 7

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The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Act II, Scene 7

Verona. A room in Julia’s house.

Costume design for Julia

Costume design for Julia

Walford Graham Robertson, circa 1900

  1. Enter Julia and Lucetta.

Julia

1 - 7
  1. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me;
  2. And ev’n in kind love I do conjure thee,
  3. Who art the table wherein all my thoughts
  4. Are visibly character’d and engrav’d,
  5. To lesson me and tell me some good mean
  6. How with my honor I may undertake
  7. A journey to my loving Proteus.

Lucetta

8
  1. Alas, the way is wearisome and long.

Julia

9 - 13
  1. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary
  2. To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps;
  3. Much less shall she that hath Love’s wings to fly,
  4. And when the flight is made to one so dear,
  5. Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus.

Lucetta

14
  1. Better forbear till Proteus make return.

Julia

15 - 20
  1. O, know’st thou not his looks are my soul’s food?
  2. Pity the dearth that I have pined in,
  3. By longing for that food so long a time.
  4. Didst thou but know the inly touch of love,
  5. Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow
  6. As seek to quench the fire of love with words.

Lucetta

21 - 23
  1. I do not seek to quench your love’s hot fire,
  2. But qualify the fire’s extreme rage,
  3. Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason.

Julia

24 - 38
  1. The more thou dam’st it up, the more it burns:
  2. The current that with gentle murmur glides,
  3. Thou know’st, being stopp’d, impatiently doth rage;
  4. But when his fair course is not hindered,
  5. He makes sweet music with th’ enamell’d stones,
  6. Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge
  7. He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
  8. And so by many winding nooks he strays
  9. With willing sport to the wild ocean.
  10. Then let me go, and hinder not my course:
  11. I’ll be as patient as a gentle stream,
  12. And make a pastime of each weary step,
  13. Till the last step have brought me to my love,
  14. And there I’ll rest, as after much turmoil
  15. A blessed soul doth in Elysium.

Lucetta

39
  1. But in what habit will you go along?

Julia

40 - 43
  1. Not like a woman, for I would prevent
  2. The loose encounters of lascivious men:
  3. Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds
  4. As may beseem some well-reputed page.

Lucetta

44
  1. Why then your ladyship must cut your hair.

Julia

45 - 48
  1. No, girl, I’ll knit it up in silken strings,
  2. With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots:
  3. To be fantastic may become a youth
  4. Of greater time than I shall show to be.
Ann Maria Tree as Julia

Ann Maria Tree as Julia

Robert Cruikshank, printmaker; H. Humphrey; 1822

Lucetta

49
  1. What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches?

Julia

50 - 52
  1. That fits as well as “Tell me, good my lord,
  2. What compass will you wear your farthingale?”
  3. Why, ev’n what fashion thou best likes, Lucetta.

Lucetta

53
  1. You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam.

Julia

54
  1. Out, out, Lucetta, that will be ill-favor’d.

Lucetta

55 - 56
  1. A round hose, madam, now’s not worth a pin,
  2. Unless you have a codpiece to stick pins on.

Julia

57 - 61
  1. Lucetta, as thou lov’st me, let me have
  2. What thou think’st meet, and is most mannerly.
  3. But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me
  4. For undertaking so unstaid a journey?
  5. I fear me it will make me scandaliz’d.

Lucetta

62
  1. If you think so, then stay at home and go not.

Julia

63
  1. Nay, that I will not.

Lucetta

64 - 67
  1. Then never dream on infamy, but go.
  2. If Proteus like your journey when you come,
  3. No matter who’s displeas’d when you are gone:
  4. I fear me he will scarce be pleas’d withal.

Julia

68 - 71
  1. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear:
  2. A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
  3. And instances of infinite of love,
  4. Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.

Lucetta

72
  1. All these are servants to deceitful men.

Julia

73 - 78
  1. Base men, that use them to so base effect!
  2. But truer stars did govern Proteus’ birth:
  3. His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles,
  4. His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate,
  5. His tears pure messengers sent from his heart,
  6. His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.

Lucetta

79
  1. Pray heav’n he prove so when you come to him!

Julia

80 - 90
  1. Now, as thou lov’st me, do him not that wrong,
  2. To bear a hard opinion of his truth:
  3. Only deserve my love by loving him,
  4. And presently go with me to my chamber,
  5. To take a note of what I stand in need of,
  6. To furnish me upon my longing journey.
  7. All that is mine I leave at thy dispose,
  8. My goods, my lands, my reputation;
  9. Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence.
  10. Come; answer not; but to it presently,
  11. I am impatient of my tarriance.
  1. Exeunt.
Costume design for Lucetta

Costume design for Lucetta

Walford Graham Robertson, circa 1900

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