Verona. A Room in Julia's House.
 Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

Julia	Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me,
	And e'en in kind love I do conjure thee,
	Who art the table wherein all my thoughts
	Are visibly charactered and engraved,
	To lesson me, and tell me some good mean
	How, with my honour, I may undertake
	A journey to my loving Proteus.

Lucetta	Alas, the way is wearisome and long.

Julia	A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary
	To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps,
	Much less shall she that hath Love's wings to fly,
	And when the flight is made to one so dear,
	Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus.

Lucetta	Better forbear, till Proteus make return.

Julia	O, know'st thou not his looks are my soul's food?
	Pity the dearth that I have pind in
	By longing for that food so long a time.
	Didst thou but know the inly touch of love,
	Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow
	As seek to quench the fire of love with words.

Lucetta	I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire,
	But qualify the fire's extreme rage,
	Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason.

Julia	The more thou damm'st it up, the more it burns.
	The current that with gentle murmur glides,
	Thou know'st, being stopped, impatiently doth rage;
	But when his fair course is not hinderd,
	He makes sweet music with th' enamelled stones,
	Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge
	He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
	And so by many winding nooks he strays
	With willing sport to the wild ocean.
	Then let me go, and hinder not my course.
	I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
	And make a pastime of each weary step,
	Till the last step have brought me to my love;
	And there I'll rest, as, after much turmoil,
	A blessd soul doth in Elysium.

Lucetta	But in what habit will you go along?

Julia	Not like a woman, for I would prevent
	The loose encounters of lascivious men.
	Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds
	As may beseem some well-reputed page.

Lucetta	Why, then your ladyship must cut your hair.

Julia	No, girl, I'll knit it up in silken strings,
	With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots.
	To be fantastic may become a youth
	Of greater time than I shall show to be.

Lucetta	What fashion, madam, shall I make your breeches?

Julia	That fits as well as 'Tell me, good my lord,
	What compass will you wear your farthingale?'
	Why, e'en what fashion thou best likes, Lucetta.

Lucetta	You must needs have them with a cod-piece, madam.

Julia	Out, out, Lucetta! - that will be ill-favoured.

Lucetta	A round hose, madam, now's not worth a pin,
	Unless you have a cod-piece to stick pins on.

Julia	Lucetta, as thou lov'st me, let me have
	What thou think'st meet, and is most mannerly.
	But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me
	For undertaking so unstaid a journey?
	I fear me it will make me scandalized.

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

Julia	Nay, that I will not.

Lucetta	Then never dream on infamy, but go.
	If Proteus like your journey when you come,
	No matter who's displeased when you are gone.
	I fear me he will scarce be pleased withal.

Julia	That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear.
	A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears,
	And instances of infinite of love,
	Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.

Lucetta	All these are servants to deceitful men.

Julia	Base men, that use them to so base effect.
	But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth;
	His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles,
	His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate,
	His tears pure messengers sent from his heart,
	His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.

Lucetta	Pray heaven he prove so when you come to him.

Julia	Now, as thou lov'st me, do him not that wrong,
	To bear a hard opinion of his truth.
	Only deserve my love, by loving him,
	And presently go with me to my chamber
	To take a note of what I stand in need of,
	To furnish me upon my longing journey.
	All that is mine I leave at thy dispose,
	My goods, my lands, my reputation,
	Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence.
	Come, answer not, but to it presently.
	I am impatient of my tarriance.
												[Exeunt.
