The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Act 2, Scene 7 Translation

Enter Julia and Lucetta.

JULIA
Counsel, Lucetta. Gentle girl, assist me;
And ev’n 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 5How with my honor 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; 10
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? 15
Pity the dearth that I have pinèd 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. 20

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, 25
Thou know’st, being stopped, impatiently doth rage,
But when his fair course is not hinderèd,
He makes sweet music with th’ enameled stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage; 30
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 35
Till the last step have brought me to my love,
And there I’ll rest as after much turmoil
A blessèd soul doth in Elysium.

LUCETTA
But in what habit will you go along?

JULIA
Not like a woman, for I would prevent 40
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 45
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, 50
What compass will you wear your farthingale?”
Why, ev’n what fashion thou best likes, Lucetta.

LUCETTA
You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam.

JULIA
Out, out, Lucetta. That will be ill-favored.

LUCETTA
A round hose, madam, now’s not worth a pin 55
Unless you have a codpiece 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? 60
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, 65
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 70
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, 75
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 heav’n he prove so when you come to him.

JULIA
Now, as thou lov’st me, do him not that wrong 80
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. 85
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. 90

They exit.