Mer. Yea! is the worst well? very well took, i' faith; wisely, wisely. you. Nurse. If you be he, Sir, I desire some confidence with Ben. She will indite him to some supper. Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho! Mer. No hare, Sir; unless a hare, Sir, in a lenten pie, that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent. An old hare hoar, and an old hare hoar, Is very good meat in lent : But a hare that is hoar, is too much for a score, When it hoars ere it be spent. Romeo, will you come to your father's? we'll to dinner thither. Rom. I will follow you. Mer. Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, lady, lady, lady. [Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO. Nurse. Marry, farewell! I pray you, Sir, what saucy merchant was this, that was so full of his ropery? Rom. A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk; and will speak more in a minute, than he will stand to in a month. Nurse. An 'a speak any thing against me, I'll take him down, an 'a were lustier than he is, and twenty such Jacks; and if I cannot, I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirt-gills; I am none of his skains-mates. And thou must stand by, too, and suffer every knave to use me at his pleasure? Pet. I saw no man use you at his pleasure; if I had, my weapon should quickly have been out, I warrant you. I dare draw as soon as another man, if I see occasion in a good quarrel, and the law on my side. Nurse. Now, afore God, I am so vexed, that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, Sir, a word; and as I told you, my young lady bade me inquire you out: what she bid me say, I will keep to myself; but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her in a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behaviour, as they say, for the gentlewoman is young; and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly, it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing. Rom. Nurse, commend me to thy lady and mistress. I protest unto thee, Nurse. Good heart! and, i' faith, I will tell her as much. Lord, lord! she will be a joyful woman. Rom. What wilt thou tell her, nurse? thou dost not mark me. Nurse. I will tell her, Sir, as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer. Rom. that you do protest; which, Bid her devise some means to come to shrift This afternoon; And there she shall at friar Laurence' cell Be shriv'd, and married. Here is for thy pains. Rom. Go to; I say, you shall. Nurse. This afternoon, Sir? well, she shall be there. And bring thee cords made like a tackled stair; Must be my convoy in the secret night. Farewell! Be trusty, and I'll 'quite thy pains. Commend me to thy mistress. Nurse. Now, God in heaven bless thee! Rom. What say'st thou, my dear nurse? Hark you, Sir. Nurse. Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear say, Two may keep counsel, putting one away? Rom. I warrant thee; my man 's as true as steel. Nurse. Well, Sir; my mistress is the sweetest lady - Lord, lord! when 't was a little prating thing, O! There's a nobleman in town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife aboard; but she, good soul, had as lieve see a toad, a very toad, as see him. I anger her sometimes, and tell her that Paris is the properer man; but, I'll warrant you, when I say so, she looks as pale as any clout in the varsal world. Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter? Rom. Ay, nurse; What of that? both with an R. Nurse. Ah, mocker! that's the dog's name. R is for thee? no: I know it begins with some other letter; and she hath the prettiest sententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you good to hear it. Rom. Commend me to thy lady. Nurse. Ay, a thousand times. [Exit. Peter! Pet. Anon? Nurse. Peter, take my fan, and go before. [Exeunt. SCENE V. CAPULET'S Garden. Enter JULIet. Jul. The clock struck nine, when I did send the nurse; In half an hour she promis'd to return. Perchance, she cannot meet him: that's not so. Of this day's journey; and from nine till twelve My words would bandy her to my sweet love, But old folks, many feign as they were dead; Enter Nurse and PETER. O God! she comes. O honey nurse! what news? Nurse. Peter, stay at the gate. [Exit PETER. Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily; Nurse. I am aweary, give me leave awhile. Do you not see, that I am out of breath? Jul. How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath The excuse that thou dost make in this delay Nurse. Well, you have made a simple choice, you know not how to choose a man: Romeo! no, not he; though his face be better than any man's, yet his leg excels all men's; and for a hand, and a foot, and a body, though they be not to be talked on, yet they are past compare. He is not the flower of courtesy, but, I'll warrant him, as gentle as a lamb. Go thy ways, wench: serve God. What, have you dined at home? Jul. No, no: but all this did I know before. What says he of our marriage? what of that? Nurse. Lord, how my head aches! what a head have I! It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. My back! o't' other side. O, my back, my back! Beshrew your heart for sending me about, To catch my death with jaunting up and down. Jul. I' faith, I am sorry that thou art not well. Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love? And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome, And, I warrant, a virtuous. Where is your mother? Jul. Where is Where should she be? my mother? why, she is within: How oddly thou reply'st; "Your love says like an honest gentleman, Where is your mother?" Nurse. O, God's lady dear! Are you so hot? Marry, come up, I trow; Jul. Here's such a coil Come, what says Romeo? Nurse. Then, hie you hence to friar Laurence' cell, Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks, To fetch a ladder, by the which your love honest nurse, farewell. [Exeunt. SCENE VI. Friar LAURENCE'S Cell. Enter Friar LAURENCE and ROMEO. Fri. So smile the heavens upon this holy act, That after-hours with sorrow chide us not! Rom. Amen, amen! but come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy That one short minute gives me in her sight: |
