Nurse. You say well.

Mer. Yea, is the worst well? very well took,

i'faith; wisely, wisely.

Nurse. If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence

with you.

Ben. She will indite him to some supper.
Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho!
Rom. What hast thou found?

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,7

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,

ladys, lady.

[Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO.

Nurse. Marry farewell! -I pray you, sir, what saucy merchant was this, that was so full of his ropery? 1

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

7 Hoary, mouldy.

8 The burthen of an old song.

9 A term of disrespect in contradistinction to gentleman.

1 Roguery.

that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirtgills; I am none of his skains-mates 2: - 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 bade me say, I will keep to myself: but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into 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, - that you do protest; which, as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer.

Rom. Bid her devise some means to come to shrifts This afternoon;

And there she shall at friar Laurence' cell
Be shriv'd, and married. Here is for thy pains.
Nurse. No, truly, sir; not a penny..

• A mate or companion of one wearing a skain; a short sword. 3 Confession.

Rom. Go to; I say you shall. Nurse. This afternoon, sir? well, she shall be there.

Rom. And stay, good nurse, behind the abbeywall:

Within this hour my man shall be with thee :
And bring thee cords made like a tackled stair,
Which to the high top-gallant + of my joy
Must be my convoy in the secret night.
Farewell!-Be trusty, and I'll quit thy pains.
Farewell! -Commend me to thy mistress.

Nurse. Now God in heaven bless thee! - Hark

you, sir.

Rom. What say'st thou, my dear nurse?
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 'twas 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 the dog. 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.

4 The highest extremity of the mast of a ship. 5 Requite.

[Exit.

Rom. Commend me to thy lady.
Nurse. Ay, a thousand times. - Peter!
Pet. Anon?

Nurse. Peter, Take my fan, and go before.

SCENE V.

Capulet's Garden.

[Exeunt.

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. -
O, she is lame! love's heralds should be thoughts,
Which ten times faster glide than the sun's beams,
Driving back shadows over low'ring hills :
Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love,
And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings.
Now is the sun upon the highmost hill
Of this day's journey; and from nine till twelve
Is three long hours,-yet she is not come.
Had she affections, and warm youthful blood,
She'd be as swift in motion as a ball;
My words would bandy 6 her to my sweet love,
And his to me:

But old folks, many feign as they were dead;
Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.

Enter Nurse and PETER.

O God, she comes! - honey nurse, what news? Hast thou met with him? Send thy man away.

6 Drive her, as a ball struck with a bandy; i. e. a batt or battledore.

[Exit PETER.

Nurse. Peter, stay at the gate.
Jul. Now, good sweet nurse, - O Lord! why

look'st thou sad?

Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;
If good,
good,
By playing it to me with so sour a face.

thou sham'st the musick of sweet news

Nurse. I am weary, give me leave a while; Fye, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I

had!

Jul. I would, thou hadst my bones, and I thy

news;

Nay, come, I pray thee, speak; -good, good nurse,

speak. Nurse. Jesu, What haste? can you not stay awhile?

Do you not see, that I am out of breath?

Jul. How art thou out of breath, when thou

hast breath

To say to me-that thou art out of breath?
The excuse, that thou dost make in this delay,
Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse.
Is thy news good, or bad? answer to that;
Say either, and I'll stay the circumstance;
Let me be satisfied, Is't good or bad?

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?