Mer. Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo; now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature. Rom. Here's goodly geer! Enter Nurse and PETER. Mer. A sail, a sail, a sail! Nurse. Peter! Peter. Anon? Nurse. My fan, Peter. Mer. Pr'y thee, do, good Peter, to hide her face; for her fan's the fairer of the two. Nurse. Good morrow, gentlemen. Mer. 'Tis no less, I tell you; for the hand of the dial is now upon the point of noon. I Nurse. Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where may find the young Romeo? Rom. I can tell you; but young Romeo will be older when you have found him, than he was when you sought him: I am the youngest of that name, for 'fault of a worse. Nurse. You say well. Mer. Yea, is the worse 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. 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. 7 Good even. Nurse. Marry, farewell! I pray you, sir, what` saucy merchant was this, that was so full of his 8 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. 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: 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 gentleman-like offer. Rom. Bid her devise some means to come to shrift? This afternoon; And there she shall at friar Lawrence' 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. A term of disrespect, in contradistinction to gentleman. 9 Confession. Rom. And stay good nurse, behind the abbeywall: Within this hour my man shall be with thee; sir. say ne'er hear 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! when 't was a little prating thing,-0,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 you good to hear it. do Rom. Commend me to thy lady. Nurse. Peter, Take my fan, and go I The highest extremity of the mast of a ship [Exit. before. 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 3 her to my sweet love, But old folks, many feign as they were dead; Enter Nurse and PETER. O here she comes! -O honey nurse, what news? Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily; 3 Drive her, as a ball struck with a bandy, i. e. a batt or battledore. Nurse. I am a weary, give me leave a while; Fye, how my bones ake! 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. 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? 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, they are past compare: He is not the flower of courtesy, but, I'll warrant him as gentle as a lamb. 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. O, how my head akes! what a head have I ! It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. Jul. I' faith, I am sorry that thou art not well: Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love? Nurse. Your love says, like an honest gentleman, And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome, And, I warrant, a virtuous: Where is your mo ther? |