Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own. [Exeunt. SCENE III-A room in Capulet's house. Enter Lady Capulet and Nurse. La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. Nurse. Now, by my maiden-head, at twelve year old, I bade her come.-What, lamb! what, lady bird! God forbid !-where's this girl?-what, Juliet ! Enter Juliet. Jul. How now, who calls? Nurse. Jul. What is your will? Your mother. Madam, I am here. La. Cap. This is the matter :-Nurse, give leave a while, We must talk in secret.-Nurse, come back again; I have remember'd me, thou shalt hear our counsel. Thou know'st, my daughter's of a pretty age. Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. La. Cap. She's not fourteen. Nurse. I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, And yet, to my teen1 be it spoken, I have but four,She is not fourteen: How long is it now To Lammas-tide? La. Cap. A fortnight, and odd days. Nurse. Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night, shall she be fourteen. Susan and she,-God rest all Christian souls!Were of an age.-Well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me: But, as I said, On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen: That shall she, marry; I remember it well. "Tis since the earthquake now eleven years; (1) To my sorrow. And she was wean'd,-I never shall forget it,- And since that time it is eleven years: For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood,2 And, pretty fool, it stinted,4 and said—Ay. La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse. Yes, madam; Yet I cannot choose but To think it should leave crying, and say-Ay: A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly. (1) i. e. I have a perfect remembrance or recolleotion. (2) The cross. (3) Holy dame, i. e. the blessed Virgin. Yea, quoth my husband, fall'st upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou com'st to age; Wilt thou not, Jule? it stinted, and said—Ay. Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nurs'd: I. La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of :-Tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married! Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of. Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse, I'd say, thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat. La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, Nurse. A man, young lady! lady, such a man, As all the world-Why, he's a man of wax.2 La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower. La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gentleman ? This night you shall behold him at our feast: And see how one another lends content; (1) Favour. (2) Well made, as if he had been modelled in wax. (3) The comments on ancient books were al ways printed in the margin. This precious book of love, this unbound lover, To beautify him, only lacks a cover: The fish lives in the sea; and 'tis much pride, men. La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love? Jul. I'll look to like, if looking liking move: But no more deep will I endart mine eye, Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. Enter a Servant. Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight. La. Cap. We follow thee.-Juliet, the county stays. Nurse. Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy [Exeunt. days. SCENE IV-A street. Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or six Maskers, Torchbearers, and others. Rom. What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? Or shall we on without apology? Ben. The date is out of such prolixity:2 We'll have no Cupid hood-wink'd with a scarf, Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, (1) i. e. Is not yet caught, whose skin was wanted to bind him. (2) i. e. Long speeches are out of fo Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper;1 But, let them measure us by what they will, We'll measure them a measure,2 and be gone. Rom. Give me a torch,3-I am not for this ambling; Being but heavy, I will bear the light. Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Rom. Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes, With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead, So stakes me to the ground, I cannot move. Mer. You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings, And soar with them above a common bound. Rom. I am too sore enpierced with his shaft, Mer. And, to sink in it, should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing. Rom. Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Too rude, too boist'rous; and it pricks like thorn. Mer. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.Give me a case to put my visage in: [Putting on a mask. A visor for a visor!-what care I, What curious eye doth quote4 deformities? (1) A scare-crow, a figure made up to frighten crows. (2) A dance. (3) A torch-bearer was a constant appendage to every troop of maskera. (4) Observe. |