Mer. Why, is not this better, than groaning for love? Now thou art fociable; now art thou Romeo ; now art thou what thou art, by art, as well as by nature; for this drivelling love is like a great Natural, that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole. Ben. Stop there, stop there. Mer. Thou defireft me to stop in my tale, against the hair. Ben. Thou wouldst else have made thy tale large. Mer. O, thou art deceiv'd, I would have made it fhort; for I was come to the whole depth of my tale, and meant, indeed, to occupy the argument no longer. Enter Nurfe, and Peter her Man. Rom. Here's goodly Geer; a Sail! a Sail! Nurfe. Peter, Peter. Anon? Nurfe. My Fan, Peter. Mer. Do, good Peter, to hide her face for her fan's the fairer of the two. Nurfe. God ye good-morrow, gentlemen. Mer. 'Tis no less, I tell you; for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon. Nurse. Out upon you! what a man are you? Rom. One, gentlewoman, that God hath made himself to mar. Nurfe. By my troth, it is well faid. For himself to mar, quotha? Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I 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 you fought him. I am the youngest of that name, for fault of a worse. Nurfe. You fay well. Mer. Yea, is the worst well? Very well took, i'faith, wifely, wifely. I defire fome confidence with you. Ben. She will indite him to fome fupper. Mer. No hare, Sir, unless a hare, Sir, in a lenten pye, that is something ftale 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. Farewel, ancient lady: Farewel, lady, lady. lady. [Exeunt Mercutio, Benvolio. Nurse. I pray you, Sir, what faucy merchant was this, that was fo full of his ropery? Rom. A gentleman, nurfe, that loves to hear himfelf talk, and will speak more in a minute, than he will ftand to in a month. Nurfe. An a speak any thing against me, I'll take him down an' he were luftier than he is, and twenty fuch Jacks and if I cannot, I'll find thofe that fhall. Scurvy knave, I am none of his flirt-gills; I am 3 No hare, Sir,] Mercutio having roared out, fo bo! the cry of the sportsmen when they ftat a hare; Romeo asks what he has found. And Mercutio anfwers, No bare, &c. The rest is a fe- E 3 none none of his skains-mates. And thou must stand by too, and fuffer every knave to use me at his pleafure? [To ber man. Pet. I faw no man ufe you at his pleasure if I had, my weapon fhould quickly have been out, I warrant you I dare draw as foon as another man, if I fee occafion in a good quarrel, and the law on my fide. Nurfe. Now, afore God, I am fo vext, that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, Sir, a word and as I told you, my young lady bid me enquire you out; what the bid me fay, I will keep to myself. But first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradife, as they fay, it were a very grofs kind of behaviour, as they fay, 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 Commend me to thy lady and miftrefs, I pro teft unto thee Nurfe. Good heart, and, i'faith, I will tell her as much. Lord, Lord, fhe will be a joyful woman. Rom What will thou tell her, nurfe? Thou dost not mark me Nurfe. I will tell her, Sir, that you do proteft; which, as I take it, is a gentleman-like offer. Rom Bid her devife fome means to come to shrift this afternoon: And there the fhall at friar Laurence' Cell Ee fhriev'd and married. Here is for thy pains. Rom. Go to, I fay, you fhall. Nurfe. This afternoon, Sir? Well, fhe fhall be there. Rom. And ftay, good nurfe, behind the abby-wall: Within this hour my man fhall be with thee, 4 Note of bis Skains-mates.] The word kais-mate, I do not understand, but fuppole that fains was fome low play, and fkains-mate, a companion at fuch play. And And bring thee cords, made like a tackled ftair, Nurfe. Now, God in heav'n bless thee! hark you, Sir. Rom. What fayeft thou, my dear nurse ? Nurfe. Is your man fecret? did you ne'er hear fay, Two may keep counfel, putting one away? Rom. I warrant thee, my man's as true as fteel. Nurfe. Well, Sir, my mistress is the sweetest lady; Lord, Lord! when 'twas a little prating thingO, there is a noble man in town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife aboard; but fhe, good foul, had as lieve fee a toad, a very toad, as fee him. I anger her fometimes, and tell her, that Paris is the properer man; but I'll warrant you, when I fay fo, The looks as pale as any clout in the varfal World. Doth not Rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter? 6 Rom. Ay, nurse, what of that? both with an R. Nurfe. Ah, mocker! that's the dog's name. Ris for thee? No; I know, it begins with another letter; and 5-like a tackled fair,] Like ftairs of rope in the tackle of a fhip. 6 Rom. A, nurfe, what of that? both with an R. Nurse. Ay, m cker, that's the dog's name. R is for the no. I know it begins with no other let ter;] I believe, I have rectified this odd ftuff; but it is a little mortifying, that the fenfe, when found, fhould not be worth the pains of retrieving it. pfis indigna The tris Ser pta pudet recitare, & nugis adder joudus. The Nurfe is reprefented as a E 4 prating filly creature; fhe fays, the will tell Romeo a good joke about his miftrefs, and atks him, whether Rafemary and Romeo do not begin both with a letter: He fays, yes, an R. She, who, we muft fappe, could not read, thought he had mock'd her, and fays, No, ture, I know better: our dog's name is R. yours begins with another letter. This is natural enough, and in character. R put her in mind of that found which is made by dogs when they fnarl: and therefore, I prefume, the fays, that is the dog's name. and the hath the prettieft fententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you good to hear it. Rom. Commend me to thy lady - [Exit Romea. Nurfe. Ay, a thousand times. Peter, Pet. Anon? Nurfe. Take my fan, and go before. Jul. TH SCENE V. Changes to Capulet's House. Enter Juliet. [Exeunt. HE clock ftruck nine, when I did fend the nurse : In half an hour fhe promis'd to return. Perchance, fhe cannot meet him--That's not fo- name, R. in the fchools, being folo A mocker, that's the dog's called the Dog's Letter. Ben name. R is for the no, I know Johnfan in his Englsh grammar it begins with fome other letter. fays, R, is the Dog's letter, and In this copy the error is but tirreth in the fund. fmall. I read, Ab, mocker, that's the do's name. R is for the nonce, I know it begins with another letter. For the nonce, is for feme defign, for a fly trick. Irrituta canis quod R. R. quam She'd |