Mer. Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy. Mer. Sure wit--follow me this jeft, now, till thou haft worn out thy pump, that when the single sole of it is worn, the jest may remain, after the wearing, solely fingular. Ron. o single-fol'd jest, Solely fingular, for the finglenefs ! Mer. Come between us,good Benvolio, my wit faints. Rom. Switch and spurs, Switch and spurs, or I'll cry a match. Mer. Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done: for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits, than, I am sure, I have in my whole five.' Was I with you there for the goose ? Rom. Thou wast never with me for any thing, when thou wast not there for the goose. Mer. I will bite thee by the ear for that jest. Mer. Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting, Rom. And is it not well serv'd into a sweet goose ? Mer. O, here's a wit of cheverel, that stretches from an inch narrow to an ell broad. Rom. I ftretch it out for that word broad, which added to the goose, proves thee far and wide a broad goose. Mer. Why, is not this better, than groaning for love? Now thou art sociable; now art ihou Romeo ; now art thou what thou art, by art, as well as by nature; for this driveling love is like a great Natural, that runs Jolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole. Ben. Stop there, stop there. Xer. · Mer. Thou desirest me to stop in my tale, against the hair. Ben. Thou wouldst elle have made thy tale large. Mer. O, thou art deceiv'd, I would have made it short; for I was come to the whole depth of my, tale, and meant, indeed, to occupy the argument no longer. Enter Nurse, and Peter her Man. Mer. Do, good Peter, to hide her face ; for her fan's the fairer of the two. Nurse. God ye good-morrow, gentlemen. Mer. God ye good den, fair gentlewoman. Nurse. Is it good den? 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. Nurse. By my troth, it is well said: for himself to mar, quotha ? 'Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I may find the young Romeo. Rom. I young Romeo will be older when you have found him, than he was when you fought him: I am the youngest of that name, for fault of a worse. Nurse. You say well. Mer. Yea, is the worst well ? Nurse. If you be he, Sir, Ben. She will indite him to some supper. • Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd. So ho! Rom. What hast thou found ? Nier. can tell you: but Mer, No hare, Sir, unless a hare, Sir, in a lenten pye, 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 din ner thither. Mer. Farewel, ancient lady ; 'Farewel, lady, lady, lady: [Exeunt Mercutio, Benvolio. Nurse. I pray you, Sir, what faucy 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 againft me, I'll take him down an' he 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 ? [To her man. 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 lide. . Nurse. Now, afore God, I am so vext, that every part about me quivers --Scurvy knave! Pray you, Sir, a word: and as I told you, my young lady bid mé enquire you out; what she bid 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 dealingo Rom. Rom. Commend me to thy lady and mistress, I proteft 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 proteft ; which as I take it, is a gentleman-like offer. Rom. Bid her devise lome means to come to shrift- Nurse. No, truly, Sir, not a penny. Rom. And stay, good nurse, behind the abby-wall: 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 'twas a little prating thing--0,there is a noble man 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 fometimes, 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 versal 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 H 3 for Thee? No; I know, it begins with another letter i and she hath the prettiest fententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you good to hear it. Rom. Commend me to thy lady- [Exit Rom. Changes to Capulet's House. Enter Juliet. Ju. THE Jul. THE clock ftruck nine, when I did send the nurse: In half an hour she promis'd to return. Perchance, fie cannot meet him—That's not fo~ Oh, she is lame: 'love's heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times fafter glide than the sun-beams, Driving back shadows over lowring hills. Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love, And therefore hath the wind-(wift Cupid wings. Now is the Sun upon the highmost hill Of this day's journey; and from nioe 'till twelve Is three long hours--and 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 her to my sweet love, And his to me; Enter Nurse, with Peter. O God, she comes. O honey Nurse, what news ? Hast thou met with him ? send thy man away. Nurse. Peter, stay at the gate. {Exit Peter. Jul. Now; good sweet Nurse, O lord, why look'lt thou sad ? Tho' news be sad, yet tell them merrily: If good, thou sham'ft the mulic of sweet news, By |