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 shrift
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.
Rom. Go to; I say, you shall.

Nurse. This afternoon, sir? well, she shall be there.

Rom. And stay, good nurse, behind the abbey-wall: Within this hour my man shall be with thee; And bring thee cords made like a tackled stair:5 Which to the high top-gallant of my joyo

6

like a tackled stair ;) Like stairs of rope in the tackle of a ship.

top-gallant of my joy-] The top-gallant is the highest extremity of the mast of a ship. VOL. IX.

F

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,—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 do you good to hear it.

Rom. Çommend me to thy lady.
Nurse. Ay, a thousand times.-Peter!
Pet. Anon?
Nurse. Peter, Take my fan, and

go
before.

[Exeunt.

[Exit.

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. O, she is lame! love's heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times faster glide than the sun's beams, Driving back shadows over lowring 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 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.

Nursé. Peter, stay at the gate. [Exit Peter.
Jul. Now, good sweet nurse,–0 lord! why

look'st thou sad?
Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;
If good, thou sham'st the musick of sweet news
By playing it to me with so sour a face.

Nurse. I am aweary, give me leave a while;Fye, how

my bones ache! What ajaunt 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? Nurse. Lord, how my head akes! what a head

have I? It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces, My back o't' other side,-0, my back, my back! Beshrew your heart, for sending me about, To catch my death with jaunting up and down!

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 mother?

Jul. Where is my mother?—why, she is within;
Where should she be? How oddly thou reply'st?
Your love says like an honest gentleman,-
Where is your mother ?
Nurse.

O, God's lady dear!
Are you so hot?. Marry, come up, I trow;
Is this the poultice for my aking bones?
Henceforward do your messages yourself.

Jul. Here's such a coil,—Come, what says Romeo?
Nurse. Have you got leave to go to shrift to-day?
Jul. I have.

Nurse. Then hie you hence to friar Laurence' cell,
There stays a husband to make you a wife:
Now comes the wanton blood

up
in

your cheeks, ,
They'll be in scarlet straight at any news.
Hie you to church; I must another way,
To fetch a ladder, by the which your love
Must climb a bird's nest soon, when it is dark:
I am the drudge, and toil in your delight;
But you shall bear the burden soon at night.
Go, I'll to dinner; hie you to the cell.
Jul. Hie to high fortune!-honest nurse, farewell.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Friar Laurence's Cell.

Enter Friar LAURENCE and ROMEO.
Fri. So smile the heavens upon this holy act,
That after-hours with sorrow chide us not!

Rom. Amen, amen! but come what sorrow can,
It cannot countervail the exchange of joy
That one short minute gives me in her sight:
Do thou but close our hands with holy words,
Then love-devouring death do what he dare,
It is enough I may but call her mine.