Rom. Whither? Serv. To suppper; to our house. Serv. My master's. Rom. Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before. Serv. Now I'll tell you without asking. My master is the great rich Capulet; and, if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry. [Exit. Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun But, in that crystal scales, let there be weigh'd And she shall scant shew well, that now shews best. SCENE III. A Room in Capulet's House. Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse. Lady Capulet. NURSE, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year old, I bade her come.- -What, lamb! what, lady bird!-God forbid !-where's this girl?—what, Ju liet! Jul. How now! who calls? Nurse. Jul. What is your will? Enter JULIET. Your mother. Madam, I am here, La. Cap. This is the matter. . . Nurse, give leave awhile, We must talk in secret.-Nurse, come back again; Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Nurse. I'll lay fourteen of my teeth and yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four -she is not fourteen. mas-tide? La. Cap. How long is it now to Lam 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; and she was wean'd-I never shall forget it-of all the days of the year, upon that day; for I had then laid wormwood to my dug, sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall; my lord and you were then at Mantua.-Nay, I do bear a brain;but, as I said, when it did taste the wormwood on the nipple of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool! to see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug. Shake, quoth the dove-house; 'twas no need, I trow, to bid me trudge. And since that time it is eleven years; for then she could stand alone. Nay, by the Rood, she could have run and waddled all about; for even the day before, she broke her brow. And then my husband- -God be with his soul! 'a was a merry man-took up the child: Yea, quoth he, dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou hust more wit; wilt thou not, Jule? and, by my Holydam, the pretty wretch left crying, and said, Ay. To see now, how a jest shall come about! I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it: Wilt thou not, Jule? quoth he; and, pretty fool, it stinted, and said, Ay. La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse. Yes, madam. Yet I cannot choose but laugh, to think it should leave crying, and say Ay: And yet, I warrant, it had upon it brow a bump as big as a young cockrel's stone; a parlous knock; and it cried bitterly. 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 I. Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nurs'd. An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish. 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 V. all the world... Why, he's a man of wax. La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. man? This night you shall behold him at our feast. And see how one another lends content; This precious book of love, this unbound lover, The fish lives in the sea; and 'tis much pride, Nurse. No less? nay, bigger; women grow by men. Enter a Servant. Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you call'd, my young lady ask'd 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 days. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. A Street. Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six Maskers, Torch-Bearers, and Others. Romeo. WHAT! shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? Or shall we on without apology? Ben. The date is out of such prolixity. Rom. Give me a torch; 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 1, 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 To soar with his light feathers; and, so bound, I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe. Under Love's heavy burden do I sink. 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: A visor for a visor !-what care I [Putting on a Mask. |