Rom. Thou waft never with me for any thing, when thou waft not there for the goofe.

Mer. I will bite thee by the ear for that jeft.
Rom. Nay, good goofe, bite not.

Mer. Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting,
It is a moft fharp fauce.

Rom. And is it not well ferv'd in to a sweet goofe? Mer. O, here's a wit of cheverel, that ftretches from an inch narrow to an ell broad.

Rom. I ftretch it out for that word broad, which added to the goofe, proves thee far and wide a broad goose. Mer. Why, is not this better, than groaning for love? Now thou art sociable; now art thou Romeo; now art shou 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, flop there.

Mer. Thou defir'ft me to stop in my tale, against the hair.

Ben. Thou wouldst elfe 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 Nurse, and Peter her Man.

Rom. Here's goodly geer; a fail! a fail!
Mer. Two, two, a fhirt and a fmock.

Nurfe. Peter,

Peter. Anon?

Narfe. 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. God ye good den, fair gentlewoman.

Nurfe. Is it good den ?

Mer. "Tis no lefs, 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

Rom. One, gentlewoman, that God hath made, himfelf 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 fought him: I am the youngest of that name, for fault of a worfe.

Nurfe. You fay well."

Mer. Yea, is the worst well ?*
Very well took, i'faith, wifely, wifely.
Nurfe. If you be he, Sir,"

I defire fome confidence with you. 15
Ben. She will indite him to fome fupper.
Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd. So ho!-
Rom. What haft thou found?

Mer. No hare, Sir, unless a hare, Sir, in a lenten pye, that is fomething ftale and hoar ere it be spent. An old hare hoar, an old hare hoar, is very good

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, Nurfe. I pray you, Sir, what faucy merchant was this, that was fo 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.

Nurfe. An a fpeak 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 none of his kains-mates. And thou must and by too, and faffer every knave to ufe me at his pleasure ¿ ® [Ta her man.

Pet.

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 myfelf: but firft let me tell ye, if ye fhould 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 mistress, I proteft

unto thee

Nurfe. Good heart, and, i'faith, I will tell her as much: Lord, Lord, fhe will be a joyful woman.

Rom. What wilt thou tell her, nurfe? thou doft not mark me.

Nurfe. I will tell her, Sir, that you do protest; which, as I take it, is a gentleman-like offer.

Rom. Bid her devise fome means to come to shrift this afternoon;

And there fhe fhall at frair Laurence' cell

Be fhriev'd and married: here is for thy pains.

Nurfe. No, truly, Sir, not a penny.

Rom. Go to, I fay, you fhall.

Nurfe. This afternoon, Sir? well, fhe fhall be there.
Rom. And ftay, good nurse, behind the abby-wall:

Within this hour my man fhall be with thee,
And bring thee cords, made like a tackled ftair,
Which to the high top-gallant of my joy
Must be my convoy in the fecret night.
Farewel, be trufty, and I'll quit thy pains.

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 say, Two may keep counfel, putting one away?

Rom

Rom. I warrant thee, my man's as true as fteel. Nurfe. Well, Sir, my mistress is the fweeteft 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 fhe, good foul, had as lieve see 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, fhe looks, as pale as any clout in the varfal world. Doth not rosemary and Rmeo begin both with a letter?

(8).

Rom. Ay, nurse, what of that? both with an R. Nurfe. Ah, mocker! that's the dog's name. R. is for thee? No; I know, it begins with another letter; and The hath the prettieft fententious of it, of you and rofemary, that it would do you good to hear it. Rom. Commend me to thy ladyNurfe. Ay, a thousand times. Peter,Pet. Anon?

Nurfe. Take my fan, and go before.

[Exit Romeo.

(3) Rom. Ay, Nurse, what of that? both with an R.

[Exeunt.

Nurfe. Ab mocker! that's the Dog's Name. R. is for the no, I know it begins with no other Letter,] I believe, I have rectified this old Stuff, but it is a little mortifying, that the Senfe, when 'tis found out, fhould hardly be worth the Pains of retrieving it. The Nurfe is reprefented as a prating filly Creature; the fays, the will tell Romeo a good Joak about his Mistress, and asks him, whether Rosemary and Romeo do not begin both with a Letter: He fays, yes, an R. She, who, we must fuppofe, could not read, thought he had mock'd her, and fays, No, fure, I know better: our Dog's name is R. Yours begins with another Letter. This is natural enough, and very much in Character for this infipid prating Creature. R. put her in mind of that Sound which is made by Dogs when they fnarl: and therefore I prefume, she says, that is the Dog's Name. A Quotation from Ben Jobnfon's Alchemist will clear up this Allufion,

He fhall have a Bell, that's Abel;

And, by it, ftanding One whofe Name is D
In a rug Gown; there's D and rug, that's Drug;
And right anenft him a dog fnarling.
There's Drugger, Abel Drugger.

--err;

Mr. Warburton.

SCENE

SCENE changes to Capulet's Houfe.

Enter Juliet.

HE clock ftruck nine, when I did fend the nurfe :

Jul. TH

In half an hour fhe promis'd to return.

Perchance, fhe cannot meet him-That's not fo
Oh, fhe is lame: love's heralds fhould be thoughts,
Which ten times fafter glide than the fun-beams,
Driving back fhadows over lowring hills.
Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love,
And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings.
Now is the fun upon the highmost hill

Of this day's journey; and from nine 'till twelve
Is three long hours-and yet she is not come;
Had the affections and warm youthful blood,
She'd be as fwift in motion as a ball;

My words would bandy her to my sweet love.
And his to me;

Enter Nurfe with Peter.

O God, fhe comes.

Haft thou met with him? send thy man away.

O honey nurse, what news?

[Exit Peter,

Nurfe. Peter, ftay at the gate.
Jul. Now, good fweet nurfe,

O Lord, why look'st thou fad ?

Tho' news be fad, yet tell them merrily:

If good, thou fham'ft the mufick of sweet news,
By playing 't to me with fo four a face.

Nurfe. I am a weary, let me rest a while;

Fy, how my bones ake, what a jaunt have I had ?
Jul. I would, thou hadft my bones, and I thy news!
Nay, come, I pray thee, fpeak-
pray thee, speak-Good, good nurse,

speak.

Nurse. Jefu! what hafte? can you not stay a while? Do you not fee, that I am out of breath?

Jul.