thing, grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these pardonnez-moys, who stand so much on the new form, that they cannot sit at ease on the old bench? O, their bons, their bons!1

Ben. She will indite him to some supper.
Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho!
Rom. What hast thou found?

Mer. No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a lenten
pie, that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent.
An old hare hoar, 12
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.

Mer. Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, lady, lady, lady. 13 [Exe. Mer. and Ben. Nurse. Marry, farewell!-I pray you, what saucy merchant was this, that was so full of his ropery ?is 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 against me, I'll take him down an 'a were lustier than he is, and

(9) It was the custom for servants to carry the lady's fan.

(13) The burden of an old song.

(14) A term of disrespect in contradistinction to gentlemen.

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 skuins-mates:-And thou
must stand by too, and suffer every knave to use
me at his pleasure?

Pet. I saw no man use you at his pleasure; if I had, my weapon should quickly have been out, warrant you: I dare draw as soon as another man, 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 skrift?

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;
Which to the high top-gallant of my joy
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;

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 louring 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,-vet 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!-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'st thou sad?

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

Nurse. I am weary, give me leave a while;-
Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt 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 a while?

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.

Nurse. Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear Is thy news good, or bad? answer to that;

sav

Two may keep counsel, putting one away?

Say either, and I'll stay the circumstance:
Let me be satisfied, is't good or bad?

Rom. I warrant thee; my man's as true as steel. Nurse. Well, you have made a simple choice; Nurse. Well, sir; my mistress is the sweetest you know not how to choose a man: Romeo! no, lady-Lord, lord!-when 'twas a little prating not he; though his face be better than any man's, thing,-O,-there's a nobleman in town, one Paris, yet his leg excels all men's; and for a hand, and a that would fain lay knife aboard; but she, good foot, and a body,-though they be not to be talked soul, had as leave see a toad, a very toad, as see on, yet they are past compare: He is not the flower 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.

(1) A mate or companion of one wearing a skain; a short sword.

(2) Confession.

(3) The highest extremity of the mast of a ship.

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 aches! what a head

Fri. Come, come with me, and we will make
short work;

For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone,
Till holy church incorporate two in one. [Exeunt.

SCENE I-A public place. Enter Mercutio,
Benvolio, Page, and Servants.

Ben. I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not 'scape a brawl;
For now, these hot days is the mad blood stirring.

Mer. Thou art like one of those fellows, that, when he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table, and says, God send me no need of thee! and, by the operation of the second cup, draws it on the drawer, when, indeed, there is no need.

Ben. Am I like such a fellow?

Mer. Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy; and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.

Jul. Hie to high fortune!-honest nurse, fare- have none shortly, for one would kill the other.

[Exeunt.
Thou! why thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath
Enter a hair more, or a hair less, in his beard than thou
hast. Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking
nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast
hazel eyes; What eye, but such an eye, would spy
out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels,
as an egg is full of meat; and yet thy head hath
been beaten as addle as an egg, for quarrelling.
Thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in
the street, because he hath wakened thy dog that
hath lain asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out
with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before
Easter? with another, for tying his new shoes with
old ribband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quar-
relling!

Enter Romeo.

Tyb. Well, peace be with you, sir; here comes my man.

Mer. But I'll be hang'd, sir, if he wear your
livery:

Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
Your worship, in that sense, may call him-man.

Tyb. Romeo, the hate I bear thee, can afford
No better term than this-Thou art a villain.

Rom. Tybalt, the reason that I have to love
thee

Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting:-Villain am I none;
Therefore farewell; I see, thou know'st me not.
Tyb. Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me; therefore turn, and draw.
Rom. I do protest, I never injur'd thee;
But love thee better than thou canst devise,
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
And so, good Capulet,-which name I tender
As dearly as mine own,-be satisfied.

Mer. O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
A la stoccata' carries it away.
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

[Draws.

And in my temper soften'd valour's steel.
Re-enter Benvolio.

Ben. O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead;
That gallant spirit hath aspir'd the clouds,
Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.
Rom. This day's black fate on more days doth
depend;

This but begins the wo, others must end.

Re-enter Tybalt.

Ben. Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
Rom. Alive! in triumph! and Mercutio slain'
Away to heaven, respective lenity,

And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now!-
Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,
That late thou gav'st me; for Mercutio's soul
Is but a littte way above our heads,
Staying for thine to keep him company;
Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.
Tyb. Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort'
him here,
Shalt with him hence.
Rom.

This shall determine that. Tyb. What would'st thou have with me? [They fight; Tybait falls. Mer. Good king of cats, nothing, but one of your Ben. Romeo, away, be gone! nine lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and, The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain: as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of Stand not amaz'd:-the prince will doom thee the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his

death,

pilcher2 by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about If thou art taken :-hence!-be gone !-away! your ears cre it be out.

Tyb. I am for you.

[Drawing.

Rom. Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
Mer. Come, sir, your passado. [They fight.
Rom. Draw, Benvolio;

Beat down their weapons:-Gentlemen, for shame
Forbear this outrage;-Tybalt-Mercutio-
The prince expressly hath forbid this bandying
In Verona streets :-Hold, Tybalt ;-good Mercutio.
[Exeunt Tybalt and his Partizans.

Mer. I am hurt :-
A plague o'both the houses!-I am sped :-
Is he gone, and hath nothing?

Ben.
What, art thou hurt?
Mer. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis
enough.-

I

Rom. O! I am fortune's fool!
Ben.

Why dost thou stay? [Exit Romeo. Enter Citizens, &c.

1 Cit. Which way ran he, that kill'd Mercutio?
Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?
Ben. There lies that Tybalt.

1 Cit.
Up, sir, go with me;
charge thee in the prince's name, obcy.

Enter Prince, attended; Montague, Capulet, their
wives, and others.

Prin. Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
Ben. O noble prince, I can discover all
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
There lies the man slain by young Romeo,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
La. Cap. Tybalt, my cousin!-O my brother's
child!

Where is my page ?—go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
[Exit Page.
Rom. Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much..
Mer. No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide
as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask Unhappy sight! ah me, the blood is spill'd
for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave Of my dear kinsman!-Prince, as thou art true,
man. I am pepper'd, I warrant, for this world:-For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.-
A plague o'both your houses?-Zounds, a dog, a O cousin, cousin!

Ben. Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did

rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death! a Prin. Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? braggart, a rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic!-Why, the devil, came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.

Rom. I thought all for the best.

Mer. Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or I shall faint-A plague o'both your houses!
They have made worm's meat of me:
I have it, and soundly too:-Your houses!

[Exeunt Mercutio and Benvolio.
Rom. This gentleman, the prince's near ally,
My very friend hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf; my reputation stain'd
With Tybalt's slander, Tybalt, that an hour
Hath been my kinsman :-0 sweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,

(1) The Italian term for a thrust or stab with a rapier.

(2) Case or scabbard.

slay;

Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
How nice" the quarrel was, and urg'd withal
Your high displeasure:-All this-uttered
With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly
bow'd,-

Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast;
Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point.
And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside, and with the other sends
It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
Retorts it: Romeo, he cries aloud,

(3) Cool, considerate gentleness.
(4) Conduct for conductor. (5) Accompany.
(6) Just and upright. (7) Slight, unimportant

Hold, friends! friends, part! and, swifter than Not yet enjoy'd: So tedious is this day,