Cap. Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch! I tell thee what, get thee to church o’Thursday, Or never after look me in the face: Speak not, reply not, do not answer me; My fingers itch.-Wife, we scarce thought us bless'd, But now I see this one is one too much, Nurse. God in heaven bless her! You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so. Cap. And why, my lady wisdom? hold your tongue, Good prudence; smatter with your gossips, go. Nurse. I speak no treason. Cap. Nurse. May not one speak? Cap. O, God ye good den! Peace, you mumbling fool! Utter your gravity o'er a gossip's bowl, For here we need it not. La. Cap. You are too hot. Cap. God's bread! it makes me mad: Day, night, late, early, At home, abroad, alone, in company, Waking, or sleeping, still my care hath been Of fair dimesnes, youthful, and nobly train'd, Graze where you will, you shall not house with me; m hilding!] i. e. A base, low, menial wretch; derived by some from hinderling, a Devonshire word signifying degenerate.-NARES. [Exit. An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die i'the streets, [Exit. Jul. O God!-0 nurse! how shall this be prevented? What say'st thou? hast thou not a word of joy? Nurse. 'Faith, here 'tis: Romeo Is banished; and all the world to nothing, Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth. Then, since the case so stands as now it doth, Romeo's a dishclout to him; an eagle, madam, Jul. Speakest thou from thy heart? I think it best you married with the county.] The character of the nurse exhibits a just picture of those whose actions have no principles for their foundaShe has been unfaithful to the trust reposed in her by Capulet, and is ready to embrace any expedient that offers, to avert the consequences of her first infidelity.-STEEVENS. tion. Jul. Well, thou hast comforted me marvellous much. Go in; and tell my lady I am gone, Having displeas'd my father, to Laurence' cell, Nurse. Marry, I will; and this is wisely done. Is it more sin-to wish me thus forsworn, If all else fail, myself have power to die. ACT IV. SCENE I.-Friar Laurence's Cell. Enter Friar LAURENCE and PARIS. Fri. On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. Par. Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, Now do you know the reason of this haste. [Exit. [Exit. • And I am nothing slow, &c.] His haste shall not be abated by my slowness.— JOHNSON. Fri. I would I knew not why it should be slow'd. Look, sir, here comes the lady towards my cell. Enter JULIET. [Aside. Par. Happily met, my lady, and my wife! Fri. That's a certain text. love me. Being spoke behind your back, than to your face. For it was bad enough, before their spite. Par. Thou wrong'st it, more than tears, with that report. Jul. That is no slander, sir, that is a truth; And what I spake, I spake it to my face. Par. Thy face is mine, and thou hast slander'd it. Jul. It may be so, for it is not mine own.— Are you at leisure, holy father, now; Or shall I come to you at evening mass ?P Fri. My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now :My lord, we must entreat the time alone. Par. God shield, I should disturb devotion!— Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse you: Till then, adieu! and keep this holy kiss. [Exit PARIS. Jul. O, shut the door! and when thou hast done so, Come weep with me: Past hope, past cure, past help! Fri. Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief; Por shall I come to you at evening mass?) Juliet means vespers. There is no such thing as evening mass. "Masses (as Tynes Moryson observes) are only sung in the morning and when the priests are fasting."-RITSON. It strains me past the compass of my wits: Jul. Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this, If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help, And with this knife I'll help it presently. God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Fri. Hold daughter; I do spy a kind of hope, A thing like death to chide away this shame, Jul. O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, a Shall be the label to another deed,] The seals of deeds in our author's time were not impressed on the parchment itself on which the deed was written; but were appended on distinct slips or labels affixed to the deed.-MALONE. this bloody knife Shall play the umpire ;] i. e. Shall decide the struggle between me and my distresses." Daggers, or as they were more commonly called, knives, were worn at all times by every woman in England; whether they were so in Italy, Shakspeare, I believe, never enquired, and I cannot tell. In the haft of this universal appendage (for men also wore them) there was of course much variety.”— GIFFORD'S Ben Jonson, vol. v. 221. commission-] i. e. Authority or power.-JOHNSON. |