Scene V

Capulet's orcharda

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(5)
Driving back shadows over low'ring 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(10)
Is three long hours; yet she is not come.
Had she affections and warm youthful blood,
She would be as swift in motion as a ball;
My words would bandy her to my sweet love,
And his to me,(15)
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.

JUL:

The clock struck nine when I sent the nurse;
She promised to return in half an hour.
Maybe she can’t meet him. that's not true.
O, she is lame! Love's heralds should be thoughts,
Which glide ten times faster than the sun's beams,
Driving back shadows over lowering hills.
This way doves with nimble wings draw love,
And that’s why the wind-swift Cupid has wings.
Now is the sun upon the highest hill
Of this day's journey, and from nine till twelve
Is three long hours, yet she’s not back.
Had she affections and warm youthful blood,
She’d be as swift in motion as a ball.
My words would make her fly like a tennis ball to my sweet love,
And bring his love back to me,
But old folks, many pretending to be dead, are as
Unwieldy, slow, heavy, and pale as lead.

O God, she comes!
O honey nurse, what news?
Have you met with him? Send your man away.

NURSE:

Peter, stay at the gate.(20)

Exit Peter.

NURSE:

Peter, stay at the gate.

JUL:

Now, good sweet nurse—O Lord, why look'st thou
sad?
Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;
If good, thou shamest the music of sweet news
By playing it to me with so sour a face.(25)

JUL:

Now, good sweet nurse, O Lord, why do you look sad?
Although news may be sad, tell it merrily.
If it is good news, you shame the music of sweet news
By playing it to me with so sour a face.

NURSE:

I am aweary, give me leave awhile.
Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I had!

NURSE:

I am weary, give me a brief rest;
For shame, how my bones ache! What a jaunt I have had!

JUL:

I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news.
Nay, come, I pray thee speak. Good, good nurse, speak.

JUL:

I wish you had my bones, and I had your news.
No, come, on - Please speak; good, good nurse, speak.

NURSE:

Jesu, what haste! Can you not stay awhile?(30)
Do you not see that I am out of breath?

NURSE:

Jesus, what’s your hurry? Can’t you rest awhile?
Don’t you see that I’m 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.(35)
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?

JUL:

How are you out of breath, when you have breath
To say to me that you are out of breath?
The excuse that you make in this delay
Is longer than the tale you excuse.
Is your news good or bad? Answer that.
Say either good or bad, and I'll wait for the details.
Let me be satisfied, is it good or bad?

NURSE:

Well, you have made a simple choice; you know
not how to choose a man. Romeo? No, not he. Though(40)
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 talk'd 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.(45)
What, have you din'd at home?

NURSE:

Well, you have made a simple choice. You don’t know how to
choose a man. Romeo! No, not he, though his face may 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’re nothing to be talk about, yet they
are past compare. he is not the flower of courtesy, but I'll
guarantee that he is as gentle as a lamb. Go about your business, 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?

JUL:

No, no, but all this did I know before.
What does he say about our marriage? What of that?

NURSE:

Lord, how my head aches! What a head have I!
It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces.(50)
My back o’ t’ other side,—ah, my back, my back!
Beshrew your heart for sending me about
To catch my death with jaunting up and down!

NURSE:

Lord, how my head aches! what a head I’ve got!
It throbs as if it’s going to fall into twenty pieces.
My back on the other side, O, my back, my back!
Curse your heart for sending me out
To catch my death with prancing up and down!

JUL:

I’ faith, I am sorry that thou art not well.
Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love?(55)

JUL:

In faith, I am sorry that you’re not well.
Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what does my love say?

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?

NURSE:

Your love says, like an honest gentleman,
And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome;
And, I guarantee, a virtuous gentleman Where is your mother?

JUL:

Where is my mother? Why, she is within.
Where should she be? How oddly thou reply'st!(60)
‘Your love says, like an honest gentleman,
“Where is your mother?”’

JUL:

Where is my mother? why, she’s inside.
Where should she be? How oddly you reply!
'”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 aching bones?(65)
Henceforward do your messages yourself.

NURSE:

O God's lady dear!
Are you so hot? By Mary, come close, I believe;
Is this the poultice for my aching bones?
From this time forward, do your messages yourself.

JUL:

Here's such a coil! Come, what says Romeo?

JUL:

Here's such a choice! come, what does Romeo say?

NURSE:

Have you got leave to go to shrift to-day?

NURSE:

Have you got permission to go to confession today?

JUL:

I have.

JUL:

I have.

NURSE:

Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence’ cell;(70)
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(75)
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.

NURSE:

Then go quickly to Friar Lawrence' cell;
A husband waits there to make you a wife.
Now comes the lusty blood up in your cheeks,
They'll be bright red instantly at any news.
Go quickly to church; I must go another way,
To fetch a ladder, by the which your love
Must climb to a bird's nest soon, when it is dark.
I am the slave and worker in your delight;
But you shall bear the burden soon at night.
Go on; I'll go to dinner; go quickly to the cell.

JUL:

Hie to high fortune! Honest nurse, farewell.(80)

JUL:

Go quickly to high fortune! honest nurse, farewell.

Exeunt.