Home > Romeo and Juliet Text > Act II, Scene IV - Page 2

MER:

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

He walks by them and sings.

An old hare hoar,
And an old hare hoar,
Is very good meat in Lent;(125)
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.(130)

MER:

No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a Lenten pie. That is
something stale and gray with age before it is used up.

An old gray hare,
And an old gray hare,
Is very good meat in Lent;
But a hare that is gray
Is too much to be billed
When it ages before it used up.
Romeo, will you come to your father's? We'll have dinner there.

ROM:

I will follow you.

ROM:

I will follow you.

MER:

Farewell, ancient Lady. Farewell, lady, lady, lady.

MER:

Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, lady, lady, lady.

Sings

Exeunt Mercutio, Benvolio.

NURSE:

Marry, farewell! I pray you, sir, what saucy merchant
was this that was so full of his ropery?

NURSE:

By Mary, farewell! Please, sir, what rude salesman was
this that was so full of his own trickery?

ROM:

A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk and(135)
will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a
month.

ROM:

A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk, and
will speak more in a minute than you think should do for a month.

NURSE:

An’ a speak anything against me, I'll take him down,
an’ a were lustier than he is, and twenty such jacks; and
if I cannot, I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am(140)
none of his flirt-gills; I am none of his skains-mates. And
thou must stand by too, and suffer every knave to use me
at his pleasure!

NURSE:

If he speaks anything against me, I'll take him down, even if he
were lustier than he is, and twenty such Jacks; and if I cannot,
I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his
women with loose behavior. I’m not one of his buddies. And you just
stand by too, and suffer every knave to use me at his pleasure!

PETER:

I saw no man use you at his pleasure. If I had, my
weapon should quickly have been out, I warrant you. I(145)
dare draw as soon as another man, if I see occasion in a
good quarrel, and the law on my side.

PETER:

I saw no man use you at his pleasure; if I had, my weapon
should quickly have been out, I guarantee you. I would 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 bid me enquire you out.(150)
What she bid 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 gentle woman is young; and there-fore, if
you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill(155)
thing to be off'red to any gentlewoman, and very weak
dealing.

NURSE:

Now, before God, I am so annoyed that every part about me
quivers. Scurvy knave! Please, sir, a word. And as I told
you, my young lady asks me to find you. What she asked me to say,
I will keep to myself. but first let me tell you, if you should lead
her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it is a very gross
kind of behavior, as they say, for the gentlewoman is young;
and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it is
an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak
dealing on your part.

ROM:

Nurse, commend me to thy lady and mistress. I pro-
test unto thee—

ROM:

Nurse, commend me to your lady and mistress. I must protest
your comments

NURSE:

Good heart, and i’ faith I will tell her as much.(160)
Lord, Lord! she will be a joyful woman.

NURSE:

Good heart, and in 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.

ROM:

What will you tell her, nurse? You don’t understand me.

NURSE:

I will tell her, sir, that you do protest, which, as I
take it, is a gentlemanlike offer.(165)

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 shrift
This afternoon;
And there she shall at Friar Laurence’ cell
Be shriv'd and married. Here is for thy pains.

ROM:

Bid her devise some means to come to confession
This afternoon;
And there she shall, at Friar Lawrence' cell,
Make her confession and married. Here is something for your pains.

NURSE:

No, truly, sir; not a penny.(170)

NURSE:

No, truly, sir; not a penny.

ROM:

Go to! I say you shall.

ROM:

Come on, I say you shall take it.

NURSE:

This afternoon, sir? Well, she shall be there.

NURSE:

This afternoon, sir? Well, she’ll 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,(175)
Which to the high topgallant 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.

ROM:

And wait, good nurse, behind the abbey wall.
Within this hour, my man shall be with you,
And bring you a rope ladder;
Which must be my way to the highest point
Of my joy in the secret night.
Farewell; be trusty, and I'll pay you well.
Farewell; commend me to your mistress.

NURSE:

Now God in heaven bless thee! Hark you, sir.(180)

NURSE:

Now God in heaven bless you! Listen, sir.

ROM:

What say'st thou, my dear nurse?

ROM:

What did you say, my dear nurse?

NURSE:

Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear say,
Two may keep counsel, putting one away?

NURSE:

Can your man keep a secret? Have you never heard the saying,
Two may keep counsel, putting the other one away?

ROM:

I warrant thee my man's as true as steel.

ROM:

I guarantee you, my man is as true as steel.

NURSE:

Well, sir, my mistress is the sweetest lady. Lord,(185)
Lord! when 'twas a little prating thing—O, there is a
nobleman in town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife
aboard; but she, good soul, had as lieve see a toad, a
very toad, as see him. I anger her sometimes, and tell her
that Paris is the properer man; but I'll warrant you, when(190)
I say so, she looks as pale as any clout in the versal
world. Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a
letter?

NURSE:

Well, sir; my mistress is the sweetest lady. Lord, Lord!
when she was a little chatterbox, O, there's a nobleman in
town, one Paris, that would gladly like her attention; but she, good
soul, would rather see a toad, a very toad, than to see him. I anger
her sometimes, and tell her that Paris is the more proper man; but
I'll guarantee you, when I say so, she looks as pale as any linen
in the whole, wide world. Doesn’t “rosemary” and “Romeo” begin with
the same letter?

ROM:

Ay, nurse; what of that? Both with an R.

ROM:

Yes, nurse; what of that? Both begin with an R.

NURSE:

Ah, mocker! that's the dog's name. R is for the—No; I(195)
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.

NURSE:

Ah, joker! That's the dog's name. R is for the dog! No, I
know it begins with some other letter. and she has the
prettiest proverbs of it, of you and rosemary, that it would
do you good to hear it.

ROM:

Commend me to thy lady.

ROM:

Commend me to your lady.

NURSE:

Ay, a thousand times. Exit Romeo. Peter!(200)

NURSE:

Yes, a thousand times. [Exit Romeo.] Peter!

PETER:

Anon.

PETER:

Yes?

NURSE:

Peter, take my fan, and go before, and apace.

NURSE:

Peter, take my fan, and go before me.

Exeunt.