352Wife Nurse wher's my daughter? call her forth to me.

353Nurse. Now by my Maidenhead, at twelue yeare old

354I bad her come, what Lamb: what Ladi-bird, God forbid,

355Where's this Girle? what Iuliet?

357Iuliet. How now, who calls?

358Nur. Your Mother.

359Iuliet. Madam I am heere, what is your will?

360Wife. This is the matter: Nurse giue leaue awhile, we

56 The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet.

361must talke in secret. Nurse come backe againe, I haue re-

362membred me, thou'se heare our counsell. Thou knowest

363my daughter's of a prety age.

364Nurse. Faith I can tell her age vnto an houre.

365Wife. Shee's not fourteene.

366Nurse. Ile lay fourteene of my teeth,

367And yet to my teene be it spoken,

368I haue but foure, shee's not fourteene.

369How long is it now to Lammas tide?

370Wife. A fortnight and odde dayes.

371Nurse. Euen or odde, of all daies in the yeare come

372Lammas Eue at night shall she be fourteene. Susan & she,

373God rest all Christian soules, were of an age. Well Susan

374is with God, she was too good for me. But as I said, on La-

375mas Eue at night shall she be fourteene, that shall she ma-

376rie, I remember it well. 'Tis since the Earth-quake now

377eleuen yeares, and she was wean'd I neuer shall forget it,

378of all the daies of the yeare, vpon that day: for I had then

379laid Worme-wood to my Dug sitting in the Sunne vnder

380the Douehouse wall, my Lord and you were then at

381Mantua, nay I doe beare a braine. But as I said, when it

382did tast the Worme-wood on the nipple of my Dugge,

383and felt it bitter, pretty foole, to see it teachie, and fall out

384with the Dugge, Shake quoth the Doue-house, 'twas no

385neede I trow to bid mee trudge: and since that time it is

386a eleuen yeares, for then she could stand alone, nay bi'th'

387roode she could haue runne, & wadled all about: for euen

388the day before she broke her brow, & then my Husband

389God be with his soule, a was a merrie man, tooke vp the

390Child, yea quoth hee, doest thou fall vpon thy face? thou

391wilt fall backeward when thou hast more wit, wilt thou

392not Iule? And by my holy-dam, the pretty wretch lefte

393crying, & said I: to see now how a Iest shall come about.

394I warrant, & I shall liue a thousand yeares, I neuer should

395forget it: wilt thou not Iulet quoth he? and pretty foole it

396stinted, and said I.

397Old La. Inough of this, I pray thee hold thy peace.

398Nurse. Yes Madam, yet I cannot chuse but laugh, to

399thinke it should leaue crying, & say I: and yet I warrant

400it had vpon it brow, a bumpe as big as a young Cockrels

401stone? A perilous knock, and it cryed bitterly. Yea quoth

402my husband, fall'st vpon thy face, thou wilt fall back-

403ward when thou commest to age: wilt thou not Iule? It

404stinted: and said I.

405Iule. And stint thou too, I pray thee Nurse, say I.

406Nur. Peace I haue done: God marke thee too his grace

407thou wast the prettiest Babe that ere I nurst, and I might

408liue to see thee married once, I haue my wish.

409Old La. Marry that marry is the very theame

410I came to talke of, tell me daughter Iuliet,

411How stands your disposition to be Married?

412Iuli. It is an houre that I dreame not of.

413Nur. An houre, were not I thine onely Nurse, I would

414say thou had'st suckt wisedome from thy teat.

415Old La. Well thinke of marriage now, yonger then you

416Heere in Verona, Ladies of esteeme,

417Are made already Mothers. By my count

418I was your Mother, much vpon these yeares

419That you are now a Maide, thus then in briefe:

420The valiant Paris seekes you for his loue.

421Nurse. A man young Lady, Lady, such a man as all

422the world. Why hee's a man of waxe.

423Old La. Veronas Summer hath not such a flower.

424Nurse. Nay hee's a flower, infaith a very flower.

425Old La: What say you, can you loue the Gentleman?

426This night you shall behold him at our Feast,

427Read ore the volume of young Paris face,

428And find delight, writ there with Beauties pen:

429Examine euery seuerall liniament,

430And see how one another lends content:

431And what obscur'd in this faire volume lies,

432Find written in the Margent of his eyes.

433This precious Booke of Loue, this vnbound Louer,

434To Beautifie him, onely lacks a Couer.

435The fish liues in the Sea, and 'tis much pride

436For faire without, the faire within to hide:

437That Booke in manies eyes doth share the glorie,

438That in Gold claspes, Lockes in the Golden storie:

439So shall you share all that he doth possesse,

440By hauing him, making your selfe no lesse.

441Nurse. No lesse, nay bigger: women grow by men.

442Old La. Speake briefly, can you like of Paris loue?

443Iuli. Ile looke to like, if looking liking moue.

444But no more deepe will I endart mine eye,

445Then your consent giues strength to make flye.

447Ser. Madam, the guests are come, supper seru'd vp, you

448cal'd, my young Lady askt for, the Nurse cur'st in the Pan-

449tery, and euery thing in extremitie: I must hence to wait, I

450beseech you follow straight. Exit.

451Mo. We follow thee, Iuliet, the Countie staies.

452Nurse. Goe Gyrle, seeke happie nights to happy daies.