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Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed

Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

1310 Enter Iuliet.
Iu. The clocke strooke nine when I did send the Nurse,
In halfe an houre she promised to returne,
Perchance she cannot meete him, thats not so:
Oh she is lame, loues heraulds should be thoughts,
1315Which ten times faster glides then the Suns beames,
Driuing backe shadowes ouer lowring hills.
Therefore do nimble piniond doues draw loue,
And therefore hath the wind swift Cupid wings:
Now is the Sun vpon the highmost hill,
1320Of this dayes iourney, and from nine till twelue,
Is there long houres, yet she is not come,
Had she affections and warme youthfull bloud,
She
of Romeo and Iuliet.
She would be as swift in motion as a ball,
My words would bandie her to my sweete loue.
1325 M. And his to me, but old folks, many fain as they wer dead,
Vnwieldie, slowe, heauie, and pale as lead.
Enter Nurse.
O God she comes, ô hony Nurse what newes?
1330Hast thou met with him? send thy man away.
Nur. Peter stay at the gate.
Iu. Now good sweete Nurse, O Lord, why lookest thou sad?
Though newes be sad, yet tell them merily.
1335If good, thou shamest the musicke of sweete newes,
By playing it to me, with so sower a face.
Nur. I am a wearie, giue me leaue a while,
Fie how my bones ake, what a iaunce haue I?
Iu. I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy newes:
1340Nay come I pray thee speake, good good Nurse speake.
Nur. Iesu what haste, can you not stay a while?
Do you not see that I am out of breath?
Iu. How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath
To say to me, that thou art out of breath?
1345The excuse that thou doest make in this delay,
Is longer then the tale thou doest excuse.
Is thy newes good or bad? answere to that,
Say either, and ile stay the circumstance:
Let me be satisfied, ist good or bad?
1350 Nur. Well, you haue made a simple choyse, you know not
how to chuse a man: Romeo, no not he though his face be bet-
ter then any mans, yet his leg excels all mens, and for a hand
and a foote and a body, though they be not to be talkt on, yet
they are past compare: he is not the flower of curtesie, but ile
1355warrant him, as gentle as a lamme: go thy wayes wench, serue
God. What haue you dinde at home?
Iu. No, no. But all this did I know before.
What sayes he of our marriage, what of that?
Nur. Lord how my head akes, what a head haue I?
1360It beates as it would fall in twentie peeces.
F My
The most lamentable Tragedie
My back a tother side, a my backe, my backe:
Beshrewe your heart for sending me about
To catch my death with iaunsing vp and downe.
Iu. Ifaith I am sorrie that thou art not well.
1365Sweete, sweete, sweete Nurse, tell me what sayes my loue?
Nur. Your loue sayes like an honest gentleman,
And a Courteous, and a kinde, and a handsome,
And I warrant a vertuous, where is your mother?
Iu. Where is my mother, why she is within, wher shuld she be?
How odly thou repliest:
Your loue sayes like an honest gentleman,
Where is your mother?
Nur. O Gods lady deare,
1375Are you so hot, marrie come vp I trow,
Is this the poultis for my aking bones:
Henceforward do your messages your selfe.
Iu. Heres such a coyle, come what saies Romeo?
Nur. Haue you got leaue to go to shrift to day?
1380Iu. I haue.
Nur. Then high you hence to Frier Lawrence Cell,
There stayes a husband to make you a wife:
Now comes the wanton bloud vp in your cheekes,
Theile be in scarlet straight at any newes:
1385Hie you to Church, I must an other way,
To fetch a Ladder by the which your loue
Must climbe a birds neast soone when it is darke,
I am the drudge, and toyle in your delight:
But you shall beare the burthen soone at night.
1390Go ile to dinner, hie you to the Cell.
Iuli. Hie to high fortune,honest Nurse farewell.
Exeunt.
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