via; Signior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena. A fair assembly; [Gives back the note]. Whither should they come? Serv. Up. Rom. Whither? Serv. To supper; to our house. Rom. Whose house? Serv. My master's. Rom. Indeed, I should have asked you that before. Serv. Now I'll tell you without asking: My master is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup wine. Rest you merry. of [Exit, Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun And she shall scant show well, that now shows best. Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own. [Exeunt. SCENE III.A room in CAPULET's house. Enter Lady CAPULET and Nurse. La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. Nurse. Now, by my maiden-head,—at twelve year old, I bade her come.-What, lamb! what, lady-bird !— God forbid !—where's this girl?-what, Juliet! Enter JULIEt. Jul. How now, who calls? Nurse. Your mother. Jul. Madam, I am here. What is your will? La. Cap. This is the matter:-Nurse, give leave a while, We must talk in secret.-Nurse, come back again; Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Nurse. I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, And yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four,She is not fourteen: How long is it now To Lammas-tide? La. Cap. A fortnight, and odd days. Nurse. Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night, shall she be fourteen. Susan, and she,-God rest all Christian souls !— Were of an age.-Well, Susan is with God; And since that time it is eleven years : For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood, For even the day before, she broke her brow : I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it; Wilt thou not, Jule? quoth he: And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said—Ay. La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse. Yes, madam; Yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say-Ay: And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nurs'd: La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme Jul. It is an honour, that I dream not of. Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse, I'd say, thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat. La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, I was your mother much upon these years, That you are now a maid. Thus then, in brief;- Nurse. A man, young lady! lady, such a man, La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower. La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gentle man? This night you shall behold him at our feast: Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face, And see how one another lends content; This precious book of love, this unbound lover, Nurse. No less? nay, bigger; women grow by men. But no more deep will I endart mine eye, Enter a Servant. Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight. La. Cap. We follow thee.-Juliet, the county stays. Nurse. Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days. [Exeunt. |