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Romeo. Pardon good Mercutio, my bufineffe was great, and in fuch a cafe as mine, a man may ftraine curtefie.

Mer. That as much as to fay, fuch a cafe as yours conftrains a man to bow in the hams.

Romeo. Meaning to curfie.

Mer. Thou haft most kindly hit it.

Rom. A moft curteous expofition.

Mer, Nay I am the very pincke of curtefie:
Romeo. Pinck for flower.

Mer. Right.

Rom. Why then is my pump well flowered.

Mer. Sure wit, follow me this ieaft, now till thou haft worne out thy pump, that when the single fole of it is worne, the ieaft may remaine after the wearing, foly fingular.

Ro. O fingle folde ieast, foly fingular for the fingleneffe, Mer. Come betweene vs good Benuolio, my wits* faints. Ro. Swits and fpurs, fwits and spurs, or Ile crie a match. Mer. Nay, if our wits run the wild goofe chafe, I am done : for thou haft more of the wild goofe in one of thy wits, then I am fure I haue in my whole fiue. Was I with you there for the goofe?

Ro. Thou waft neuer with mee for any thing, when thou waft not there for the goofe.

Mer. I will bite thee by the eare for that ieast.

Re. Nay good goose bite not.

Mer. Thy wit is a very bitter fweting, it is a most sharp fawce.

Ro. And is it not well feru'd in to a sweet goofe?

Mer. Oh here's a wit of cheuerell, that ftretches from an ynch narrow, to an ell broad.

Ro. I ftretch it out for that word, broad, which added to the goofe, proues thee farre and wide, a broad goofe.

Mer. Why is not this better now, then groning for loue,

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now art thou fociable, now art thou Romeo: now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature, for this driueling loue is like a great natural!, that runs lolling vp and downe to hide his bable in a hole.

Ben. Stop there, stop there.

Mer. Thou defireft me to ftop in my tale against the haire. Ben, Thou wouldft elfe haue made thy tale large.

Mer. O thou art deceiu'd, I would haue made it short, for I was come to the whole depth of my tale, and meant indeed to occupie the argument no longer.

Enter Nurfe and her man.

Ro. Heres goodly geare.

A fayle, a fayle.

Mer. Two, two, a shirt and a fmocke.

Nur. Peter:

Peter. Anon.

Nur. My fan Peter.

Mer. Good Peter to hide her face, for her fans the fairer face.

Nurf. God ye good morrow gentlemen.

Mer. God ye gooden faire gentlewoman.

Nur. Is it good den?

Mer. Tis no leffe I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the dyall is now vpon the pricke of noone.

Nur. Out vpon you, what a man are you?

Ro. One gentlewoma, that God hath made, himfelfe to

mar.

Nur. By my troth it is well faid, for himfelfe to mar quath a gētlemē cã any of you tel me wher I may find the yong Romeo?

Ro. I can tell you, but young Romeo will be older when you haue found him, then he was when you fought him: I am the youngest of that name, for fault of a worse.

Nur

Nur. You fay well.

Mer. Yea is the worst wel, very wel took, ifaith, wifely, wifely. Nur. If you be he fir, I defire fome confidence with you. Ben. She will endite him to fome fupper.

Mer. A baud, a baud, a baud.

Ro. What hast thou found ?

So ho.

Mer. No hare fir, vnleife a hare fir in a lenten pie, that is fomething ftale and hoare ere it be spent.

An old hare hoare, and an old hare hoare is very good meat in lent.

But a hare that is hore is too much for a fcore, when it hores ere it be spent,

Romeo will you come to your fathers? weele to dinner thither, Ro. I will follow you.

Mer. Farewell auncient lady, farewell lady, lady, lady.

Exeunt.

Nur. I pray you fir, what fawcie merchant was this that was fo full of his roperie?

Romeo. A gentleman nurfe, that loues to heare himfelfe talke, and will speake more in a minute, then he will stand to in a moneth.

Nur. And a fpeake any thing against me, Ile take him down, and a were luftier then he is, and twentie fuch Iacks: and if I cannot, Ile finde thofe that fhall: fcuruie knaue, I am none of his flurt gils, I am none of his skaines mates, and thou must stand by too and fuffer euery knaue to vse mee at his pleasure.

Pet. I faw no man vse you at his pleafure: if I had, my weapon fhould quickly haue been out, I warrant you, I dare draw affoone as another man, if I fee occafion in a good quar rell, and the law on my fide.

Nur. Now afore God, I am fo vext, that euery part about me quiuers, skuruy knaue: pray you fir a word and as I

:

tbou.

+ bear.

boares.

told

told you, my young lady bid me enquire you out, what she bid me fay, I will keepe to my felfe: but firft let me tell ye, if ye fhould leade her in a fooles paradife, as they fay it were a very groffe kind of behauiour as they say for the gentlewoman is yong: : and therefore, if you should deale double with her, truely it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weake dealing.

Rom. Nurse commend me to thy lady and miftriffe, I protest vnto thee.

:

Nur. Good heart, and yfaith I will tell her as much lord, lord she will bee a ioyful woman.

Ro. What wilt thou tell her nurse? thou doest not marke me? Nur. I will tell her fir, that you doe proteft, which as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer.

Rom. Bid her deuise some meanes to come to fhrift this af

ternoone,

And there fhe fhall at frier Lawrence cell

Be fhriued and married: here is for thy paines.

Nur. No truly fir not a penny.

Rom. Go too, I fay you fhall.

Nur. This afternoone fir, well fhe fhall be there.
Rom. And stay good nurfe behind the abbey wall,
Within this houre my man fhall be with thee,
And bring thee cords made like a tackled* ftaire,
Which to the high top gallant of my ioy,

Muft be my conuoy in the fecret night.
Farewell be truftie and Ile quite thy paines :

Farewell, commend me to thy mistreffe.

Nurfe. Now God in heauen bleffe thee, harke you fir.

Ro. What faift thou my deare nurse?

Nurfe. Is your man fecret, did you nere here fay, two may

keepe counfell putting one away.

Ro. Warrant thee my mans as true as steele.

• tackling.

Re.

Nur. Well fir, my mistresse is the sweetest lady, Lord, Lord, when twas a little prating thing. O there is a noble man in towne one Paris, that would faine lay knife boord: but the good foule had as leeue fee a tode, a very tode as fee him : I anger her fometimes, and tell her that Paris is the properer man, but Ile warant you, when I fay fo, fhee lookes as pale as any clout in the verfall world, doth not rosemarie and Romeo begin both with a letter.

Ro. I nurfe, what of that? Both with an R.

Nur. A mocker that the dogs name. R. is for the no, I know it begins with fome other letter, and the hath the pret tieft fententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you good to heare it.

Rom. Commend me to thy lady.

Nur. I a thousand times. Peter?
Pet. Anon.

Nur. Before and apace..

Exit.

Enter Iuliet.

Iu. The clocke ftrooke nine when I did fend the nurfe, In halfe an houre fne promifed to returne,

Perchance she cannot meete him, thats not fo:

Oh she is lame, loues heraulds fhould be thoughts,
Which ten times fafter glides then the funnes beames,

Driuing back fhadowes ouer lowring hills.

Therefore do nimble piniond doues draw loue,
And therefore hath the wind-fwift Cupid wings:
Now is the fun vpon the highmoft hill

Of this daies iourney, and from nine till twelue,
Is three long houres, yet she is not come,
Had the affections and warme youthfull bloud,
She would be as fwift in motion as a ball,
My words would bandy her to my fweete loue.

M. And

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