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Upon the maid she waiteth still; to her she doth bewray

Her new receivéd wound, and then her aid doth crave,

In her, she saith, it lies to spill, in her, her life to save.

Not easily she made the froward nurse to bow,

But won at length with promised hire, she made a solemn vow.

To do what she commands, as handmaid of her hest;

Her mistress' secrets hide she will within her covert breast.

To Romeus she goes; of him she doth desire

To know the mean of marriage, by counsel of the friar.

"On Saturday," quod he, "if Juliet come to shrift,

She shall be shrived and marriéd; how like you, nurse, this drift?"

"Now by my truth," quod she, "God's blessing have your heart,

For yet in all my life I have not heard of such a part.

Lord, how you young men can such crafty wiles devise,

If that you love the daughter well, to blear the mother's eyes.

An easy thing it is with cloak of holiness

To mock the seely mother, that suspecteth nothing less.

But that it pleaséd you to tell me of the case,

For all my many years, perhaps, I should have found it scarce.

Now for the rest let me and Juliet alone;

To get her leave, some feat excuse I will devise anon;

For that her golden locks by sloth have been unkempt,

Or for unwares some wanton dream the youthful damsel drempt,

Or for in thoughts of love her idle time she spent,

Or otherwise within her heart deservéd to be shent.

I know her mother will in no case say her nay;

I warrant you, she shall not fail to come on Saturday."

And then she swears to him, the mother loves her well;

And how she gave her suck in youth, she leaveth not to tell.

"A pretty babe," quod she, "it was when it was young;

Lord, how it could full prettily have prated with it tongue!

A thousand times and more I laid her on my lap,

And clapped her on the buttock soft, and kissed where I did clap.

And gladder then was I of such a kiss, forsooth,

Than I had been to have a kiss of some old lecher's mouth."

And thus of Juliet's youth began this prating nurse,

And of her present state to make a tedious, long discourse.

For though he pleasure took in hearing of his love,

The message' answer seeméd him to be of more behove.

But when these beldames sit at ease upon their tail,

The day and eke the candle-light before their talk shall fail.

And part they say is true, and part they do devise,

Yet boldly do they chat of both, when no man checks their lies.

Then he six crowns of gold out of his pocket drew,

And gave them her; "A slight reward," quod he, "and so, adieu."

In seven years twice told she had not bowed so low

Her crooked knees, as now they bow; she swears she will bestow

Her crafty wit, her time, and all her busy pain,

To help him to his hopéd bliss; and, cow'ring down again,

She takes her leave, and home she hies with speedy pace;

The chamber door she shuts, and then she saith with smiling face:

"Good news for thee, my girl, good tidings I thee bring.

Leave off thy wonted song of care, and now of pleasure sing.

For thou may'st hold thyself the happiest under sun,

That in so little while, so well, so worthy a knight hast won.

The best y-shaped is he, and hath the fairest face

Of all this town, and there is none hath half so good a grace:

So gentle of his speech, and of his counsel wise":

And still with many praises more she heaved him to the skies.

"Tell me else what," quod she, "this evermore I thought;

But of our marriage, say at once, what answer have you brought"

"Nay, soft," quoth she, "I fear your hurt by sudden joy."

"I list not play," quod Juliet, "although thou list to toy."

How glad, trow you, was she, when she had heard her say,

No farther off than Saturday deferréd was the day!

Again the ancient nurse doth speak of Romeus,

"And then," said she, "he spake to me, and then I spake him thus."

Nothing was done or said that she hath left untold,

Save only one, that she forgot, the taking of the gold.

"There is no loss," quod she, "sweet wench, to loss of time,

Ne in thine age shalt thou repent so much of any