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In mind to ask if she her purpose yet did hold,

In mind also, apart 'twixt them, her duty to have told;

Wherefore with pleasant face, and with unwonted cheer,

As soon as she was unto her approachéd somewhat near,

Before the mother spake, thus did she first begin:

"Madam, at Saint Francis' church have I this morning bin,

Where I did make abode a longer while, percase,

Than duty would; yet have I not been absent from this place

So long a while, without a great and just cause why;

This fruit have I receivéd there -- my heart, erst like to die,

Is now revived again, and my afflicted breast,

Releaséd from affliction, restoréd is to rest!

For lo, my troubled ghost, alas, too sore dis-eased,

By ghostly counsel and advice hath Friar Laurence eased;

To whom I did at large discourse my former life,

And in confession did I tell of all our passéd strife;

Of County Paris' suit, and how my lord, my sire,

By my ungrate and stubborn strife I stirréd unto ire;

But lo, the holy friar hath by his ghostly lore

Made me another woman now than I had been before.

By strength of arguments he chargéd so my mind,

That, though I sought, no sure defence my searching thought could find.

So forced I was at length to yield up witless will,

And promised to be ordered by the friar's praiséd skill.

Wherefore, albeit I had rashly, long before,

The bed and rites of marriage for many years forswore,

Yet mother, now behold your daughter at your will,

Ready, if you command her aught, your pleasure to fulfil.

Wherefore in humble wise, dear madam, I you pray,

To go unto my lord and sire, withouten long delay;

Of him first pardon crave of faults already past,

And show him, if it pleaseth you, his child is now at last

Obedient to his just and to his skilful hest,

And that I will, God lending life, on Wednesday next be prest

To wait on him and you, unto th'appointed place,

Where I will, in your hearing, and before my father's face,

Unto the County give my faith and whole assent,

And take him for my lord and spouse; thus fully am I bent;

And that out of your mind I may remove all doubt,

Unto my closet fare I now, to search and to choose out

The bravest garments and the richest jewels there,

Which, better him to please, I mind on Wednesday next to wear;

For if I did excel the famous Grecian rape,

Yet might attire help to amend my beauty and my shape."

The simple mother was rapt into great delight;

Not half a word could she bring forth, but in this joyful plight

With nimble foot she ran, and with unwonted pace,

Unto her pensive husband, and to him with pleasant face

She told what she had heard, and praiseth much the friar,

And joyful tears ran down the cheeks of this gray-bearded sire.

With hands and eyes heaved up he thanks God in his heart,

And then he saith: "This is not, wife, the friar's first desert;

Oft hath he showed to us great friendship heretofore,

By helping us at needful times with wisdom's precious lore.

In all our commonweal scarce one is to be found

But is, for some good turn, unto this holy father bound.

Oh that the third part of my goods -- I do not feign --

But twenty of his passéd years might purchase him again!

So much in recompense of friendship would I give,

So much, in faith, his extreme age my friendly heart doth grieve."

These said, the glad old man from home go'th straight abroad

And to the stately palace hieth where Paris made abode;

Whom he desires to be on Wednesday next his geast,

At Freetown, where he minds to make for him a costly feast.

But lo, the earl saith, such feasting were but lost,

And counsels him till marriage-time to spare so great a cost,

For then he knoweth well the charges will be great;

The whilst, his heart desireth still her sight, and not his meat.

He craves of Capulet that he may straight go see

Fair Juliet; whereto he doth right willingly agree.

The mother, warned before, her daughter doth prepare;

She warneth and she chargeth her that in no wise she spare

Her courteous speech, her pleasant looks, and comely grace,

But liberally