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Nurse. By my troth, it is well said. 'For himself to mar,' quoth

'a? Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I may find the young Romeo?

Rom. I can tell you; but young Romeo will be older when you have

found him than he was when you sought him. I am the youngest of

that name, for fault of a worse.

Nurse. You say well.

Mer. Yea, is the worst well? Very well took, i' faith! wisely, wisely.

Nurse. If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you.

Ben. She will endite him to some supper.

Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho!

Rom. What hast thou found?

Mer. No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a lenten pie, that is

something stale and hoar ere it be spent

He walks by them and sings.

An old hare hoar,

And an old hare hoar,

Is very good meat in Lent;

But a hare that is hoar

Is too much for a score

When it hoars ere it be spent.

Romeo, will you come to your father's? We'll to dinner thither.

Rom. I will follow you.

Mer. Farewell, ancient lady. Farewell,

[sings] lady, lady, lady.

Exeunt Mercutio, Benvolio.

Nurse. Marry, farewell! I Pray you, Sir, what saucy merchant was

this that was so full of his ropery?

Rom. A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk and will

speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month.

Nurse. An 'a speak anything against me, I'll take him down, an 'a

were lustier than he is, and twenty such jacks; and if I

cannot,

I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his

flirt-gills; I am none of his skains-mates. And thou must stand

by too, and suffer every knave to use me at his pleasure!

Peter. I saw no man use you at his pleasure. If I had, my weapon

should quickly have been out, I warrant you. I dare draw as soon

as another man, if I see occasion in a good quarrel, and the law on my side.

Nurse. Now, afore God, I am so vexed that every part about me

quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, sir, a word; and, as I told you,

my young lady bid me enquire you out. What she bid me say, I will

keep to myself; but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her

into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of

behaviour, as they say; for the gentlewoman is young; and

therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an

ill thing to be off'red to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing.

Rom. Nurse, commend me to thy lady and mistress. I protest unto

thee-

Nurse. Good heart, and i' faith I will tell her as much. Lord,

Lord! she will be a joyful woman.

Rom. What wilt thou tell her, nurse? Thou dost not mark me.

Nurse. I will tell her, sir, that you do protest, which, as I take

it, is a gentlemanlike offer.

Rom. Bid her devise

Some means to come to shrift this afternoon;

And there she shall at Friar Laurence' cell

Be shriv'd and married. Here is for thy pains.

Nurse. No, truly, sir; not a penny.

Rom. Go to! I say you shall.

Nurse. This afternoon, sir? Well, she shall be there.

Rom. And stay, good nurse, behind the abbey wall.

Within this hour my man shall be with thee

And bring thee cords made like a tackled stair,

Which to the high topgallant of my joy

Must be my convoy in the secret night.

Farewell. Be trusty, and I'll quit thy pains.

Farewell. Commend me to thy mistress.

Nurse. Now God in heaven bless thee! Hark you, sir.

Rom. What say'st thou, my dear nurse?

Nurse. Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear say,

Two may keep counsel, putting one away?

Rom. I warrant thee my man's as true as steel.

Nurse. Well, sir, my mistress is the sweetest lady. Lord, Lord!

when 'twas a little prating thing- O, there is a nobleman in

town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife aboard; but she, good

soul, had as lieve see a toad, a very toad, as see him. I anger

her sometimes, and tell her that Paris is the properer man; but

I'll warrant you, when I say so, she looks as pale as any clout

in the versal world. Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter?

Rom. Ay, nurse; what of that? Both with an R.

Nurse. Ah, mocker!