Juliet.
Fortune! Men call thee oft a fickle hussey,
And say thou act's like one that's downright muzzy;
O still be fickle! whether right or wrong;
And don't in Mantua keep my Romeo long. Enter Lady Capulet.

Lady.
Hollo, Miss Lazybones! Ho! are you waking?

Juliet.
Yes.

Lady.
Why d'ye cry?

Juliet.
Because my head is aching.

Lady.
'Tis wrong to wail and rant about your cousin much,
I shoudn't care if we had lost a dozen such.

Juliet.
Doctors will differ,—so do you and I.

Lady.
I've joyful news to tell you by and bye.

Juliet.
Tell it at once.

Lady.
Well then, next Thursday morn,
Paris, the German Count,—young, nobly born,
Gay, brisk and handsome, both in form and feature,
Will wed thee at the Church of old St. Peter.

Juliet.
Such sudden matches there is no supporting;
Why Ma'am, he has not even come a courting!
Pray tell Papa I cannot marry yet.

Lady.
Tell him yourself; he'll finely fume and fret:
See, here he comes. Enter Capulet and Nurse.

Capulet.
Well, wife, what says the lass?

Lady.
She thanks you, but won't marry.

Capulet.
What an Ass!
This noble match she ought to be quite proud of;
For fame the youthful German Count speaks loud of.

Juliet.
I can't be proud, because I do not like it:
Thank you, the bargain's bad, so I'll not strike it.

Capulet.
None of your thanks: next Thursday without fail,
Go to St. Peters, or at a Cart's tail
I'll have thee dragged there.

Juliet.
Oh! don't be so cruel.

Nurse.
Sir, you're too hot, and vent out too much fuel.

Capulet.
Silence, old fool! thy words are out of season:
Wife, I'm quite mad, the jade has turned my reason:
Turn out of doors you wench and lie i' the street,
And ne'er come back again to drink or eat.

Juliet.
I shall be soon as thin as a grasshopper.

Capulet.
Well! you may starve, Miss, I don't care a copper.

Juliet.
Dear Mother! stay the match a month or two.

Lady.
Not I; so wed or starve.

Juliet.
What shall I do?

Nurse.
I have it;—Romeo cannot now come back,
On pain of a sound whipping and the rack,
Unless by stealth; marry the Count also;
'Tis best;—for then you'll have two strings t' your bow.

Juliet.
Why I must own I should much like to do it,
But Romeo would be savage if he knew it.
Go, tell my Mother 'tis my resolution
To seek a Priest.

Nurse.
That's right—get absolution. [Exit.

Juliet.
I'll to the Friar, to know what's to be done.
Should all else fail; I'll die, or else turn nun.
To Love full many a lass has died a martyr;
Therefore I'll hang myself up in my garter:
If 'tis too short, I'll steal one from my mother:
I've only one, for Romeo has the other. [Exit.

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