Mercutio.
Mer.
Where note the devil note should this Romeo be? Came
he not home to-night?
Ben.
Not to his father's; I spoke with his man. note
Mer.
Ah note, that same pale hard-hearted wench, that Rosaline,
Torments him so that he will sure run mad note.
-- 51 --
Ben.
Tybalt, the kinsman note to note old Capulet,
Hath sent a letter to his father's house note.
Mer.
A challenge, on my life.
Ben.
Romeo will answer it.
Mer.
Any man that can write may answer a letter.
Ben.
Nay, he will answer the letter's master, how he
dares, being dared.
Mer.
Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead! stabbed
with a white wench's black eye; shot note thorough note the ear with
a love-song; the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind
bow-boy's butt-shaft: and is he a man to encounter Tybalt?
Ben. note
Why, what is Tybalt?
Mer.
More than prince note of cats, I can tell you. O note, he's note
the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as you
sing prick-song note, keeps time, distance and proportion;
rests me his minim rest note, one, two, and the third in your
bosom: the very note butcher of a silk button, a duellist note, a duellist;
a gentleman of the very first house, of the first and
second cause: ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso!
the hai! note
Ben.
The what?
Mer.
The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting note fantasticoes note;
these new tuners note of accents note! ‘By Jesu note, a very good
-- 52 --
blade! a very tall man! a very good whore!’ Why, is
not this a lamentable thing, grandsire, that we should be
thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers,
these perdona-mi's note, who stand so much on the new form
that they note cannot sit at ease on the old bench? O, their
bones, their bones note!
Enter Romeo. note
Ben.
Here comes Romeo note, here comes Romeo.
Mer.
Without his roe, like a dried herring: O flesh,
flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers
that Petrarch note flowed in: Laura to his lady was but note a kitchen-wench;
marry, she had a better love to be-rhyme her; Dido,
a dowdy; Cleopatra, a gipsy; Helen and Hero, hildings note and
harlots; Thisbe, a grey eye or so, but not note to the purpose.
Signior Romeo, bon jour note! there's a French salutation to your
French slop note. You gave us the counterfeit fairly last night note.
Rom.
Good morrow to you both. What counterfeit
did I give you?
Mer.
The slip, sir, the slip; can you not conceive?
Rom.
Pardon, good note Mercutio, my business was great;
and in such a case as mine a man may strain courtesy note.
Mer.
That's as much as to say, Such a case as yours
constrains a man to bow in the hams.
Rom.
Meaning, to court'sy note.
-- 53 --
Mer.
Thou hast most kindly hit it.
Rom.
A most courteous note exposition.
Mer.
Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy.
Rom.
Pink for flower.
Mer.
Right.
Rom.
Why, then is my pump well flowered.
Mer.
Well said: note follow me this jest now, till thou hast
worn out thy pump, that, when the single sole of it is worn,
the jest may remain, after the wearing, solely note singular.
Rom.
O single-soled jest, solely singular for the singleness note!
Mer.
Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits faint note.
Rom.
Switch and spurs, switch note and spurs; or I'll note cry a
match note.
Mer.
Nay, if thy wits note run the wild-goose note chase, I have note
done; for thou hast more of the wild-goose note in one of thy
wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five: was I with
you there for the goose?
Rom.
Thou wast note never with me for any thing when
thou wast not there for the goose.
Mer.
I will bite thee by the ear for that jest.
Rom.
Nay, good goose, bite not.
Mer.
Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting note; it is a most
sharp sauce note.
Rom.
And is it not well note served in to note a sweet goose?
-- 54 --
Mer.
O, here's a wit of cheveril, that stretches from an
inch narrow to an ell broad!
Rom.
I stretch it out for that word ‘broad;’ which added
to the goose, proves thee note far and wide a broad note goose.
Mer.
Why, is not this better now note than groaning for
love? now art thou sociable note, now art thou Romeo; now art
thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature: for this
drivelling love is like a great natural, that runs lolling up
and down to hide note his bauble note in a hole.
Ben.
Stop there, stop there.
Mer.
Thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the
hair.
Ben.
Thou wouldst else have made thy tale large.
Mer.
O, thou art deceived; I would have made it
short: for note I was come to the whole depth of my tale, and
meant indeed to occupy the argument no longer note.
Rom.
Here's goodly gear!
Enter note Nurse and Peter.
Mer.
A sail, a sail! note
Ben. note
Two, two; a shirt and a smock.
Nurse.
Peter!
Peter.
Anon?
Nurse.
My fan, Peter.
Mer.
Good note Peter, to hide her face; note for her fan's the
fairer of the two note.
Nurse.
God ye good morrow, gentlemen.
Mer.
God ye good den, fair gentlewoman note.
Nurse.
Is it note good den?
-- 55 --
Mer.
'Tis no less, I tell you note; for the bawdy hand of
the dial is now upon the prick of noon.
Nurse.
Out upon you! what a man are you!
Rom.
One, gentlewoman, that God hath made himself note
to mar.
Nurse.
By my troth, it is well said note; ‘for himself to
mar,’ quoth a' note? Gentlemen note, can any of you tell me where
I may find the note 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 note be he, sir, I desire some confidence with
you.
Ben.
She will indite note him to some note 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.
[Sings. note
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 note. note
Romeo, will you come to your father's? we'll to dinner
thither.
-- 56 --
Rom.
I will follow you.
Mer.
Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, [singing note] ‘lady,
lady, lady.’
[Exeunt note Mercutio and Benvolio.
Nurse.
Marry, farewell! note I pray you, sir, what saucy
merchant was this, that was so full of his ropery note?
Rom.
A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear note himself
talk, and will speak more in a minute than he will stand
to note in a month.
Nurse.
An note a' speak any thing against me, I'll take
him down, an note 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 note flirt-gills note; I am none of his skainsmates note.
[Turning to Peter note] 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 bade me inquire
you out; what she bade note me say, I will keep to myself: but
first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a note fool's paradise,
as they say, it were a very gross kind of behaviour, as
they say: for the gentlewoman note is young, and therefore, if
you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill
-- 57 --
thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak note
dealing.
Rom. note
Nurse, note commend me to thy lady and mistress.
I protest unto note thee— note
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. note
Nurse.
I will tell her, sir, that you do protest; which,
as I take it, is a note gentlemanlike offer.
Rom.
Bid her devise
Some means to come to shrift this afternoon; note
And there she shall at Friar Laurence' note cell
Be shrived 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 note, good nurse, behind the abbey-wall: note
Within this hour my man shall be with thee,
And bring thee note cords made like a tackled note stair;
Which to the high top-gallant of my joy
Must be my convoy in the secret night.
Farewell; be trusty, and I'll quit note thy pains:
Farewell; commend me to thy mistress note. note
Nurse.
Now God in heaven bless thee! Hark you, sir.
Rom.
What say'st note thou, my dear nurse?
Nurse.
Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear note say,
-- 58 --
Two may keep counsel, putting one away? note note
Rom.
I warrant note thee, my man's note 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 lief note see a note toad, a very
toad, as see him. I anger note her note 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 note world.
Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter?
Rom.
Ay, nurse; what of that? both with an R.
Nurse.
Ah, note mocker! that's the dog's name; note R is for
the—No; note I know it begins with some note other letter—and
she hath the prettiest sententious of it, of you and rosemary,
that it would note do you good to hear it.
Rom.
Commend me to thy lady. note
Nurse.
Ay note, a thousand times. [Exit Romeo. note] Peter! note
Pet.
Anon! note
Nurse.
Peter, take my fan, and go before, and apace. note note
[Exeunt. note
-- 59 --
note
William Aldis Wright [1863–1866], The works of William Shakespeare edited by William George Clark... and John Glover [and William Aldis Wright] (Macmillan and Co., London) [word count] [S10701].
