ROMEO.
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.
ROMEO.
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.
ROMEO.
Bid her devise some means to come to shrift
This afternoon;
And there she shall at Friar Lawrence' cell
Be shriv'd and married. Here is for thy pains.
NURSE.
No, truly, sir; not a penny.
ROMEO.
Go to; I say you shall.
NURSE.
This afternoon, sir? well, she shall be there.
ROMEO.
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 top-gallant 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.
ROMEO.
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?
ROMEO.
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's a nobleman in
town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife aboard; but she, good
soul, had as lief 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?
ROMEO.
Ay, nurse; what of that? both with an R.
NURSE.
Ah, mocker! that's the dog's name. R is for the dog: no; I
know it begins with some other letter: — and she hath the
prettiest sententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would
do you good to hear it.
ROMEO.
Commend me to thy lady.
NURSE.
Ay, a thousand times. [Exit Romeo.] — Peter!
PETER.
Anon?
NURSE.
Peter, take my fan, and go before.
[Exeunt.]
Glossary
answer it accept it.
captain of compliments in dueling, one who has mastered all the rules and moves.
immortal punning on the moves as both famous and fatal.
passado a forward thrust.
the punto reverso a backhanded thrust.
the hay! term used to indicate that your opponent has been hit.
roe fish eggs.
conceive understand.
bow in the hams make a bow.
I'll cry a match I'll claim the victory.
natural fool; idiot.
bauble a jester's baton with an ornament at the end.
here's goodly gear a large clothes horse, refers to the appearance of the Nurse, who is also described in this scene as a sail. Romeo also continues Mercutio's series of bawdy puns in this scene, as gear refers to the reproductive organs.
ropery roguery.
flirt-gills loose women.
skains-mates cutthroat companions.
tackled stair rope ladder.
quit reward you for.
lay knife aboard lay claim to.
clout any piece of cloth, esp. one for cleaning.
