Shakespeare Portal

Act 2, Scene 5

Capulet's Garden.

  1. [Enter Juliet.]
  2. Juliet
  3. 1285 The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse;
  4. 1286 In half an hour she promis'd to return.
  5. 1287 Perchance she cannot meet him: that's not so.—
  6. 1288 O, she is lame! love's heralds should be thoughts,
  7. 1289 Which ten times faster glide than the sun's beams,
  8. 1290 Driving back shadows over lowering hills:
  9. 1291 Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love,
  10. 1292 And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings.
  11. 1293 Now is the sun upon the highmost hill
  12. 1294 Of this day's journey; and from nine till twelve
  13. 1295 Is three long hours,—yet she is not come.
  14. 1296 Had she affections and warm youthful blood,
  15. 1297 She'd be as swift in motion as a ball;
  16. 1298 My words would bandy her to my sweet love,
  17. 1299 And his to me:
  18. 1300 But old folks, many feign as they were dead;
  19. 1301 Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.—
  20. 1302 O God, she comes!
  21. [Enter Nurse and Peter]
  22. Juliet
  23. 1303 .
  24. 1304 O honey nurse, what news?
  25. 1305 Hast thou met with him? Send thy man away.
  26. Nurse
  27. 1306 Peter, stay at the gate.
  28. [Exit Peter.]
  29. Juliet
  30. 1307 Now, good sweet nurse,—O Lord, why look'st thou sad?
  31. 1308 Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;
  32. 1309 If good, thou sham'st the music of sweet news
  33. 1310 By playing it to me with so sour a face.
  34. Nurse
  35. 1311 I am aweary, give me leave awhile;—
  36. 1312 Fie, how my bones ache! what a jaunt have I had!
  37. Juliet
  38. 1313 I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news:
  39. 1314 Nay, come, I pray thee speak;—good, good nurse, speak.
  40. Nurse
  41. 1315 Jesu, what haste? can you not stay awhile?
  42. 1316 Do you not see that I am out of breath?
  43. Juliet
  44. 1317 How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath
  45. 1318 To say to me that thou art out of breath?
  46. 1319 The excuse that thou dost make in this delay
  47. 1320 Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse.
  48. 1321 Is thy news good or bad? answer to that;
  49. 1322 Say either, and I'll stay the circumstance:
  50. 1323 Let me be satisfied, is't good or bad?
  51. Nurse
  52. 1324 Well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to
  53. 1325 choose a man: Romeo! no, not he; rhough his face be better than
  54. 1326 any man's, yet his leg excels all men's; and for a hand and a
  55. 1327 foot, and a body,—though they be not to be talked on, yet they
  56. 1328 are past compare: he is not the flower of courtesy,—but I'll
  57. 1329 warrant him as gentle as a lamb.—Go thy ways, wench; serve God.-
  58. 1330 -What, have you dined at home?
  59. Juliet
  60. 1331 No, no: but all this did I know before.
  61. 1332 What says he of our marriage? what of that?
  62. Nurse
  63. 1333 Lord, how my head aches! what a head have I!
  64. 1334 It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces.
  65. 1335 My back o' t' other side,—O, my back, my back!—
  66. 1336 Beshrew your heart for sending me about
  67. 1337 To catch my death with jauncing up and down!
  68. Juliet
  69. 1338 I' faith, I am sorry that thou art not well.
  70. 1339 Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love?
  71. Nurse
  72. 1340 Your love says, like an honest gentleman,
  73. 1341 And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome;
  74. 1342 And, I warrant, a virtuous,—Where is your mother?
  75. Juliet
  76. 1343 Where is my mother?—why, she is within;
  77. 1344 Where should she be? How oddly thou repliest!
  78. 1345 'Your love says, like an honest gentleman,—
  79. 1346 'Where is your mother?'
  80. Nurse
  81. 1347 O God's lady dear!
  82. 1348 Are you so hot? marry, come up, I trow;
  83. 1349 Is this the poultice for my aching bones?
  84. 1350 Henceforward, do your messages yourself.
  85. Juliet
  86. 1351 Here's such a coil!—come, what says Romeo?
  87. Nurse
  88. 1352 Have you got leave to go to shrift to-day?
  89. Juliet
  90. 1353 I have.
  91. Nurse
  92. 1354 Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence' cell;
  93. 1355 There stays a husband to make you a wife:
  94. 1356 Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks,
  95. 1357 They'll be in scarlet straight at any news.
  96. 1358 Hie you to church; I must another way,
  97. 1359 To fetch a ladder, by the which your love
  98. 1360 Must climb a bird's nest soon when it is dark:
  99. 1361 I am the drudge, and toil in your delight;
  100. 1362 But you shall bear the burden soon at night.
  101. 1363 Go; I'll to dinner; hie you to the cell.
  102. Juliet
  103. 1364 Hie to high fortune!—honest nurse, farewell.
  104. [Exeunt.]