| …God forbid, where’s this girl? What, Juliet! | How now? Who calls? |
| Your mother. | Madam I am here. What is your will? |
| To Lammas-tide? | A fortnight and odd days |
| ‘Tis since the earthquake now eleven years. | And I was weaned—I never shall forget it—Of all the days of the year, upon that day. |
| To bid me trudge. | And since that time it has been eleven years, for then I could stand alone. Nay, by the rood, I could have run and waddled all about, for even the day before I broke my brow. And then her husband—God be with his soul! |
| And then her husband—God be with his soul! | He was a merry man—took up child me. “Yea,” quoth he, “dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit; wilt thou not, Jule?” and, by my holidam, the pretty wretch left crying and said “Ay.”To see now how a jest shall come about! I warrant, and I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it. “Wilt thou not Jule?” quoth he, And, pretty fool, I stinted and said “Ay.” |
| And yet, I warrant, it had upon it brow. | A perilous knock, and I cried bitterly. |
| Wilt thou not, Jule?” it stinted and said “Ay.” | And stint thou too, I pray thee, Nurse, say I. |
| How stands your disposition to be married? | It is an honor that I dream not of. |
| What say you? can you love the gentleman? | This night I shall behold him at our feast. |
| This precious book of love, this unbound lover, | To beautify him, only lacks a cover. |
| The fish lives in the sea, and ’tis much pride | For fair without the fair within to hide: |
| Speak briefly, can you like of Paris’ love? | I’ll look to like, if looking liking move: But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly. |
| Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. | Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the Nurse cursed in the pantry, and everything in extremity. I must hence to wait. I beseech you, follow straight. |
Romeo and Juliet – Act 1 Scene 3
October 18, 2019