Nurse. Even or odd, of all days in the year,[195][197]
Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.[195]
Susan and she—God rest all Christian souls!—[195]
Were of an age: well, Susan is with God;[195] 20
She was too good for me:—but, as I said,[195]
On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;[195]
That shall she, marry; I remember it well.[195][198]
'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years;[195]
And she was wean'd,—I never shall forget it—[195] 25
Of all the days of the year, upon that day:[195][199]
For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,[195]
Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall;[195][196]
My lord and you were then at Mantua:—[195]
Nay, I do bear a brain:—but, as I said,[195] 30
When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple[195]
Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool,[195]
To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug![195][200]
Shake, quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I trow,[195]
To bid me trudge.[195] 35
And since that time it is eleven years;[195][201]
For then she could stand high-lone; nay, by the rood,[195][202]
She could have run and waddled all about;[195]
For even the day before, she broke her brow:[195]
And then my husband,—God be with his soul![195][203] 40
A' was a merry man—took up the child:[195]
'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?[195]
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;[195]
Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidame,[195][204]
The pretty wretch left crying, and said 'Ay.'[195] 45
To see now how a jest shall come about![195]
I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,[195][205]
I never should forget it: 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he;[195][206]
And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said 'Ay.'[195]
La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.[207] 50
Nurse. Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh,[208]
To think it should leave crying, and say 'Ay:'[208]
And yet, I warrant, it had upon it brow[208][209]
A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone;[208]
A perilous knock; and it cried bitterly:[208][210] 55
'Yea,' quoth my husband, 'fall'st upon thy face?[208]
Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age;[208]
Wilt thou not, Jule?' it stinted, and said 'Ay.'[208][211]
Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I.[212]
Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace![213][214]60
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed:[213][215]
An I might live to see thee married once,[213][216]
I have my wish.[213]
La. Cap. Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme[207][217]
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,[218] 65
How stands your disposition to be married?[219]
Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of.[220][221]
Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse,[221][222][223]
I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat.[222][224]
La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you[207] 70
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,[225]
Are made already mothers. By my count,[226]
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief;
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. 75
Nurse. A man, young lady! lady, such a man[227]
As all the world—why, he's a man of wax.[227][228]