Page:Romeo and Juliet (1917) Yale.djvu/60

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lenten pie, that is something stale and hoar ere

it be spent.

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.'

Romeo, will you come to your father's? we'll to

dinner thither.

Rom. I will follow you.

Mer. Farewell, ancient lady; farewell,

'Lady, lady, lady.'

Exeunt Benvolio and Mercutio.

Nurse. Marry, farewell! I pray you, sir,

what saucy merchant was this, that was so full

of his ropery?

Rom. A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear

himself talk, and will speak more in a minute

than he will stand to in a month.

Nurse. An a' speak anything against me, I'll

take him down, an 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 flirt-gills; I am none of his skeins-mates.

And thou must stand by too, and suffer every

knave to use me at his pleasure!

Pet. I saw no man use you at his pleasure;

if I had, my weapon should quickly have been

 142 hoar: mouldy

143 spent: consumed

152 Lady; cf. n.

154 merchant: fellow

155 ropery: knavery

161 Jacks: ill-mannered fellows

163 flirt-gills: loose women

skeins-mates: companions to a scapegrace (?)

