Page:Romeo and Juliet (Dowden).djvu/235

Rh On Saterday, quod he, if Juliet come to shrift, She shalbe shrived and maried.

She promises to devise an excuse for going, and talks of her babe Juliet:

And how she gave her sucke in youth, she leaveth not to tell. A prety babe (quod she) it was when it was yong: Lord how it could full pretely have prated with it tong.

Romeus gives her gold; she returns, full of his praises:

But of our marriage say at once, what aunswer have you brought? Nay soft, quoth she, I feare, your hurt by sodain ioye: I list not play quoth Juliet, although thou list to toye. (617–714.)

On Saturday Juliet, the Nurse, and a maid, sent by Juliet's mother, go to the church. The Friar dismisses the Nurse and maid to hear "a mass or two." Romeus has already waited two hours in the Friar's cell: "Eche minute seemde an howre, and every howre a day." The lovers are married. Romeus bids Juliet send the Nurse to him for a ladder of cord. They think the day long; if they might have the sun bound to their will "Black shade of night and doubled darke should straight all over hyde." (715–826.)

The hour arrives; Romeus leaps the wall; climbs the ladder. Bride and bridegroom embrace, and talk of their past and present state. The Nurse urges them to consummate their union. (827–918.) Dawn comes: "The hastines of Phoebus steeds in great despyte they blame." Their bliss lasts a month or twain. On Easter Monday Tibalt, a young Capilet, Juliet's uncle's son, "best exercisd in feates of armes," leads a street-fight against the Montagewes. Romeus seeks to part the combatants: "Not dread, but other waighty cause my hasty hand doth stay." Tybalt addresses him as "coward, traytor boy"; they fight; Tybalt is slain.