Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks 2. 2 SERV. You shall have none ill, sir; for I'll try if they can lick their fingers. CAP. How canst thou try them so ? 2 SERV. Marry, sir, 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers: therefore he, that cannot lick his fingers, goes not with me. CAP. Go, begone.[Exit Servant. (I) We shall be much unfurnish'd for this time.- (II) What, is my daughter gone to Friar Laurence? NURSE. Ay, forsooth. CAP. Well, he may chance to do some good on her: A peevish self-will'd harlotry it is. 2 Enter JULIET. NURSE. See, where she comes from shrift 5 with merry look. go hire me TWENTY cunning COOKS.] Twenty cooks for half a dozen guests! Either Capulet has altered his mind strangely, or our author forgot what he had just made him tell us. See p. 159. RITSON. This arose from his sometimes following and sometimes deserting his original. The scene referred to, was his own invention; but here he has recollected the poem : "Then said, the glad old man from home goeth straight abrode, "And to the stately palace hyeth, where Paris made abode; "Whom he desyres to be, on Wensday next, his geast, "At Freetowne, where he myndes to make for him a costly feast." MALONE. 3- lick his own fingers:] I find this adage in Puttenham's Arte of English Poesie, 1589, p. 157: "As the olde cocke crowes so doeth the chick: 66 STEEVENS. 4- Friar Laurence?] This line, and the three following speeches, are thus given in the quarto 1597: But where's this headstrong? "Moth. She's gone, my lord, to friar Laurence' cell, "To be confessed. "Cap. Ah! he may hap to do some good of her, CAP. How now, my headstrong? where have you been gadding"? JUL. Where I have learn'd me to repent the sin Of disobedient opposition To you, and your behests; and am enjoin'd 5 from SHRIFT] i. e. from confession. So, in The Merry Devil of Edmonton, 1608: 66 Ay, like a wench comes roundly to her shrift." In the old Morality of Every Man, bl. 1. no date, confession is personified: "Now, I pray you, shrifte, mother of salvacyon." STEEVENS. 6 gadding?] The primitive sense of this word was to straggle from house to house, and collect money, under pretence of singing carols to the Blessed Virgin. See Mr. T. Warton's note on Milton's Lycidas, v. 40. STEEVENS. 7 prostrate here.] The rest of the scene is thus given in the quarto 1597: "And crave remission of so foul a fact. "Moth. Why, that's well said. [She kneels down. "Cap. Now, before God, this holy reverend friar, "All our whole city is much bound unto. "Go tell the county presently of this, 66 For I will have this knot knit up to-morrow. "Jul. Nurse, will you go with me to my closet, "To sort such things as shall be requisite 66 Against to-morrow? Moth. I prithee then, do, good nurse, go in with her. Help her to sort lyres, robatres, chains, "And I will come unto you presently. "Nur. Come, sweetheart, shall we go? "Jul. I prithee, let us. [Exeunt Nurse and Juliet. "Moth. Methinks, on Thursday would be time enough. Cap. I say, I will have this dispatch'd to-morrow. "Go one, and certify the count thereof. "Moth. I pray, my lord, let it be Thursday. 66 Cap. I say, to-morrow, while she's in the mood. "Moth. We shall be short in our provision. 66 Cap. Let me alone for that: Go get you in. BOSWELL. CAP. Send for the county; go tell him of this; I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow morning. JUL. I met the youthful lord at Laurence' cell; And gave him what becomed love I might, Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty. CAP. Why, I am glad on't; this is well,-stand up: This is as't should be.-Let me see the county; JUL. Nurse, will you go with me into my closet, To help me sort such needful ornaments As you think fit to furnish me to-morrow? LA. CAP. No, not till Thursday; there is time enough. CAP. Go, nurse, go with her :-we'll to church to-morrow. [Exeunt JULIET and Nurse. LA. CAP. We shall be short' in our provision: "Tis now near night 2. 8 BECOMED love-] Becomed for becoming: one participle for the other; a frequent practice with our author. STEEVENS. All our whole city is much bound to him.] So, in Romeus and Juliet, 1562: 66 - this is not, wife, the friar's first desert; "In all our commonweal scarce one is to be found, "But is, for some good turn, unto this holy father bound.” MALONE. Thus the folio, and the quartos 1599 and 1609. The oldest quarto reads, I think, more grammatically: "All our whole city is much bound unto." STEEVENS. I We shall be SHORT -] That is, we shall be defective. JOHNSON. 2 'Tis now near night.] It appears, in a foregoing scene, that Romeo parted from his bride at day-break on Tuesday morning. Immediately afterwards she went to Friar Laurence, and he particularly mentions the day of the week, [“ Wednesday is to-morrow."] She could not well have remained more than an hour or two with the friar, and she is just now returned CAP. Tush! I will stir about, And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife: Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her; I'll not to bed to-night;-let me alone; I'll play the housewife for this once.-What, ho!- Against to-morrow: my heart is wond'rous light, [Exeunt SCENE III. JULIET'S Chamber. Enter JULIET and Nurse 3. JUL. Ay, those attires are best :-But, gentle nurse, I pray thee, leave me to myself to-night; 4 from shrift:-yet Lady Capulet says, "'tis near night," and this same night is ascertained to be Tuesday. This is one out of the many instances of our author's inaccuracy in the computation of time. MALone. I am not aware of any inaccuracy here: as it is Tuesday night, Lady Capulet thinks she cannot be prepared by the next morning, and wishes the marriage to be postponed till Thursday, as was at first intended. BOSWELL. 3 Enter Juliet and Nurse.] Instead of the next speech, the quarto 1597 supplies the following short and simple dialogue : Nurse. Come, come; what need you anie thing else? Juliet. Nothing, good nurse, but leave me to myselfe. "Nurse. Well there's a cleane smocke under your pillow, and so good night." STEEVENS. 66 4 For I have need, &c.] Juliet plays most of her pranks under the appearance of religion: perhaps Shakspeare meant to punish her hypocrisy. JOHNSON. The pretence of Juliet's, in order to get rid of the Nurse, was suggested by the Tragicall Hystory of Romeus and Juliet, and some of the expressions of this speech were borrowed from thence: VOL. VI. To move the heavens to smile upon my state, Which, well thou know'st, is cross and full of sin. Enter Lady CAPULET. LA. CAP. What, are you busy? do you need my help? JUL. No, madam; we have cull'd such necessaries As are behoveful for our state to-morrow : LA. CAP. Good night! Get thee to bed, and rest; for thou hast need. [Exeunt Lady CAPULET and Nurse. JUL. Farewell!-God knows, when we shall meet again *. * Quarto A inserts here, Ah! I doe take a fearful thing in hand. "Dear friend, quoth she, you know to-morrow is the day pray "Unto the heavenly minds that dwell above the skies, row; "Wherefore, I pray you, leave me here alone this night, MALONE. 5 Enter Lady Capulet.] This dialogue is equally short in the quarto 1597: "Enter Mother. "Moth. What, are you busy? do you need my help? "For I have many things to think upon. "Moth. Well then, good night, be stirring, Juliet, "The county will be early here to-morrow." BOSWELL. 6 Farewell! &c.] This speech received considerable additions after the elder copy was published. STEEVENS. |