Romeo and Juliet Act 4 Scene 4
Hall in Capulet's house. Before dawn.
The Original
Plain Modern English
Enter Lady Capulet and the Nurse.
Lady Capulet
Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, nurse.
Lady Capulet
Here, take these keys and fetch more spices, Nurse.
Nurse
They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.
Nurse
They're asking for dates and quinces in the kitchen.
Enter Capulet.
Capulet
Come, stir, stir, stir! the second cock hath crow'd,
The curfew-bell hath rung, 'tis three o'clock:
Look to the baked meats, good Angelica:
Spare not for the cost.
Capulet
Come on — move, move, move! The cock has crowed twice,
the curfew bell has rung, it's three o'clock.
See to the baked meats, good Angelica.
Don't worry about the cost.
Nurse
Go, you cot-quean, go,
Get you to bed; faith, You'll be sick to-morrow
For this night's watching.
Nurse
Off with you, you old housewife!
Get to bed. Honestly, you'll be ill tomorrow
from staying up all night.
Capulet
No, not a whit: what! I have watch'd ere now
All night for lesser cause, and ne'er been sick.
Capulet
Not a bit of it! I've stayed up before now
all night for less reason, and never been ill.
Lady Capulet
Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time;
But I will watch you from such watching now.
Lady Capulet
Yes — you were quite the tomcat in your day.
But I'll be watching to stop that kind of night-watching now.
Exeunt Lady Capulet and the Nurse.
Capulet
A jealous hood, a jealous hood!
Capulet
Jealous woman! Jealous woman!
Enter three or four Servingmen with spits, logs, and baskets.
Capulet
Now, fellow,
What's there?
Capulet
Now then, fellow —
what have you got there?
First Servant
Things for the cook, sir; but I know not what.
First Servant
Things for the cook, sir — though I don't know what they are.
Capulet
Make haste, make haste.
Sirrah, fetch drier logs:
Call Peter, he will show thee where they are.
Capulet
Hurry up, hurry up.
You there, fetch drier logs.
Call Peter — he'll show you where they are.
Second Servant
I have a head, sir, that will find out logs,
And never trouble Peter for the matter.
Second Servant
I've got a head on me, sir, that can find logs
without bothering Peter about it.
Capulet
Mass, and well said; a merry whoreson, ha!
Thou shalt be logger-head. Good faith, 'tis day:
The county will be here with music straight,
For so he said he would: I hear him near.
Nurse! Wife! What, ho! What, nurse, I say!
Capulet
Well said! A cheeky devil, ha!
You'll be blockhead-in-chief. — Good heavens, it's daylight.
The Count will be here with musicians any moment,
just as he said. I can hear him coming.
Nurse! Wife! Hello! Nurse, I say!
Re-enter the Nurse.
Capulet
Go waken Juliet, go and trim her up;
I'll go and chat with Paris: hie, make haste,
Make haste; the bridegroom he is come already:
Make haste, I say.
Capulet
Go and wake Juliet, get her dressed.
I'll go and chat with Paris. Go on, hurry,
hurry — the bridegroom's already here.
Hurry, I tell you.
Exeunt.