Romeo and Juliet: Act 4, Scene 4





           Enter lady of the house [LADY CAPULET]
           and NURSE.

      LADY CAPULET
1. take these keys, and fetch more spices: Spices were very valuable, and often kept locked up.
  1   Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, nurse.

      Nurse
2. pastry: room where pastries are made.
  2   They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.

           Enter old CAPULET.

      CAPULET
  3   Come, stir, stir, stir! the second cock hath crow'd,
  4   The curfew-bell hath rung, 'tis three o'clock.
5. baked meats: meat pies 
6. Spare not for the cost: don't leave anything out just because of what it costs.
  5   Look to the baked meats, good Angelica:
  6   Spare not for the cost.

      Nurse
6. cot-quean: i.e., man who plays housewife; literally, a cottage housewife.
8. For this night's watching: because of staying up all night tonight.
  6                                    Go, you cot-quean, go,
  7   Get you to bed; faith, You'll be sick tomorrow
  8   For this night's watching.

      CAPULET
  9   No, not a whit. What! I have watch'd ere now
 10   All night for lesser cause, and ne'er been sick.

      LADY CAPULET
11. mouse-hunt: mouse-hunter; i.e., woman-chaser.
12. watch you from such watching: keep an eye on you to keep you from that kind of staying up late.
 11   Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time;
 12   But I will watch you from such watching now.

           Exeunt Lady [Capulet] and Nurse.

      CAPULET
13. hood: cap, hat. Capulet is joking that his wife has suddenly put on the cap of jealousy.
 13   A jealous hood, a jealous hood!

           Enter three or four [SERVINGMEN]
  spits
           with spits and logs and baskets.

 14   Now, fellow, what is there?

      First Servant
 15   Things for the cook, sir; but I know not what.

      CAPULET
 16   Make haste, make haste.

           [Exit First Servant.]

 16                                     Sirrah, fetch drier logs:
 17   Call Peter, he will show thee where they are.

      Second Servant
 18   I have a head, sir, that will find out logs,
 19   And never trouble Peter for the matter.

      CAPULET
20. whoreson: son of a whore, bastard. Capulet is in a very good mood. 21. logger-head: blockhead.
 20   Mass, and well said; a merry whoreson, ha!
 21   Thou shalt be logger-head.

           [Exit Second Servant.]

 21                                              Good faith, 'tis day:
22. The county will be here with music straight: i.e., Count Paris will be here right away, with a band playing music.
 22   The county will be here with music straight,
 23   For so he said he would: I hear him near.

           (Play music [offstage].)

 24   Nurse! Wife! What, ho! What, nurse, I say!

           Enter NURSE.

25. trim her up: i.e., make sure she's all decked out for her wedding.
 25   Go waken Juliet, go and trim her up;
 26   I'll go and chat with Paris: hie, make haste,
 27   Make haste; the bridegroom he is come already:
 28   Make haste, I say.

           [Exit.]