_Mer._ Without his roe, like a dried herring: O flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in: Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench;[589] marry, she had a better love to be-rhyme her; Dido, a dowdy; Cleopatra, a gipsy; Helen and Hero, hildings and[590] 40 harlots; Thisbe, a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose.[591] Signior Romeo, bon jour! there's a French salutation to your[592] French slop. You gave us the counterfeit fairly last night.[593] _Rom._ Good morrow to you both. What counterfeit[594] did I give you?[594] 45 _Mer._ The slip, sir, the slip; can you not conceive?[594] _Rom._ Pardon, good Mercutio, my business was great;[594][595] and in such a case as mine a man may strain courtesy.[594][596] _Mer._ That's as much as to say, Such a case as yours[594] constrains a man to bow in the hams.[594] 50 _Rom._ Meaning, to court'sy.[594][597] _Mer._ Thou hast most kindly hit it.[594] _Rom._ A most courteous exposition.[594][598] _Mer._ Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy.[594] _Rom._ Pink for flower.[594] 55 _Mer._ Right.[594] _Rom._ Why, then is my pump well flowered.[594] _Mer._ Well said: follow me this jest now, till thou hast[594][599] worn out thy pump, that, when the single sole of it is worn,[594] the jest may remain, after the wearing, solely singular.[594][600] 60 _Rom._ O single-soled jest, solely singular for the[594][601] singleness![594][601] _Mer._ Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits faint.[594][602] _Rom._ Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I'll cry a[594][603][604] match.[594][603] 65 _Mer._ Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have[594][605][606] done; for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy[594][606] wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five: was I with[594] you there for the goose?[594] _Rom._ Thou wast never with me for any thing when[594][607] 70 thou wast not there for the goose.[594] _Mer._ I will bite thee by the ear for that jest.[594] _Rom._ Nay, good goose, bite not.[594] _Mer._ Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting; it is a most[594][608][609] sharp sauce.[594][608] 75 _Rom._ And is it not well served in to a sweet goose?[594][610] _Mer._ O, here's a wit of cheveril, that stretches from an[594] inch narrow to an ell broad![594] _Rom._ I stretch it out for that word 'broad;' which added[594] to the goose, proves thee far and wide a broad goose.[594][611] 80