But all so soon as the all-cheering sun Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the cause? Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air, Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, We would as willingly give cure, as know. I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. Ben. Good morrow, cousin. Rom. Not having that, which having, makes them short. Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!- Ben. No, coz, I rather weep. Rom. Good heart, at what? Ben. At thy good heart's oppression. Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. [Going. Ben. Soft, I will go along; And if you leave me so, you do me wrong. Rom, Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here; This is not Romeo, he's some other where. love. In seriousness. Rom. What, shall I groan, and tell thee? But sadly tell me, who. Rom. Bid a sick man in sadness make s will: Ah word ill urg'd to one that is so ill!- Rom. A right good marksman !—And she's fair I love. Ben. A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. Rom. Well, in that hit, you miss: she'll not be hit With Cupid's arrow, she hath Dian's wit; She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste; For beauty, starv'd with her severity, Ben. Be rul'd by me, forget to think of her. Rom. O teach me how I should forget to think. Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes: Examine other beauties. Rom. 'Tis the way To call her's exquisite, in question more: fair; Such as I love; and you, among the store, [more. I not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come Such comfort, as do lusty young men feel Of limping winter treads, even such delight none. Come, go with me ;-Go, Sirrah, trudge about [Exit. And these,-who often drown'd could never die,— Ben. Tut! you saw her fair, none else be- My house and welcome on their pleasure stay. [Exeunt CAPULET and PARIS. Herself pois'd with herself in either eye: Serv. Find them out, whose names are writ-But in those crystal scales let there be weigh'd ten here? It is written-that the shoemaker Your lady's love against some other maid should meddle with his yard, and the tailor with That I will show you, shining at this feast, his last, the fisher with his pencil, and the And she shall scant show well, that now shows painter with his nets; but I am sent to find best. those persons, whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. 1 must to the learned :-In good time. But I pray, can you read any thing you see? Rom. Ill go along, no such sight to be shown. But to rejoice in splendour of mine own. [Exeunt. SCENE III-A Room in CAPULET's House. Enter Lady CAPULET and NURSE. La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve bade her come.-What, lamb! what, ladyyear old,[bird !-God forbid !-where's this girl ?—what, Juliet ! La. Cap She's not fourteen. Nurse. I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, And yet, to my teený be it spoken, I have but four, Rom. Ay, if I know the letters, and the lan-She is not fourteen: How long is it now guage. Serv. Ye say honestly; Rest you merry! Rom. Stay, fellow; I can read. [Reads. Signior Martino, and his wife and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; The lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother Valentine; Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; My fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena. To Lammas tide? La. Cap. A fortnight, and odd days. teen. Susan and she,-God rest all Christian souls !— A fair assembly; [Gives back the Note.] Whither Of all the days of the year, upon that day : should they come ? Serv. Up. For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, And since that time it is eleven years: For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood She could have run and waddled all about. For even the day before, she broke her brow: And then my husband-God be with his soul ! 'A was a merry man ;-took up the child : Yea, quoth he, dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou hast more wit; Wilt thou not, Jule? and by my holy dam, + The pretty wretch left crying, and said-Ay: To see now, how a jest shall come about! I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it; Wilt thou not, Jule? quoth he: And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said—Ay. La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse. Yes, madam; Yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say-Ay: Wilt thou not, Jule? it stinted, and said—Ay. Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! § Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nurs'd: La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of :-Tell me, daughter Juliet, Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of. Nurse. An honour ! were not I thine only nurse, I'd say, thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat. La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, brief ; The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. Nurse. A man, young lady! lady, such a man, As all the world-why, he's a man of wax. || La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower, Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower. La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gentleman? This night you shall behold him at our feast : For fair without the fair within to hide : men. • The cross. Holy dame, i. e. the blessed virgin. It stopped crying, 6 Favour. The comments on ancient books were always printed commade an ancient books were always pa in the margin. I. e. Is not yet caught, whose skin was wanted to bind him. La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love? Jul. I'll look to like, if looking Iking move: But no more deep will I endart mine eye, Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. Enter a SERVANT. Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight. La. Cap. We follow thee.-Juliet, the county stays. Nurse. Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-A Street. Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six Muskers, Torch-bearers, and others. Rom. What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? Or shall we on without apology? Ben. The date is out of such prolixity: We'll have no Cupid hood-wink'd with a scarf, Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper; + Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke After the prompter, for our entrance: But, let them measure us by what they will, We'll measure them a measure, and be gone. Rom. Give me a torch, -I am not for this ambling; Being but heavy, I will bear the light. Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Rom. Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes, With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead Rom. I am too sore enpierced with his shaft, Mer. And, to sink in it, should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing. Mer. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; [down.Prick love for pricking, and you beat love Give me a case to put my visage in: [Putting on a Mask. A visor for a visor !-what care I, What curious eye doth quote deformities? Here are the beetle-brows, shall blush for me. Ben. Come, knock, and enter; and no sooner But every man betake him to his legs. Rom. A torch for me: let wantons, light of [in, heart, Tickle the senseless rushes T with their heels; For I am proverb'd with a grandsire phrase,I'll be a candle-holder, and look on, The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done. ** Mer. Tut! dun's the mouse, the coastable's own word: If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire Of this (save reverence) love, wherein thou stick'st Up to the ears.-Come, we burn day-light, ho. I. e. Long speeches are out of fashion. A scare-crow, a figure made up to frighten crows. ✰ A dance. A torch-bearer was a constant appendage to every troop of maskers. Observe. Even in the reign of Charles, the floors of the oest houses were strewed with rushes. This is equivalent to phrases in common use -Lam done for, it is over with me. Rom. Nay, that's not so. Mer. I mean, Sir, in delay Ve waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day. Take our good meaning; for our judgment sits Five times in that, ere once in our tive wits. Rom. And we mean well, in going to this mask; But 'tis no wit to go. Mer. Why, may one ask? Rom. I dreamt a dream to-night. Mer. And so did I. Rom. Well, what was yours? Rom. In bed, asleep, while they do dream things true. Mer. O then, I see, queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife; and she comes On courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight : O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees: O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, Tickling a parson's nose as 'a lies asleep, And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two, Making them women of good carriage. Rom. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace; Thou talk'st of nothing. Mer. True, I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, Supper is done, and we shall come too late. Rom. I fear, too early for my mind misgives Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, SCENE V.-A Hall in CAPULET'S House. Musicians waiting. Enter SERVANTS. 1 Serv. Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? he shift a trencher! he scrape a trencher ! 2 Serv. When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's hands, and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing. 1 Serv. Away with the joint-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate :-good thou, save me a piece of marchpane: † and, as thou lovest me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell.-Antony! and Potpan! 2 Serv. Ay, boy; ready. 1 Serv. You are looked for, and called for, asked for, and sought for, in the great chamber. 2 Serv. We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys; be brisk a while, and the longer liver take all. [They retire behind. Enter CAPULET, &c. with the Guests and the Maskers. Cap. Gentlemen, welcome! ladies, that have their toes [you :Unplagu'd with corns, will have a bout with Ah ba! my mistresses! which of you all Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty, she, I'll swear, háth corus; Am I come near you now? You are welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day, That I have worn a visor, and could tell Ah! Sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well. 2 Cap. By'r lady, thirty years. 1 Cap. What, man! 'tis not so much; 'tis not so much : 'Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio, Come pentecost as quickly as it will, Some five and twenty years; and then we mask'd. 2 Cap. 'Tis more, 'tis more: his son is elder, His son is thirty. 1 Cap. Will you tell me that? His son was but a ward two years ago. [Sir: Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! 1 Cup. Why, how now kinsmau? wherefore Tyb. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe; A villain, that is hither come in spite, To scorn at our solemnity this night. 1 Cap. Young Romeo is't? Tyb. 'Tis he, that villain Romeo. Nurse. Madam, your mother craves a word Rom. What is her mother? Her mother is the lady of the house, Rom. Is she a Capulet? O dear account! my life is my foe's debt. We have a trifling foolish banquet towards. 1 Cap. Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone, Is it e'en so? Why, then I thank you all ; He bears him like a portly gentleman; Tyb. It fits, when such a villain is a guest; [to ; [soul 1 Cap. He shall be endur'd: 1 Cap. Go to, go to, You are saucy, boy;-Is't so, indeed?- [what. Be quiet, or-More light, more light, for shame! Tyb. Patience perforce with wilful choler Makes my flesh tremble in their different [Exit. Jul. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your band too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. Rom. Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? Jul. Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in Rom. O then, dear saint, let lips do what They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to des- Jul. Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. Rom. Then move not, while my prayer's ef- Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purg'd. Rom. Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly Jul. You kiss by the book. • Do you an injury. I thank you, honest gentlemen; good night :- [Exeunt all but JULIET and NURSE. Jul. Come hither, nurse: What is you geutleman ? Nurse. The son and heir of old Tiberio. Nurse. Marry, that, I think, be young Pe- Jul. What's he, that follows there, that would not dance? Nurse. I know not. Jul. Go, ask his name :-if he be married, Jul. My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Nurse. What's this? what's this? [One calls within, Juliet! Enter CHORUS. Alike bewitched by the charm of looks; Rom. Can I go forward, when my heart is here? [urg'd! Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out. [He climbs the Wall, and leaps down within it. + A coxcomb. 1 In our poet's time, a salute in a public assembly might not be esteemed indecorous. |