ARRAM, Servant to MONTAGUT.
An Apotherary.
Three Musicins.
Chorus.
Buy.
Page to Paris.
An Officer.

ESCALC3, Pince of Verona.
PARIS, a young Nobleman, Kinsman to the Prince.
MINTAGUE, Heads of two houses at variance with each
CAPTLET,

other.
An Old Man, Uncle to CAPULET.
LOMEO, son to MONTAGUE.
MERCUTIO, Kinsman to the Prince, and Friend to Romeo.
BEXTOLIO, Nephew to MONTAGUE, and Friend to Romeo.
TYZALT, Nephew to LADT CAPULET.
FRIAR LAWRENCE, a Franciscan.
FRIAK JOLAN, of the same order.
BALTHAZAR, Servart to Romeo.
SAMPSON,
GREGORY, Servants to CAPULIT.
PETER,

LADY MONTAGUE, Wife to MONTAGUE.
LADY CAPULET, Wife to CAPULET
JULIET, Daughter to CAPULET.
Nurse to JULIET.

Citizens of VERONA ; several Men and Women, relations to both

Houses; Maskors, Guards, Watchmen, and Attend..nts.

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, Fro: ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Do, with their death, bury their parents' strife.

The fearful passage of their death-marked love,

And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could

Scene I.-A public Place. Enter Sampson and GREGORY, armed with swords

and bucklers. Sam. Gregory, o'my word, we 'll not carry coals. Gre. No, for then we should be colliers. Sam. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.

Gre. Ay, while you live draw your neck out of the collar.

Sam. I strike quickly, being moved.
Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves

to stand: therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.

Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.

Gre. That shews thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.

Sam. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall :therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.

Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men.

Sam. 'T is all one; I will shew myself a tyrant:

me.

Gre. To move, is to stir; and to be valiant, is

Enter A BRAM and BALTHASAR. Sam. My naked weapon is out: quarrel ; I will back thee.

Gre. How? turn thy back, and run ?
Sam. Fear me not.
Gre. No, marry.--I fear thee!
Sam. Let us take the law of our sides ; let

them begin. Gre. I will frown as I pass by; and let them take it as they list.

Sam. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir ?
Sam. I do bite my thumb, sir.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sam. Is the law on our side, if I say “Ay?”
Gre. No.
Sam. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at

you, sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.

Gre. Do you quarrel, sir?
Abr. Quarrel, sir ? no, sir.

Sam. If you do, sir, I am for you : I serve as good a man as you.

Abr. No better.
Sam. Well, sir.

Enter Benvolio, at a distance. Gre. Say—better: here comes one of my master's kinsmen.

Sam. Yes, better.
Abr. You lie.

Sam. Draw, if you be men.—Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.

[They fight. Ben. Part, fools; put up your swords; you know not what you do. [Beats down their swords.

Enter Tybalt.
Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these

heartless hinds ?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Ben. I do but keep the peace : put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me. Tyb. What, draw, and talk of peace? I hate

the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: Have at thee, coward !

[They fight. Enter several Partisans of both houses, who join

the fray: then enter Citizens, with clubs. 1st Cit. Clabs, bills, and partizans! strike!

beat them down ! Down with the Capulets !-down with the Mon

tagues !

For this time, all the rest depart away:
You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our farther pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
[ (Exeunt Prince and Attendants; Capulet, LADY

Capulet, Tybalt, Citizens, and Servants.
Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new

abroach Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?

Ben. Here were the servants of your adversary, And yours, close fighting ere I did approach :

, I drew to part them : in the instant came The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared ; Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears, He swung about his head, and cut the winds, Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn: While we were interchanging thrusts and blows, Came more and more, and foughton part and part, Till the Prince came, who parted either part.. Lady M. O, where is Romeo ?—saw you him

to-day? Right glad am I he was not at this fray.

Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipped

sun

Enter Prince, with Attendants. Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Profaners of this neighbour-stainéd steel,Will they not hear?—What, ho! you men, you

beasts, That quench the fire of your pernicious rage With purple fountains issuing from your veins ! On pain of torture, from those bloody hands Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground, And hear the sentence of your moved Prince.Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet and Montague, Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets ; And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, To wield old partizans, in hands as old, Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate: If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.

Peered forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;
Where, underneath the grove of sycamore
That westward rooteth from the city's side,
So early walking did I see your son :
Towards him I made; but he was 'ware of me,
And stole into the covert of the wood :
I, measuring his affections by my own,
That most are busied when they are most alone,
Pursued my humour, not pursuing his,
And gladly shunned who gladly fled from me.

Mon. Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew,
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs:
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the farthest east begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself;
Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out,
And makes himself an artificial night.
Black and portentous must this humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the cause? Mon. I neither know it, nor can learn of him. Ben. Have you impórtuned him by any means?

Mon. Both by myself and many other friends But he, his own affections' counsellor, Is to himself— I will not say, how trueBut to himself so secret and so close, So far from sounding and discovery