Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a madman is; Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipped and tormented, and-Good-e'en, good fellow. Serv. God gi' good e'en-I pray, sir, can you read? Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery. Serv. Perhaps you have learned it without book. But, I pray, can you read any thing you see? Rom. Ay, if I know the letters, and the language. Serv. Ye say honestly; rest you merry! Rom. Stay, fellow; I can read. [Reads. Seignior Martino, and his wife and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; The lady widow of Vitruvio; Seignior Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother Valentine; Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; My fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Seignior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena. A fair assembly. [Gives back the note.] Whither should they come? Serv. Up. Rom. Whither? Serv. To supper; to our house. Rom. Whose house? Serv. My master's. Rom. Indeed, I should have asked you that before. Serv. Now I'll tell you without asking. My master is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry. [Exit. Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's 1 This cant expression seems to have been once common; it often occurs in old plays. Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires! And these,-who, often drowned, could never die,Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun And she shall scant show well, that now shows best. Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendor 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 year old, I bade her come.-What, lamb! what, lady-bird!— God forbid !—where's this girl? what, Juliet! La. Cap. This is the matter.-Nurse, give leave awhile, 1 Heath says, "Your lady's love, is the love you bear to your lady, which, in our language, is commonly used for the lady herself." Perhaps we should read, "Your lady love." 2 In all the old copies the greater part of this scene was printed as prose. Capell was the first rho exhibited it as verse; the subsequent editors have followed him, but perhaps erroneously. We must talk in secret-Nurse, come back again, Nurse. And yet, to my teen1 I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, be it spoken, I have but four.How long is it now A fortnight, and odd days. Shake, quoth the dove-house; 'twas no need, I trow, 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; 1 i. e. to my sorrow. The pretty wretch left crying, and said—Ay. peace. quoth he: Nurse. Yes, madam; yet I cannot choose but 2 laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say-Ay. Yea, quoth my husband, fall'st upon thy face? 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 nursed; I have my wish. La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme Nurse. An honor! were not I thine only nurse, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers; by my count, That you are now a maid. Thus, then, in brief;- Nurse. A man, young lady! Lady, such a man, As all the world-Why, he's a man of wax.3 1 To stint is to stop. 2 This tautologous speech is not in the first quarto of 1597. La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.1 La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gen tleman? This night you shall behold him at our feast; And see how one another lends content; The fish lives in the sea; and 'tis much pride, That book in many's eyes doth share the glory, Nurse. No less? nay, bigger; women grow by men. La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love? Jul. I'll look to like, if looking liking move; But no more deep will I endart 5 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 1 After this speech of the nurse, lady Capulet, in the old quarto, says only: “Well, Juliet, how like you of Paris' love?" She answers, "I'll look to like," &c.; and so concludes the scene. 2 Thus the quarto of 1599. The quarto of 1609 and the folio read, several lineaments. 3 The comments on ancient books were generally printed in the margin. 4 Dr. Farmer explains this, "The fish is not yet caught." Fish-skin covers to books anciently were not uncommon. 5 The quarto of 1597 reads engage mine eye. |