PROLOGUE. SCENE-Verona: Mantua. Gre. That shows 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. 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and cut off their heads. 29 Gre. The heads of the maids? Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense that feel it. Sam. Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and 'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh. Gre. 'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Montagues. 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! 40 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. 50 Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR. 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. Aside to Gre.] Is the law of our side, if I say ay? Gre. No. And made Verona's ancient citizens Sam. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, 100 sir, but I bite my thumb, sir. Gre. Do you quarrel, sir? 60 Sam. If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you. Abr. No better. Sam. Well, sir. To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Gre. Say 'better:' here comes one of my To know our further pleasure in this case, master's kinsmen. Sam. Yes, better, sir. Abr. You lie. 70 Sam Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow. [They fight. Enter BENVOLIO. 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, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: [They fight. Enter several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs. First Cit. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down! To old Free-town, our common judgment-place. Once more, on pain of death, all men depart. 110 [Exeunt all but Montague, Lady Montague, and Benvolio. Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach? Speak, nephew, were you by when it began? La. Mon. O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day? 130 Right glad I am he was not at this fray. [sun seen, 140 With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew, Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, 160 We would as willingly give cure as know. Enter ROMEO. Ben. See where he comes: so please you, step aside; I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. Rom. Not having that, which, having, makes them short. Ben. In love? Rom. Out Ben. Of love? 170 Rom. Out of her favor, where I am in love. Ben. Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! Rom. Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here? Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. 180 Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! Ben. No, coz, I rather weep. 189 Rom. Good heart, at what? Ben. At thy good heart's oppression. Rom. Why, such is love's transgression. Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest With more of thine: this love that thou hast shown 200 Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. But sadly tell me who. 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; And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd, From love's weak childish bow she lives unharm'd. 220 She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, For beauty starved with her severity 230 Ben. Be ruled 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 hers exquisite, in question more: These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows Being black put us in mind they hide the fair; He that is strucken blind cannot forget The precious treasure of his eyesight lost: Show me a mistress that is passing fair, What doth her beauty serve, but as a note Where I may read who pass'd that passing fair? Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget. Ben. I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A street. Enter CAPULET, Paris, and Servant. Cap. But Montague is bound as well as I, In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think, For men so old as we to keep the peace. 240 Par. Of honorable reckoning you are both; And pity 'tis you lived at odds so long. But now, my lord, what say you to my suit? Cap. But saying o'er what I have said before: My child is yet a stranger in the world; She hath not seen the change of fourteen years; Let two more summers wither in their pride, ro Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. Par. Younger than she are happy mothers made. [made. Cap. And too soon marr'd are those so early The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she, She is the hopeful lady of my earth: But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart, My will to her consent is but a part; An she agree, within her scope of choice Lies my consent and fair according voice. This night I hold an old accustom'd feast, Whereto I have invited many a guest, Such as I love; and you, among the store, One more, most welcome, makes my number more. At my poor house look to behold this night 20 Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light: 30 Such comfort as do lusty young men feel When well-apparell'd April on the heel Of limping winter treads, even such delight Among fresh female buds shall you this night Inherit at my house: hear all, all see, And like her most whose merit most shall be: †Which on more view, of many mine being one May stand in number, though in reckoning none. Come, go with me. [To Serv., giving a paper.} Go, sirrah, trudge about Through fair Verona: find those persons out Whose names are written there, and to them say, My house and welcome on their pleasure stay. [Exeunt Capulet and Paris. Serv. Find them out whose names are written here! It is written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am sent to find those persons whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. I must to the learned.—In good time. Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO. Ben. Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning, One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish; Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning: One desperate grief cures with another's languish : 50 Take thou some new infection to thy eye, Shut Serv. God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read? Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery. 60 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. '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.' A fair assembly: whither should they come? Serv. Up. Rom. Whither? Serv. To supper; to our house. Rom. Whose house? Serv. My master's. 80 Rom. Indeed, I should have ask'd 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 Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest, With all the admired beauties of Verona: Go thither; and, with unattainted eye, Compare her face with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. 92 Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires; And these, who often drown'd could never die, 100 What is your will? Your mother. Madam, I am here. La. Cap. This is the matter:-Nurse, give leave awhile, We must talk in secret:-nurse, come back again; She is not fourteen. How long is it now 20 La. Cap. A fortnight and odd days. Nurse. Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she-God rest all Christian souls!Were of an age: well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me: but, as I said, On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen; That shall she, marry; I remember it well. 'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years: And she was wean'd,-I never shall forget it,Of all the days of the year, upon that day: For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall; My lord and you were then at Mantua: Nay, I do bear a brain:-but, as I said, [ACTI. And what obscured in this fair volume lies Shake quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride 42 For then she could stand alone, nay, by the rood, And, pretty fool, it stinted and said 'Ay.' Nurse. Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay. 50 Yea, quoth my husband, 'fall'st upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age; 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 nursed: 61 La. Cap. Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme 90 For fair without the fair within to hide : 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 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. [Exit Servant.] 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 Maskers, 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 hoodwink'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. 15 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 souls: I have a soul of lead Mer. You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings, Mer. And, to sink in it, should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing. Rom. Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn. Mer. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. 30 |