PERSONS REPRESENTED. ESCALUS, prince of Verona. PARIS, a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince. MONTAGUE, heads of two houses, at variance with each CAPULET, An old Man, uncle to Capulet. ROMEO, son to Montague. other. MERCUTIO, kinsman to the prince, and friend to Romeo. BENVOLIO, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo. TYBALT, nephew to Lady Capulet. Friar LAWRENCE, a Franciscan. Friar JOHN, of the same Order. SAMPSON, servants to Capulet. GREGORY, ABRAM, servant to Montague. An Apothecary, Three Musicians. Chorus. Boy; Page to Paris; PETER; an Officer. 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; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants. SCENE, during the greater part of the Play, in Verona: once in the fifth Act, at Mantua. PROLOGUE. Two households, both alike in dignity, Do, with their death, bury their parents' strife. What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend." a This prologue, after the first copy was published in 1597, received several alterations, both in respect of correctness and versification. In the folio it is omitted. The play was originally performed by the Right Hon. the Lord of Hunsdon his servants. In the first of King James I. was made an act of parliament for some restraint or limitation of noblemen in the protection of players, or of players under their sanction.-STEEVENS. Under the word PROLOGUE, in the copy of 1599, is printed Chorus, which 1 suppose meant only that the prologue was to be spoken by the same person who personated the Chorus at the end of the first act. The original prologue, in the quarto of 1597, stands thus: "Two household frends, alike in dignitie, In faire Verona, where we lay our scene, "From civil broyles broke into enmitie, "Whose civill warre makes civill handes uncleane, From forth the fatall loynes of these two foes 64 A paire of starre-crost lovers tooke their life; "Whose misadventures, piteous overthrowes, (Through the continuing of their fathers' strife, "What here we want, wee'll studie to amend."-MALONE. ROMEO AND JULIET. ACT I. SCENE I.-A publick Place. Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, armed with Swords Sam. GREGORY, o'my word, we'll not carry coals. 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 me. Gre. To move, is-to stir; and to be valiant, is-to stand to it: therefore, if thou art moved, thou run'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. "Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads. — we'll not carry coals.] i. e. Will not put up with insults. The origin of the phrase is this; that in every family, the scullions, the turnspits, the carriers of wood and coals, were esteemed the very lowest menials.—ÑARES. 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.c Enter ABRAM and BALTHAZAR. 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? 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. b C - poor John.] i. e. Hake, dried and salted. here comes two of the house of the Montagues.] It should be observed, that the partizans of the Montague family wore a token in their hats to distinguish them from their enemies, the Capulets. Hence, throughout this play, they are known at a distance. This circumstance is mentioned by Gascoigne, in a Devise for a Masque, written for Lord Montacute, 1575.-MALONE. d bite my thumb-] This was an insult. The thumb in this action represented a fig, and the whole was equivalent to a fig for you, or the fico. The custom is generally regarded as of Spanish origin. This mode of quarrelling appears to have been common in our author's time.-NARES and MALONE. 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, sir. Abr. You lie. Sam. Draw, if you be men.-Gregory, remember thy swashingf blow. [They fight. Ben. Part, fools; put up your swords; you know not what you [Beats down their swords. do. 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: Have at thee, coward. [They fight. Enter several Partizans of both Houses, who join the fray: then enter Citizens, with Clubs. 1 Cit. Clubs, bills, and partizans! strike! beat them down! Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues! Enter CAPULET, in his Gown; and Lady CAPULET. Cap. My sword, I say!-Old Montague is come. here comes one of my master's kinsmen.] Gregory does not here mean Benvolio, who was of the Montague faction: but Tybalt, who enters immediately after Benvolio, but on a different part of the stage.-STEEVENS. swashing-] i.e. Violent, overpowering.—NARES. Clubs, bills, &c.] When an affray arose in the streets, clubs was the usual exclamation.-MALONE. long sword,] i. e. A sword used in war, which was sometimes wielded with both hands.-JOHNSON. |