La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of:-tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married? Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of. Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse, I would say, thou hadst sucked 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, I was your mother, much upon these years 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: 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 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 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: 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, 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.— Give me a case to put my visage in: [Putting on a mask. A visor for a visor!-what care I, Rom. A torch for me: let wantons, light of heart, Mer. Tut! dun's the mouse, the constable's own word. If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire Mer. And so did I. That dreamers often lie. 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: Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, True, I talk of dreams, Mer. Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy; Which is as thin of substance as the air; And more inconstant than the wind, who woos Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. Ben. This wind, you talk of, blows us from ourselves; 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, Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night's revels; and expire the term Of a despised life, clos'd in my breast, By some vile forfeit of untimely death: But He, that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail.-On, lusty gentlemen. Ben. Strike, drum. [Exeunt 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 awhile, and the longer liver take all. [They retire behind. Enter CAPULET, &c., with the Guests, and the Maskers. Cap. Welcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes Unplagu'd with corns, will have a bout with you :— Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty, she, I'll swear, hath corns. Am I come near you now? Such as would please :-'tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone. You are welcome, gentlemen!-Come, musicians, play. A hall! a hall! give room, and foot it, girls. [Music plays, and they dance. More light, ye knaves! and turn the tables up, And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.Ah! sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well. Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet, For you and I are past our dancing days: How long is't now, since last yourself and I Were in a mask? 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, sir; His son is thirty. 1 Cap. Will you tell me that? His son was but a ward two years ago. Rom. What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand Of yonder knight? Serv. I know not, sir. Rom. O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright. Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, Tyb. This, by his voice, should be a Montague.— 1 Cap. Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so ? Tyb. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe; 1 Cap. Young Romeo is it? You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man' Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Jul. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand 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 prayer. Rom. O! then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. Jul. Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. Rom. Then move not, while my prayer's effect Rom. I'll to my rest. [Exeunt all but JULIET and NURSE. Jul. Come hither, nurse. What is yond' gentleman? Nurse. The son and heir of old Tiberio. Jul. What's he, that now is going out of door? Jul. What's he, that follows here, that would not dance? Nurse. I know not. Jul. Go, ask his name.-If he be married, Nurse. His name is Romeo, and a Montague; Jul. My only love sprung from my only hate! A rhyme I learn'd even now Come, let's away; the strangers all are gone. [Exeunt. Enter CHORUS. Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie, And young affection gapes to be his heir: That fair, for which love groan'd for, and would die, And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks: To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear; SCENE I.-An open Place, adjoining CAPULET'S Garden. Enter ROMEO. Rom. Can I go forward, when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out. [He climbs the wall, and leaps down within it. Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO. Ben. Romeo! my cousin Romeo! Romeo! Mer. He is wise; And, on my life, hath stolen him home to bed. Ben. He ran this way, and leap'd this orchard wall. Call, good Mercutio. Mer. Nay, I'll conjure too.- By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, Ben. An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. Mer. This cannot anger him: 'twould anger him To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Ben. Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be consorted with the humorous night: Mer. If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he sit under a medlar tree, And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit, Ben. Go, then; for 'tis in vain To seek him here, that means not to be found. SCENE II.-CAPULET'S Garden. Enter ROMEO. [Exeunt. Rom. He jests at scars, that never felt a wound.[JULIET appears above, at a window. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!- |