1 I would adventure for such merchandise. Jul. Thou know'st, the mask of night is on my face; Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek, Rom. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear, Juls with silver all these fruit-tree tops,swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Rom. Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow, Jul. I come, anon:-But if thou mean'st not well, I do beseech thee, Nurse. [Within.] Madam. To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief: Rom. By and by, I come : Exit. So thrive my soul,Jul. A thousand times good night! Rom. A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. Love goes toward love, as school-boys from their books; But love from love, toward school with heavy looks. [Retiring slowly. Re-enter Juliet, above. Jul. Hist! Romeo, hist!-O, for a falconer's voice, To lure this tassel-gentle back again! Rom. It is my soul, that calls upon my name: Do not swear at all; Like softest music to attending ears! If my heart's dear love Jul. Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee, Rom. O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Jul. I gave thee mine before thou didst request it: And yet I would it were to give again. Rom. Would'st thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love? Jul. But to be frank, and give it thee again. [Exit. [Nurse calls within. I hear some noise within; Dear love, adieu! Anon, good nurse!-Sweet Montague, be true. Stay but a little, I will come again. Rom. O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard, Being in night, all this is but a dream, Too flattering-sweet to be substantial. Jul. Romeo! Rom. Jul. My sweet! Shall I send to thee? Rom. Jul. I will not fail: At what o'clock to-morrow At the hour of nine. I have forgot why I did call thee back. Rom. And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, Forgetting any other home but this. Jul. 'Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone: 6 And yet no further than a wanton's bird; Rom. I would, I were thy bird. Jul. Sweet, so would I : Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! parting is such sweet Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell; His help to crave, and my dear hap' to tell. [Exit. SCENE III.-Friar Laurence's cell. Enter Friar Laurence, with a basket. Fri. The grey-ey'd morn smiles on the frowning night, Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light; And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels (6) Fetters. (7) Chance, fortune. Spotted, streaked. 3 R From forth day's path-way, made by Titan's' So soon forsaken? young men's love then lies wheels: Now ere the sun advance his burning eye, None but for some, and yet all different. Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. Women may fall, when there's no strength in men. To lay one in, another out to have. For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each Doth grace for grace, and love for love allow; part; Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart. Two such opposed foes encamp them still In man as well as herbs, grace, and rude will; father! Benedicite! Rom. Good morrow, Rom. That last is true, the sweeter rest was mine. Rom. I'll tell thee, ere thou ask it me again. set As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine The other did not so. Fri. For this alliance may so happy prove, Mer. Where the devil should this Romeo be?- Ben. Not to his father's; I spoke with his man. Torments him so, that he will sure run mad. Ben. Romeo will answer it. Mer. Any man, that can write, may answer a letter. Ben. Nay, he will answer the letter's master, how he dares, being dared. Mer. Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead; stabbed with a white wench's black eye; shot thorough the ear with a love-song; the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow-boy's butt-shaft;" And is he a man to encounter Tybalt? Ben. Why, what is Tybalt? 6 Mer. More than prince of cats, I can tell you. 0, he is the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and proportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and the third in your bosom; the very butcher of a silk button, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the very first house,-of the first and second cause: Ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso! the hay !" Ben. The what? Mer. The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting fantasticoes; these new tuners of accents!-By Fri. Holy Saint Francis! what a change is here! Jesu, a very good blade!-a very tall man!-a Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, very good whore !-Why, is not this a lamentable (4) Arrow. (5) See the story of Reynard the fox. (6) By notes pricked down. (7) Terms of the fencing-school. 3 3 thing, grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these pardonnez-moys, who stand so much on the new form, that they cannot sit at ease on the old bench? O, their bons, their bons! Enter Romeo. Ben. Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo. Mer. Without his roe, like a dried herring:-0 flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified!-Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in: Laura, to his lady, was but a kitchen-wench;-Marry, she had a better love to be-rhyme her: Dido, a dowdy; Cleopatra, a gipsy; Helen and Hero, hildings and harlots; Thisbé, a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose. Signior Romeo, bon jour! there's a French salutation to your French slop. You gave us the counterfeit fairly last night. Rom. Good-morrow to you both. What counterfeit did I give you? Mer. The slip, sir, the slip; Can you not conceive. Rom. Pardon, good Mercutio, my business was great; and, in such a case as mine, a man may strain courtesy. Mer. That's as much as to say-such a case as yours constrains a man to bow in the hams. Rom. Meaning-to court'sy. Mer. Thou hast most kindly hit it. Rom. A most courteous exposition. Mer. Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy. Mer. Right. Rom. Why, then is my pump well flowered. Mer. Well said: Follow me this jest now, till thou hast worn out thy pump; that, when the single sole of it is worn, the jest may remain, after the wearing, solely singular. Rom. O single-soled' jest, solely singular for the singleness! Mer. Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits fail. Rom. Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I'll cry a match. 6 Mer. Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chace, I have done; for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits, than, I am sure, I have in my whole five: Was I with you there for the goose? Rom. Thou wast never with me for any thing, when thou wast not there for the goose. Mer. I will bite thee by the ear for that jest. Mer. Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting; it is a most sharp sauce. Rom. And is it not well served in to a sweet goose? Mer. O, here's a wit of cheverel, that stretches from an inch narrow to an ell broad! Rom. I stretch it out for that word-broad: which added to the goose, proves thee far and wide a broad goose. Mer. Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo; now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature for this drivelling love is like a great (1) In ridicule of Frenchified coxcombs. (2) Trowsers or pantaloons, a French fashion in Shakspeare's time. (3) A pun on counterfeit money, called slips. (4) Shoe. (5) Slight, thin. (6) A horse-race in any direction the leader chooses to take. (7) An apple. (8) Soft stretching leather. natural, that runs lolling up and down, to hide his bauble in a hole. Ben. Stop there, stop there. Mer. Thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the hair. Ben. Thou would'st else have made thy tale large. Mer. O, thou art deceived, I would have made it short: for I was come to the whole depth of my tale; and meant, indeed, to occupy the argument no longer. Rom. Here's goodly geer! Enter Nurse and Peter. Mer. A sail, a sail, a sail! Ben. Two, two; a shirt, and a smock. Nurse. Peter! Peter. Anon? Nurse. My fan, Peter." Mer. Pr'ythee, do, good Peter, to hide her face; for her fan's the fairer of the two. Nurse. God ye good morrow, gentlemen. Mer. 'Tis noless, I tell you; for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick" of noon. Nurse. Out upon you! what a man are you? Rom. One, gentlewoman, that God hath made himself to mar. Nurse. By my troth, it is well said ;-For himself to mar, quoth'a ?-Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I can find the young Romeo? Rom. I can tell you; but young Romeo will be older when you have found him, than he was when you sought him: I am the youngest of that name, for 'fault of a worse. Nurse. You say well. Mer. Yea, is the worst well? very well took, i'faith; wisely, wisely. Nurse. If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you. Ben. She will indite him to some supper. Mer. No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a lenten Romeo, will you come to your father's? we'll to dinner thither. Rom. I will follow you. Mer. Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, lady, lady, lady. 13 [Exe. Mer. and Ben. Nurse. Marry, farewell!-I pray you, what saucy merchant' was this, that was so full of his ropery ?is Rom. A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk; and will speak more in a minute, than he will stand to in a month. Nurse. An 'a speak any thing against me, I'll take him down an 'a were lustier than he is, and (9) It was the custom for servants to carry the lady's fan. (10) Good even. (12) Hoary, mouldy. (11) Point. (13) The burden of an old song. (14) A term of disrespect in contradistinction to gentlemen. (15) Roguery. twenty such Jacks; and if I cannot, I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirtgills; I am none of his skains-mates:-And thou must stand by too, and suffer every knave to use me at his pleasure? Pet. I saw no man use you at his pleasure; if I had, my weapon should quickly have been out, I warrant you: I dare draw as soon as another man, if I see occasion in a good quarrel, and the law on my side. Nurse. Now, afore God, I am so vexed, that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave!-Pray you, sir, a word: and as I told you, my young lady bade me inquire you out; what she bade me say, I will keep to myself: but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behaviour, as they say: for the gentlewoman is young; and therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly, it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing. Rom. Nurse, commend me to thy lady and mistress. I protest unto thee, Nurse. Good heart! and, i'faith, I will tell her as much: Lord, lord, she will be a joyful woman. Rom. What wilt thou tell her, nurse? thou dost not mark me. Nurse. I will tell her, sir,-that you do protest; which, as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer. Rom. Bid her devise some means to come to shrift2 This afternoon; And there she shall at friar Laurence' cell Nurse. This afternoon, sir? well, she shall be there. Rom. And stay, good nurse, behind the abbey- Within this hour my man shall be with thee; Nurse. Now God in heaven bless thee!-Hark Rom. What say'st thou, my dear nurse? nurse; In half an hour she promis'd to return. But old folks, many feign as they were dead; Enter Nurse and Peter. O God, she comes!-O honey nurse, what news? Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily; Nurse. I am weary, give me leave a while;- news: Nay, come, I pray thee, speak;-good, good nurse, speak. Nurse. Jesu! What haste? Can you not stay a while? Do you not see, that I am out of breath? Jul. How art thou out of breath, when thou hast To say to me-that thou art out of breath? Nurse. Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear Is thy news good, or bad? answer to that; Say either, and I'll stay the circumstance: Two may keep counsel, putting one away? Let me be satisfied, is't good or bad? Rom. I warrant thee; my man's as true as steel. Nurse. Well, you have made a simple choice; Nurse. Well, sir; my mistress is the sweetest you know not how to choose a man: Romeo! no, lady-Lord, lord!-when 'twas a little prating not he; though his face be better than any man's, thing,-0,-there's a nobleman in town, one Paris, yet his leg excels all men's; and for a hand, and a that would fain lay knife aboard; but she, good foot, and a body,-though they be not to be talked soul, had as leave see a toad, a very toad, as see on, yet they are past compare: He is not the flower him. I anger her sometimes, and tell her that Paris of courtesy,-but, I'll warrant him, as gentle as a is the properer man; but, I'll warrant you, when lamb.-Go thy ways, wench; serve God.—What, say so, she looks as pale as any clout in the varsal have you dined at home? world. Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter? I Rom. Ay, nurse; What of that? both with an R. Nurse. Ah, mocker! that's the dog's name. R is for the dog. No; I know it begins with some other letter; and she hath the prettiest sententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you good to hear it. (1) A mate or companion of one wearing a skain; a short sword. (2) Confession. (8) The highest extremity of the mast of a ship. Jul. No, no: But all this did I know before; What says he of our marriage? what of that? Nurse. Lord, how my head aches! what a head Jul. I have. well. Fri. Come, come with me, and we will make For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone, ACT III. SCENE I-A public place. Enter Mercutio, Ben. I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire: And, if we meet, we shall not 'scape a brawl; Mer. Thou art like one of those fellows, that, when he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table, and says, God send me no need of thee! and, by the operation of the second cup, draws it on the drawer, when, indeed, there is no need. Ben. Am I like such a fellow? Mer. Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy; and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved. Ben. And what to? Nurse. Then hie you hence to friar Laurence' cell, There stays a husband to make you a wife: Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks, They'll be in scarlet straight at any news. Hie you to church; I must another way, To fetch a ladder, by the which your love Must climb a bird's nest soon, when it is dark: I am the drudge, and foil in your delight; But you shall bear the burden soon at night. Go, I'll to dinner; hie you to the cell. Jul. Hie to high fortune!-honest nurse, fare- have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Mer. Nay, and there were two such, we should [Exeunt. Thou! why thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath Enter a hair more, or a hair less, in his beard than thou hast. Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes; What eye, but such an eye, would spy as an egg is full of meat; and yet thy head hath out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels, been beaten as addle as an egg, for quarrelling. Thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in the street, because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before Easter? with another, for tying his new shoes with old ribband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling! SCENE VI.-Friar Laurence's cell. Fri. So smile the heavens upon this holy act, Fri. These violent delights have violent ends, Here comes the lady :-0, so light a foot Jul. Good even to my ghostly confessor. Fri. Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both. Jul. As much to him, else are his thanks too Rom. Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy Jul. Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Ben. An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter. Mer. The fee-simple? O simple! Enter Tybalt, and others. Ben. By my head, here come the Capulets. Tyb. Follow me close, for I will speak to them. Mer. Could you not take some occasion without giving? Tyb. Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo,Mer. Consort? what, dost thou make us minstrels? an thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall make you dance. 'Zounds, consort! Ben. We talk here in the public haunt of men; I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I. (3) Paint, display. (4) Imagination. |