Jul. How cam'st thou hither, tell me? and wherefore? | The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here. Rom. O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Rom. With love's light wings did I o'erperch these And yet I would it were to give again. For stony limits cannot hold love out : And what love can do, that dares love attempt; Jul. If they do see thee, they will murder thee. Jul. I would not for the world they saw thee here. Rom. I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes; And but thou love me, let them find me here: My life were better ended by their hate, Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. Jul. By whose direction found'st thou out this place? As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea, Rom. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear*, And I'll believe thee. Rom. Do not swear at all; If my heart's dear love_ Jul. Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract to-night: It is too rash, too unadvis'd, too sudden; 1 Hindrance. Rom. Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love? Jul. But to be frank, and give it thee again; Rom. O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard, [Exit. Jul. Three words, dear Romeo, and good night, indeed. If that thy bent of love be honourable, Jul. I come, anon.-But if thou mean'st not well, I do beseech thee,— Nurse. [Within.] Madam! Jul. By and by; I come.To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief: To-morrow will I send. Rom. [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. [Going. Re-enter JULIET, above. 5 glorious in quarto, 9 The quarto, 13 This line is 3 2 gave in quarto, 1597. coying in later quartos, and folio. 4 yonder moon I vow: in folio. 1597. 6 my true heart's love: in quarto, 1597. 7 The quarto, 1597, omits all to the NURSE's call. 9 true in quarto, 1597. 1597, omits all to, "Love goes," &c. 10 Male-hawk. 11 12 tongue in later quartos, and folio; they also omit (12) "name." not in quarto, 1597. 14 So the undated quarto; that of 1597: Madam; first folio: My neice; second folio: sweet. Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, Rom. I would, I were thy bird. Sweet, so would I: Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! SCENE III.-Friar LAURENCE'S Cell. [Exit. Fri. The grey-ey'd morn smiles on the frowning night, Checquering the eastern clouds with streaks of light; None but for some, and yet all different. In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities: Rom. Good morrow, father. Benedicite! Fri. Rom. That last is true; the sweeter rest was mine. I have forgot that name, and that name's woe. Rom. I'll tell thee, ere thou ask it me again. Fri. Be plain, good son, and homely" in thy drift; Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift. Rom. Then plainly know, my heart's dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet: As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine; And all combin'd, save what thou must combine By holy marriage. When, and where, and how, We met, we woo'd, and made exchange of vow, I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, That thou consent to marry us to-day. Fri. Holy Saint Francis! what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? young men's love, then, lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. Jesu Maria! what a deal of brine Hath wash'd thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline! How much salt water thrown away in waste To season love, that of it doth not taste! The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears, Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears; Lo! here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit Of an old tear that is not wash'd off yet. If e'er thou wast thyself, and these woes thine, Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline : And art thou chang'd? pronounce this sentence, thenWomen may fall, when there's no strength in men. Rom. Thou chidd'st me oft for loving Rosaline. Fri. For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. Rom. And bad'st me bury love. Fri. To lay one in, another out to have. Not in a grave, Rom. I pray thee, chide not: she, whom I love now, Fri. For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households' rancour to pure love. SCENE IV.-A Street. Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO. Mer. Where the devil should this Romeo be ?11- 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.1 Mer. Alas, poor Romeo! he is already dead! stab 7 un 1 friar's close in later quartos, and folio. 2 burning in later quartos, and folio. 3 This and the five following lines, are not in quarto, 1597. 4 Revolts to vice, and stumbles on abuse: in quarto, 1597. 5 small: in quarto, 1597. foes in later quartos, and folio. bruised in f. e. 8 rest in folio. 9 her I in later quartos, and folio. 10 The rest of the line, not in quarto, 1597. 11 Why, what 's become of Romeo: in quarto, 1597. 12 if he be challenged: in quarto, 1597. bed with a white wench's black eye; run 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? Mer. More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O! he is a courageous captain of compliments. He fights as you sing prick-song3, 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 riverso! the hay! Ben. The what? Mer. The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting fantasticoes, these new tuners of accents!" By Jesu, a very good blade!-a very tall man!-a very good whore !"-Why, is not this a lamentable thing, grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these pardonnez-mois*, 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.-O flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified !-Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in: Laura, to his lady, was 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; Thisbe, 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. 7 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 courtesy. Mer. Thou hast most kindly hit it.o Rom. A most courteous exposition. Mer. Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy. Rom. Pink for flower. Mer. Right. 10 Rom. Why, then is my pump well flowered.1 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, for my wits fail.12 Rom. Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I'll cry a match. Mer. Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, 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. Rom. Nay, good goose, bite not. Mer. Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting;13 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,1 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 abroadgoose.15 Mer. Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo :16 now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature for this driveling love is like a great natural, that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole. Nurse. God ye good morrow, gentlemen. Mer. God ye good den, fair gentlewoman. Mer. 'T is no less, 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 for18 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 may 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 confidence1 with you. So ho! Ben. She will invite him to some supper. Mer. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! Rom. What hast thou found ? Mer. No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a lenten pie, that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent. An old hare hoar, and an old hare hoar, [Singing. 20 Is very good meat in lent : But a hare that is hoar, is too much for a score, Rom. I will follow you. 21 22 Farewell, lady, lady, lady.2 [Singing. [Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO. Mer. I will bite thee by the ear for that jest. 1 The peg by which the target was attached. 2 The cat, in the old story of Reynard the Fox, is called, Tybert. 3 Music by note. 4 So the undated quarto; the other old copies: pardon-mees. 5 A low person. 6 Often used for a fine, blue eye. 7 Loose breeches. 8 A counterfeit piece of money, was often so called. 9 This and the previous speech, are not in quarto, 1597. 10 The shoe-ribbons were cut like flowers. 11 Sure wit in later quartos, and folio. 12 faint: in later quartos, and folio. 13 Name of an apple. 14 Kid skin. 15 a broad goose in quartos. 16 thyself: in quarto, 1597. 17 Later quartos, and folio, read :-Nurse. My fan, Peter? Mer. Good Peter, to hide her For her fan 's the fairer face. 18 Not in later quartos, and folio. 19 conference: in quarto, 1597. 20 Not in f. e. 21 This was a face? favorite tune. 22 Not in f. e. Nurse. Marry, farewell!-I pray you, sir, what saucy merchant' was this, that was so full of his ropery2? 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 twenty such Jacks; and if I cannot, I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirt-gills: 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 bid me say, I will keep to myself; but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her in 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 wicked' 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 shrift And there she shall at friar Lawrence' cell Rom. Go to I say, you shall. [Giving her money. Nurse. Now, God in heaven bless thee !'-Hark you, Rom. What say'st thou, my dear nurse? Nurse. Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear say, Two may keep counsel, putting one away? : Jul. The clock struck nine, when I did send the nurse; 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 awhile.— Nurse. Jesu, what haste! can you not stay awhile ? Jul. How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath Nurse. Well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to choose a man: Romeo! no, not he; Rom. I warrant thee; my man is true as steel. though his face be better than any man's, yet his leg Nurse. Well, sir; my mistress is the sweetest lady-excels all men's; and for a hand, and a foot, and a Lord, lord !-when 't was a little prating thing,-O !— | body,—though they be not to be talked on, yet they There's a nobleman in town, one Paris, that would fain are past compare. He is not the flower of courtesy,lay knife aboard; but she, good soul, had as lieve see a but, I'll warrant him, as gentle as a lamb.-Go thy toad, a very toad, as see him. I anger her sometimes, ways, wench: serve God. What, have you dined at and tell her that Paris is the properer man; but, I'll home? warrant you, when I say so, she looks as pale as any clout in the varsal world. Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter? Rom. Ay, nurse; What of that? both with an R. Jul. No, no: but all this did I know before. 1 This word was often used as a contemptuous term, as distinguished from "gentleman." 2 roperipe in quarto, 1597; both words mean, roguery. 3 weak in f. e. 4 Tell her, I protest: in quarto, 1597. 5 The quarto, 1597, has in place of this speech : and omits all to, "And stay." 6 Not in f. e. the sound."-Ben Jonson's Eng. Grammar. Bid her get leave to-morrow morning To come to shrift at friar Lawrence's cell; 7 The quarto, 1597, omits all to," Commend me," &c. 8 "R, is the dog's letter and hirreth in Old copies read: "R is for the"; which Warburton changed to "thee." Some mod. eds. read, with Tyrwhitt: "R is for the dog." 9 lazy: in quarto, 1597. 10 The quarto, 1597. has in place of this and the next twelve lines: And run more swift, than hasty powder fir'd Doth hurry from the fearful cannon's mouth. 1 The quarto, 1597, omits all to, "I am aweary. Rom. Amen, amen! but come what sorrow can, It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. Jul. I' faith, I am sorry that thou art not well. Nurse. O, God's lady dear! Jul. Here's such a coil-Come, what says Romeo ?1 3 Nurse. Then, hie you hence to friar Laurence' cell, SCENE VI.-Friar LAURENCE'S Cell. That one short minute gives me in her sight: Fri. These violent delights have violent ends, Here comes the lady.-O! so light a foot Jul. Good even to my ghostly confessor. Jul. Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Fri. Come, come with me, and we will make short For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone, [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I-A Public Place. Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants. Ben. I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire: The day is hot, the Capulets abroad, And if we meet we shall not 'scape a brawl; For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring." 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 him 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 ? Mer. Nay, an there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath 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, 1 In place of this question, the quarto, 1597, has: but such an eye, would spy out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels, as an egg is full of meat; and yet thy head hath 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 riband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling! 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! Mer. By my heel, I care not. Tyb. Follow me close, for I will speak to them.Gentlemen, good den! a word with one of you. Mer. And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow. Tyb. You will find me apt enough to that, sir, if you will give me occasion. Nay stay, sweet nurse; I do entreat thee, now, 2 straight in f. e. 3any in f. e. 4 This scene was entirely re-formed in the quarto. 1599. It may be found as it appears in the quarto, 1597, in the notes to Verplanck's edition. 5 sum up some in folio. Steevens made the change. 6 This and the previous line, are not in quarto, 1597. 7 This and the next speech, are not in the quarto, 1597. |