PERSONS REPRESENTED.

ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 1.

Act V. sc. 3.

PARIS, a young nobleman, kinsman to the Prince. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 3.

MONTAGUE, head of a house, at variance with the house of Capulet.

Appears, Act III. sc. 1.

CAPULET, head of a house, at variance
Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 5.

Act V. sc. 3.

with the house of Montague. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 4; sc. 5.

Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 3.

An old Man, uncle to Capulet.

Appears, Act I. sc. 5.

ROMEO, son to Montague.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5.

Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4; sc. 6. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3.

MERCUTIO, kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo.

Appears, Act I. sc. 4.

Act II. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1.

BENVOLIO, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1.

TYBALT, nephew to Lady Capulet.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 5.

Act III. sc. 1.

FRIAR LAURENCE, a Franciscan.

Appears, Act II. sc. 3; sc. 6. Act III. sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 5.

Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3.

FRIAR JOHN, a Franciscan.

Appears, Act V. sc. 2.

BALTHASAR, servant to Romeo.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3.

SAMPSON, servant to Capulet.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1.

GREGORY, servant to Capulet.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1.

ABRAM, servant to Montague.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1.

Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 3.

JULIET, daughter to Capulet.

Appears, Act I. sc. 3; sc. 5.

Act II. sc. 2; sc. 5; sc. 6.
Act III. sc. 2; sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3.

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.

'Romeo and Juliet' was first printed in the year 1597. The second edition was printed in 1599. The title of that edition declares it to be "Newly corrected, augmented, and amended." There can be no doubt whatever that the corrections, augmentations, and emendations were those of the author. We know of nothing in literary history more curious or more instructive than the example of minute attention, as well as consummate skill, exhibited by Shakspere in correcting, augmenting, and amending the first copy of this play.

ROMEO AND JULIET.

PROLOGUE.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows

Do, with their death, bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

ACT I.

SCENE I-A public Place.

Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, armed with swords and bucklers.

SAM. Gregory, o' my word, we 'll not carry coals.

GRE. No, for then we should be colliers.

SAM. I mean, if 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; therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'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 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.

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 sense, that feel it.

SAM. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand: and 't is known I am a pretty piece of flesh.

GRE. 'Tis well thou hadst been poor John. house of the Montagues.

art not fish; if thou hadst, thou Draw thy tool; here comes of the

Enter ABRAM and BALTHASAR.

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?

SAM. Is the law of our side, if I say-ay?