894 ROMEO AND JULIET. Call, good Mercutio. By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, Ben. An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. Ben. Come, he hath hid himself among those To be consorted with the humorous night: Mer. If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit, [Exeunt. Jul. Rom. Ah me! She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art Jul. O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Ro Deny thy father, and refuse thy name: Rom. Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? [Aside. Rom. I take thee at thy word So stumblest on my counsel ? Rom. By a name Had I it written, I would tear the word. Jul. My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words SCENE II.-Capulet's garden. Enter Romeo. Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound, Rom. He jests at scars, that never felt a wound.-Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague? Rom. Neither, fair saint, [Juliet appears above, at a window. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!- That thou her maid art far more fair than she: 4 Be not her maid, since she is envious; O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing; What of that? I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: stars, As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven (1) Alluding to the old ballad of the king and (2) This phrase in Shakspeare's time was used as an expression of tenderness. either thee dislike. Jul. How cam'st thou hither, tell me? and wherefore? The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb; Rom. With love's light wings did I o'er-perc For stony limits cannot hold love out : Jul. If they do see thee, they will murder thee. Jul. I would not for the world, they saw thee here. sight; And, but thou love me, let them find me here: Rom. By love, who first did prompt me to inquire, As that vast shore wash'd with the furthest sea, 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, I'll frown, and be perverse, and say thee nay, And therefore thou may'st think my haviour' light: Rom. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear, moon, Jul. Hist! Romeo, hist!-0, for a falconer's To lure this tassel-gentle' back again! Rom. It is my soul, that calls upon my name: Do not swear at all; How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears! That monthly changes in her circled orb, Rom. If my heart's dear loveJul. 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; Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be, Ere one can say-It lightens. Sweet, good night! This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest Come to thy heart, as that within my breast! Rom. O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Jul. What satisfaction canst thou have to-night? Rom. The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine. 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. [Nurse calls within. [Exit. Rom. O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard, Being in night, all this is but a dream, Too flattering-sweet to be substantial. I Rom. At what o'clock to-morrow At the hour of nine. 'tis twenty years till then. Jul. I will not fail: Forgetting any other home but this. Jul. 'Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone: And yet no further than a wanton's bird; Rom. I would, I were thy bird. Sweet, so would 1: sorrow, 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. (8) Spotted, streaked. From forth day's path-way, made by Titan's' wheels: Now ere the sun advance his burning eye, In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities: Within the infant rind of this small flower So soon forsaken? young men's love then lies Women may fall, when there's no strength in men. To lay one in, another out to have. Rom. I pray thee, chide not: she, whom I love now, 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. In man as well as herbs, grace, and rude will; Rom. Good morrow, father! Benedicite! Fri. What early tongue so sweet saluteth me?— Young son, it argues a distemper'd head, So soon to bid good morrow to thy bed: Care keeps his watch in every old man's eye, And where care lodges, sleep will never lie; But where unbruised youth, with unstuff'd brain, Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign: Therefore thy earliness doth me assure, Thou art up-rous'd by some distemp❜rature; Or if not so, then here I hit it rightOur Romeo hath not been in bed to-night. Rom. That last is true, the sweeter rest was mine. Fri. God pardon sin! wast thou with Rosaline? Rom. With Rosaline, my ghostly father? no; I have forgot that name, and that name's wo. Fri. That's my good son: But where hast thou been then? Rom. I'll tell thee, ere thou ask it me again. I have been feasting with mine enemy; Where, on a sudden, one hath wounded me, That's by me wounded; both our remedies Within thy help and holy physic lies: I bear no hatred, blessed man; for, lo, My intercession likewise steads my foe. 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: The other did not so. O, she knew weil, Fri. For this alliance may so happy prove, Mer. Where the devil should this Romeo be?Came he not home to-night? Ben. Not to his father's; I spoke with his man. Mer. Ah, that same pale hard-hearted wench, that Rosaline, 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? Mer. More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O, 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, (1) The sun. (2) Virtue. (3) i. e. It is of the utmost consequence for me to be hasty. 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) Terme of the fencing-school. 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.2 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. 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. (6) A horse-race in any direction the leader thooses to take. (*) An apple. (8) Sof stretching leather. natural, that runs lolling up and down, to hide hit 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 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 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 pie, that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent. An old hare hoar, 12 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," [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 t 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 skrift? Within this hour my man shall be with thee; 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;- 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 Two may keep counsel, putting one away? Say either, and I'll stay the circumstance: 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 sce 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 I 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? Jul. No, no: But all this did I know before; It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. |