Rom. I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd,

Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

Jul. What man art thou, that thus befcrean'd in night So ftumbleft on my counsel?

Rom. By a name

I know not how to tell thee who I am:

My name, dear faint, is hateful to my felf,
Because it is an enemy to thee.

Had I it written, I would tear the word.

Jul. My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words Of that tongue's uttering, yet I know the found. Art thou not Romeo, and a Mountague ?

Rom. Neither, fair faint, if either thee displease. Jul. How cam'ft thou hither, tell me, and wherefore The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb, And the place death, confidering who thou art, If any of my kinfmen find thee here.

Rom. With love's light wings did I o'er-perch thefe walls;

For flony limits cannot hold love out,

And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Therefore thy kinfmen are no ftop to me.

Ju'. If they do fee thee, they will murder thee.
Rom, Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye,
Than twenty of their fwords; look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.

Jul. I would not for the world they faw thee here. Rom. I have night's cloak to hide me from their eye. And but thou love me, let them find me here; My life were better ended by their hate,

* With, &c.] -Which when th' arch felon faw,
Due entrance he difdain'd, and in contempt,
At one flight bound, high over-leap'd all bound
Of hill, or highest wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet,

See Parad. loft. B. iv. v. 179.
Than

Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
Jul. By whofe direction found'st thou out this place?
Rom. By love, that firft did prompt me to enquire,
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes
I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far

As that vaft fhore, wash'd with the fartheft fea,
I would adventure for fuch merchandize.

ĥ

Jul. Thou know'ft the mask of night is on my face,
Elfe would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek,
For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night;
Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny
What I have spoke but farewel compliment:
Doft thou love me? I know thou wilt fay, ay,
And I will take thy word-yet if thon fwear',
Thou may'ft prove falfe; (4) at lover perjuries
They fay Jove laughs. Oh gentle Romeo,
If thou doft love, pronounce it faithfully,
Or if thou think I am too
too quickly won,
I'll frown, and be perverfe, and fay thee nay,
So thou wilt wooe, but elfe not for the world.

In truth, fair Mountague, I am too fond;
And therefore thou may'st think my 'haviour light:
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than thofe that have more cunning to be strange.
I should have been more ftrange, I must confess,
But that thou over-heard'ft, ere I was 'ware,
My true love's paffion; therefore pardon me

(4) At lovers, &c.] This, as Mr. Theobald has obferved, our author probably borrowed either from Ovid or Tibullus.

Ovid de art. aman.

Jupiter ex a'to perjuria ridet amantum.
At lovers perjuries Jove laughs.
-Perjuria ridet amantum
Jupiter, & ventos irrita ferre jubet.;
At lovers perjuries Jove laughs away,
And bids the winds the idle tales convey.

Tibull. L. 3. c. 74

And

And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.

xf:

Rom Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, That tips with filver all these fruit-tree tops

Jul. O fwear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon,e,Ā
That monthly changes in her circled orb ;......
Left that thy love prove likewife variable.

Astor La***

Rom. What fhall I fwear by so i must in
Jul. Do not fwear at all.
Or if thou wilt, fwear by thy gracious felf,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.

Rom. If my true heart's love

Jul. Well, do not fwear-although I joy in thee, t

9

I have no joy of this contract to night;
It is too rafh, too unadvis'd, too fudden,p
* Too like the lightning which doth ceafe to be,
Ere one can fay, it lightensfweet, good night.
This bud of love, by fummer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet :
Good night, good night-as fweet repofe and reft
Come to thy heart, as that within my breast.

Rom. O wilt thou leave me fo unsatisfied?

Jul. What fatisfaction canft thou have to night? Rom. Th' exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine,

4

Jul. I gave thee mine before thou didst request it: And yet I would it were to give again.

Rom. Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose,

love?

Jul. But to be frank, and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have:
My bounty is as boundlefs as the fea,

* See Midfummer night's dream. p. 76,

A

My

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
I hear fome noife within, dear love, adieu.

[Nurfe calls within

Anon, good nurse Sweet Mountague be true:
Stay but a little, I will come again.

[Exit.

Rom. O bleffed, bleffed night. I am afraid
All this is but dream I hear and fee;
Too flattering sweet to be fubftantial.

Re-enter Juliet above.

Jul. Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed :

If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow,
By one that I'll procure to come to thee, the 157
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay,
And follow thee, my love, throughout the world.
[Within: Madam.

I come, anon but if thou mean'ft not well,.
I do beseech thee--[Within: Madam ] By and by

I come

To cease thy fuit, and leave me to my grief.
To-morrow will I fend.

Rom. So thrive my foul.

Ful. A thousand times good night.

[Exit. Rom. A thoufand times the worse to want thy light. Enter Juliet again.

Jul. Hift! Romeo, hift! O for a falkner's voice, To lure this taffel gentle back againBondage is hoarfe, and may not speak aloud, Elfe would I tear the cave where echo lies And make her airy tongue more hoarfe than mine With repetition of my Romeo.

Rom,

Rom. It is my love that calls upon my name,
How filver-fweet found lovers tongues by night,
Like fofteft mufick to attending ears!
Jal. Romeo!

Rom. My fweet!

ful. At what a clock to-morrow Shall I fend to thee?

Rom. By the hour of nine.

Jul. I will not fail, 'tis twenty years till then,I have forgot why I did call thee back

Rom. Let me ftand here till thou remember it. Jul. Ifhall forget to have thee still stand there, Remembring how I love thy company.

Rom And I'll ftill stay to have thee ftill forget, Forgetting any other home but this.

Jul. 'Tis almoft morning. I would have thee gone,
And yet no further than a wanton's bird,
That lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prifoner in its twisted gyves,
And with a filk thread plucks it back again,
So loving jealous of his liberty.

Rom. I would I were thy bird.
Jul. Sweet, fo would I;

Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing,
Good night, good night. Parting is fuch fweet forrow,
That I fhall fay good-night, till it be morrow. [Exit.

SCENE V.

Love's Heralds..

Love's heralds fhould be thoughts,

Which ten times fafter glide than the fun-beams,
Driving back shadows over lowring hills.
Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love,
And therefore hath the wind-fwift Cupid wings.

SCENS