1 Greg. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men. Sam. 'Tis all one, I will fhew myself a tyrant when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads. Greg. The heads of the maids? Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagiles! Enter old Capulet, in bis gown; and Lady Capulet. Cap. What noife is this?-Give me my long [word 2, ho! La. Cap. A crutch, a crutch !—Why call you Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maiden- for a fword? heads; take it in what fenfe thou wilt. Greg. They must take it in fenfe, that feel it. Sam. Me they fhall feel, while I am able to ftand: and, 'tis known, I am a pretty piece of flesh. Greg. 'Tis well, thou art not fish; if thou hadft, thou hadst been Poor John. Draw thy too!; here comes of the house of the Montagues. Enter Abram and Baithafar. Sam. My naked weapon is out; quarrel, I will Greg. How? turn thy back, and run? Greg. No, marry; I fear thee! Cap. My fword, I fay !—old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spight of me. Enter old Montague, and Lady Montagut. Mon. Thou villain, Capulet,Hold me not, let me go. La. Mon. Thou shalt not ftir one foot to feek a foe. Enter Prince, with Attendants. Prin. Rebellious fubjects, enemies to peace, That quench the fire of your pernicious rage Sam. Let us take the law of our fides; let With purple fountains iffuing from your veins,them begin. Greg. I will frown, as I pass by; and let them Sam. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, fir? On pain of torture, from those bloody hands Sam. No, fir, I do not bite my thumb at you, If ever you difturb our streets again, Your lives fhall pay the forfeit of the peace. For this time, all the reft depart away: Sam. If you do, fir, I am for you; I ferve as And, Montague, come you this afternoon, good a man as you. Abr. No better. Sam. Well, fir. Enter Benvolio. Greg. Say-better; here comes one of my mafter's kinfmen. Sam. Yes, better, fir. Abr. You lye. Sam. Draw, if you be men.-Gregory, remem- I Ben. Part, fools; put up your fwords; Enter Tybalt. To know our further pleasure in this cafe, [Exeunt Prince, Capulet, &c. Mon. Who fet this ancient quarrel new abroach?-Speak, nephew, were you by, when it began? Ben. Here were the fervants of your adveríary, Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these heart- While we were interchanging thrufts and blows, lefs hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death. Ben. I do but keep the peace; put up thy fword, Or manage it to part thefe men with me. Came more and more, and fought on part and part, Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate Right glad I am, he was not at this fray. the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: Have at thee, coward. Enter three or four Citizens, with clubs. Ben. Madam, an hour before the worthipp'd fun To fwash feems to have meant to be a bully, to be noifily valiant. fword used in war, which was fometimes wielded with both hands. angry weapons. The long fword was the 3 Mis-temper' weapons are Towards Towards him I made; but he was 'ware of me, Mon. Many a morning hath he there been feen Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the caufe? Mon. I neither know it, nor can learn it of him. Ben. Have you importun'd him by any means? Mon. Both by myself, and many other friends: But he, his own affections' counsellor, Is to himfelf-I will not fay, how trueBut to himfelf fo fecret and so close, So far from founding and difcovery, As is the bud bit with an envious worm, Ere he can spread his fweet leaves to the air, Or dedicate his beauty to the fame. Could we but learn from whence his forrows grow, We would as willingly give cure, as know. Enter Remio, at a distance. Ben. See, where he comes: So please you, step I'll know his grievance, or be much deny'd. Ben. Good morrow, coufin. Rom. Is the day fo young? [Exeunt. Ben. But new ftruck nine. Ben. Of love? Rom. Out of her favour where I am in love. Ben. Alas, that love, fo gentle in his view, Should be fo tyrannous and rough in proof! Rom. Alas, that love, whofe view is muffled ftill, Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. That is, tell me in ferionfaefs. Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, fick health! Ben. No, coz, I rather weep. Ben. At thy good heart's oppreffion. Rom. Why, fuch is love's tranfgreffion.Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast; Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest With more of thine: this love that thou haft shown, Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke rais'd with the fume of fighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lover's eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears: What is it elfe? a madness most discreet, A choaking gall, and a preferving fweet. Farewel, my coz. Ben. Soft, I will go along; [Going. An if you leave me fo, you do me wrong. Ben. Tell me in fadnefs ', who she is you love? But fadly tell me, who. Rom, Bid a fick man in sadness make his will :— O word ill urg'd to one that is fo ill !— In faduefs, coufin, I do love a woman. Ben. I aim'd fo near, when I fuppos'd you lov'd. Rom. A right good marks-man-And he's fair I love. Ben. A right fair mark, fair coz, is fooneft hit. Rom. Well, in that hit, you mifs: fhe'll not be hit With Cupid's arrow, fhe hath Dian's wit; That, when the dies, with beauty dies her store 2. Ben. Then he hath fworn, that she will still [wafte; live chafte ? Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge She is too fair, too wife; wifely too fair, Ben. Be rul'd by me, forget to think of her. Rom. O, teach me how I fhould forget to think. Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes; Examine other beauties. Rom. 'Tis the way To call hers, exquifite, in queftion more: 2 Mr. Theobald reads, "With her dies beauty's flore." 3 i, e. the masks worn by female fpectators of the play. Shew 1 Fater Capulet, Paris, and Servant. Par. Of honourable reckoning are you both; Cap. But faying o'er what I have faid before: Par. Younger than the are happy mothers made. The earth hath fwallow'd all my hopes but she, Of limping winter treads, even fuch delight And like her moft, whofe merit most shall be: Enter Benvolio, and Romeo. Ben. Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning, One pain is leffen'd by another's anguish; Rom. Your plantain leaf is excellent for that. Rom. For your broken thin. Ben. Why, Romeo, art thou mad ? Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a mad-ma fellow. Se v. God gi' good e'en.-I pray, fir, can you [He reads the lift.] "Signior Martino, and his wife, and daughters; County Anfelm, and his beauteous filters; The lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio, and "his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother "Valentine; Mine uncle Capulet, his wife and "daughters; My fair niece Rofaline; Livia; Signior Valentio, and his coufin Tybalt; Luco and the lively Helena." A fair affembly; Whither fhould they come ? Rom. Whither to fupper? Serv. To our house. Rom. Indeed, I fhould have afk'd you that before. Sev. Now I'll tell you without afking: My matter is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and cruth a cup of wine 2. Reit you merry. Ben. At this fame ancient feaft of Capulet's 2 A cant expression This is a Gallicifm: Fille de terre is the French phrase for an heiress. which feems to have been once common among low people. We ftill fay-to crack a bottle. 3 Your lady's love is the love you bear to your lady, which in our language is commonly used for the lady herself, SCENE SCENE III. A Room in Capulet's House. Enter Lady Capulet, and Nurse. La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. [laugh, Nurfe. Yes, madam; Yet I cannot chufe but To think it fhould leave crying, and fay- Ay :' La. Cap. Nurfe, where's my daughter? call her And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow forth to me. Nurfe. Now, by my maidenhead,―at twelve year old, I bade her come.- -What, lamb! what, lady-bird! Jul. How now, who calls? Jul. Madam, I am here; what is your will? We must talk in fecret.-Nurfe, come back again; Nurfe. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Nurfe. I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,- mas-tide? La. Cap. A fortnight, and odd days. Nurfe. Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night, fhall the be fourteen. Sufan and the,-God rest all Christian souls !— Were of an age.-Well, Sufan is with God; She was too good for me: But, as I faid, On Lammas-eve at night fhall fhe be fourteen; That fhall fhe, marry; I remember it well. 'Tis fince the earthquake now eleven years; And she was wean'd,-I ne er fhall forget it, Of all the days of the year, upon that day: For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, Sitting i' the fun under the dove-house wall, My lord and you were then at Mantua :— Nay, I do bear a brain :-but, as I faid, When it did tafte the worm-wood on the nipple Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool! To fee it teachy, and fall out with the dug. [trow, Shake, quoth the dove-houfe: 'twas no need, I To bid me trudge. And fince that time it is eleven years: A bump as big as a young cockrel's ftone; Yea,' quoth my husband, fall'ft upon thy face? Thou waft the prettieft babe that e'er I nurs'd; I La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Nurfe. A man, young lady! lady, fuch a man, As all the world-Why, he's a man of wax. La. Cap. Verona's fummer hath not such a flower. Nurfe. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower, La. Cap. What fay you? can you love the gen tleman ? This night you shall behold him at our feaft: And fee how one another leads content; For then she could ftand alone; nay, by the rood, That in gold clafps locks in the golden story. She could have run and waddled all about. For even the day before, the broke her brow: And then my husband-God be with his foul ! 'A was a merry man ;-took up the child; 'Yea,' quoth he, ⚫ dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou haft more • wit; Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holy-dam, The pretty wretch left crying, and faid---' Ay :' To fee now, how a jeft fhall come about! I warrant, an I should live a thoufand years, I never should forget it; Wilt thou not, Jule ?' quoth he: And, pretty fool, it ftinted 2, and faid— Ay.' 1 i. c. to my forrow. 21. e. it stopped, it forbore from weeping. tient books were always printed in the margin. 3 The comments on an La. Cap. La. Cap. We follow thee.-Juliet, the county stays. Nurfe. Go, girl, feek happy nights to happy days. SCENE A Street. IV. [Exeunt. Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or fix I'll be a candle-holder, and look on 6, If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire, Mer. I mean, fir, in delay We wafte our lights in vain, like lamps by day. Rom. What, fhall this fpeech be fpoke for our Take our good meaning; for our judgment fits excufe? Or fhall we on without apology? Ben. The date is out of fuch prolixity : Rom. Give me a torch 3,I am not for this! Being but heavy, I will bear the light. [dance. With nimble foles; I have a foul of lead, Rom. I am too fore enpearced with his fhaft, Five times in that, ere once in our fine wits. Rom. And we mean well, in going to this mai; But 'tis no wit to go. Mer. Why, may one afk ? Rom. I dreamt a dream to-night. Mer. And fo did I. Rom. Well, what was yours? Rom. In bed afleep; while they do dream things Mer. O, then, I fee, queen Mab hath been with Mer. And, to fink in it, thould you burden love? Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut, Rom. Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. [Putting on a mask. A vifor for a vifor !- -what care I, Rom. A torch for me; let wantons, light of Tickle the fenfeless rushes with their heels 5; note 7, p. 957. Made by the joiner iquirrel, or old grub, On courtiers' knees, that dream on court'nies Then dreams he of another benefice : 1 It was a custom obferved by those who came uninvited to a masquerade, with a defire to conceal themfelves for the fake of intrigue, or to enjoy the greater freedom of converfation, to preface their entry on thefe occafions by fome speech in praife of the beauty of the ladies, or the generosity of the 2 See entertainer; and to the prolixity of fuch introductions we believe Romeo is made to allude. 3 A torch-bearer feems to have been a conftant attendant on every troop of masks. 4 To quote is to obferve. 5 We have already obferved, that it was anciently the custom to firew rooms with rushes, before carpets were in ufe. The ftage was alfo anciently ftrewn with kes 6 The proverb which Romeo means, is contained in the line immediately following: To hold the 7 Dun's the mout is a candie, is a very common proverbial expreffion, for being an idle Spectator. proverbial expreflion, the precife meaning of which cannot be determined. 8 Draw dun out of the mire, feems to have been a game. &c. are lighted in the day time. 9 To burn day-light is a proverbial expreffion, ufed when candles 10 Atomy is no more than an obfolete substitute for atom. Of |