SCENE II.
A STREET.
Enter Capulet, Paris, and Servant.
Cap.
And Montague is bound as well as I,
In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think,
For men so old as we to keep the peace.
Par.
Of honourable reckoning are you both;
And pity 'tis, you liv'd at odds so long.
But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?
Cap.
But saying o'er what I have said before:
My child is yet a stranger in the world,
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
Par.
Younger than she are happy mothers made.
Cap.
4 note
And too soon marr'd are those so early made.
-- 20 --
The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
5 note
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.
This night I hold an old accustom'd feast,
Whereto I have invited many a guest,
Such as I love; and you, among the store,
One more, most welcome, makes my number more.
At my poor house, look to behold this night
6 note
Earth-treading stars, that make dark heaven light:
-- 21 --
Such comfort, as 7 note
do lusty young men feel
When well-apparel'd April on the heel
Of limping winter treads, even such delight
Among fresh female buds shall you this night
Inherit at my house; hear all, all see,
And like her most, whose merit most shall be:
8 note
Such, amongst view of many, mine, being one,
May stand in number, though in reckoning none.
-- 22 --
Come, go with me:—Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona; find those persons out,
Whose names are written there 9Q1100; and to them say,
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
[Exeunt Capulet, and Paris.
Serv.
9 noteFind them out, whose names are written here?
It is written—that the shoemaker should meddle
with his yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher
with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but
I am sent to find those persons, whose names are
here writ, and can never find what names the writing
person hath here writ. I must to the learned:—
In good time.
Enter Benvolio, and Romeo.
Ben.
Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning,
One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish;
Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;
One desperate grief cures with another's languish:
Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
And the rank poison of the old will die. 9Q1101
Rom.
1 note
Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.
-- 23 --
Ben.
For what, I pray thee?
Rom.
For your broken shin.
Ben.
Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
Rom.
Not mad, but bound more than a mad-man is;
Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
Whipt, and tormented, and—Good-e'en, good fellow.
Serv.
God gi' good e'en.—I pray, sir, can you read?
Rom.
Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Serv.
Perhaps you have learn'd it without book:
But I pray, can you read any thing you see?
Rom.
Ay, if I know the letters, and the language.
Serv.
Ye say honestly; Rest you merry!
Rom.
Stay, fellow; I can read.
[He reads the list.]
Signior Martino, and his wife, and daughters; County
Anselm, and his beauteous sisters; 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 Rosaline; Livia;
Signior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the
lively Helena.
A fair assembly; Whither should they come?
Serv.
Up.
Rom.
Whither? to supper2 note
?
Serv.
To our house.
Rom.
Whose house?
Serv.
My master's.
-- 24 --
Rom.
Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before.
Serv.
Now I'll tell you without asking: My Master
is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the
house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup
of wine3 note
. Rest you merry.
Ben.
At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline, whom thou so lov'st;
With all the admired beauties of Verona:
Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
Rom.
When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falshood, then turn tears to fires!
And these,—who, often drown'd, could never die,—
Transparent hereticks, be burnt for liars!
One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match, since first the world begun.
Ben.
Tut! tut! you saw her fair, none else being by,
Herself pois'd with herself in either eye:
But in those crystal scales, 4 note
let there be weigh'd
Your lady's love against some other maid
That I will shew you, shining at this feast,
And she shall scant shew well, that now shews best.
-- 25 --
Rom.
I'll go along, no such sight to be shewn,
But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
