Rom.
He jests at Scars that never felt a Wound—
But soft, what Light thro' yonder Window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun: [Juliet appears above at a Window.
Arise, fair Sun, and kill the envious Moon,
Who is already sick and pale with Grief,
That thou, her Maid, art far more fair than she.
Be not her Maid since she is envious,
Her vestal Livery is but sick and green,
And none but Fools do wear it, cast it off:
It is my Lady, O it is my Love—O that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing; what of that?
Her Eye discourses, I will answer it—
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest Stars of all the Heaven,
Having some Business, do intreat her Eyes
To twinkle in their Spheres 'till they return.
What if her Eyes were there, they in her Head,

The brightness of her Cheek would shame those Stars,
As Day-light doth a Lamp; her Eye in Heaven,
Would through the airy Region stream so bright,
That Birds would sing, and think it were not Night:
See how she leans her Cheek upon her Hand!
O that I were a Glove upon that Hand,
That I might touch that Cheek.

Jul.
Ah me!

Rom.
She speaks.
Oh speak again, bright Angel, for thou art
As glorious to this Night, being o'er my Head,
As is a winged Messenger from Heaven,
Unto the white upturned wondring Eyes,
Of Mortals, that fall back to gaze on him,
When he bestrides the lazy puffing Clouds,
And sails upon the Bosom of the Air.

Jul.
O Romeo, Romeo—wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy Father, and refuse thy Name:
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my Love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Rom.
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? [Aside.

Jul.
'Tis but thy Name that is my Enemy:
Thou art thy self, though not a Mountague.
What's Mountague? it is not Hand, nor Foot,
Nor Arm, nor Face—O be some other Name.
Belonging to a Man.
What's in a Name? that which we call a Rose,
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes,
Without that Title; Romeo, doff thy Name,
And for that Name, which is no part of thee,
Take all my self.

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 bescreen'd in Night,
So stumblest on my Counsel?

Rom.
By a Name,
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My Name, dear Saint, is hateful to my self,

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 thy Tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Mountague?

Rom.
Neither, fair Maid, if either thee dislike.

Jul.
How cam'st thou hither,
Tell me, and wherefore?
The Orchard Walls are high, and hard to climb,
And the place Death, considering who thou art,
If any of my Kinsmen find thee here.

Rom.
With Love's light Wings,
Did I o'er-perch these Walls,
For stony Limits cannot hold Love out,
And what Love can do, that dares Love attempt:
Therefore thy Kinsmen are no stop to me.

Jul.
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

Rom.
Alack, there lies more peril in thine Eye,
Than twenty of their Swords; look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their Enmity.

Jul.
I would not for the World they saw thee here.

Rom.
I have Night's Cloak to hide me from their Eyes,
And but thou love me, let them find me here;
My Life were better ended by their Hate,
Than Death prorogued, wanting of thy Love.

Jul.
By whose direction found'st thou out this place?

Rom.
By Love, that first 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 vast Shore, wash'd with the farthest Sea,
I should adventure for such Merchandise.

Jul.
Thou knowest the mask of Night is on my Face,
Else 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 Complements:
Dost thou Love? O, I know thou wilt say, Ay,
And I will take thy Word—yet if thou swear'st,
Thou may'st prove false; at Lovers Perjuries
They say Jove laughs; oh gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully:

Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
I'll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,
So thou wilt wooe: But else 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 those that have more Coining to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou over-heard'st, e'er I was ware,
My true Love's Passion; therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light Love,
Which the dark Night hath so discovered.

Rom.
Lady, by yonder Moon I vow,
That tips with Silver all these Fruit-tree tops—

Jul.
O swear not by the Moon, th' unconstant Moon,
That monthly changes in her circled Orb,
Lest that thy Love prove likewise variable.

Rom.
What shall I swear by?

Jul.
Do not swear at all;
Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the God of my Idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.

Rom.
If my Heart's dear love—

Jul.
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,
E'er one can say, it lightens. Sweet, good Night,
This bud of Love by Summers 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.
Th' exchange of thy Love's faithful Vow of 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,
And yet I wish but for the thing I have:

My Bounty is as boundless as the Sea,
My Love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
I hear some Noise within; dear Love adieu. [Nurse calls within.
Anon, good Nurse—Sweet Mountague be true:
Stay but a little, I will come again. [Exit.

Rom.
O blessed, blessed Night, I am afraid,
Being in Night, all this is but a Dream,
Too flattering sweet to be substantial. 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,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the Rite,
And all my Fortunes at thy Foot I'll lay,
And follow thee, my Lord, throughout the World.

[Within:
Madam.

I come, anon—but if thou meanest not well,
I do beseech thee—

[Within:
Madam.

By and by, I come—
To cease thy Strife, and leave me to my Grief.
To Morrow will I send.

Rom.
So thrive my Soul.

Jul.
A thousand times good Night. [Exit.

Rom.
A thousand times the worse to want thy light,
Love goes toward Love, as School-boys from their Books,
But Love from Love, towards School with heavy Looks. Enter Juliet again.

Jul.
Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a Falkner's Voice,
To lure this Tassel gently back again—
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the Cave where Eccho lyes,
And make her airy Tongue more hoarse—Then with
The repetition of my Romeo—

Rom.
It is my Soul that calls upon my Name.
How silver-sweet sound Lovers Tongues by Night,
Like softest Musick to attending Ears.

Jul.
Romeo.

Rom.
My Sweet.

Jul.
What a Clock to Morrow
Shall I send 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 stand here 'till thou remember it.

Jul.
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembring how I love thy Company.

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

Jul.
'Tis almost Morning, I would have thee gone.
And yet no further than a wanton's Bird,
That lets it hop a little from his Hand,
Like a poor Prisoner in his twisted Gyves,
And with a silken thread plucks it again,
So loving jealous of his Liberty.

Rom.
I would I were thy Bird.

Jul.
Sweet, so would I,
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing:
Good Night, good Night.

Rom.
Parting is such sweet Sorrow,
That I shall say Good Night 'till it be Morrow.

Jul.
Sleep dwell upon thine Eyes, peace in thy Breast.
Would I were Sleep and Peace, so sweet to Rest. [Exit.

Rom.
The gray-ey'd Morn smiles on the frowning Night,
Check'ring the Eastern Clouds with streaks of Light,
And Darkness fleckell'd like a Drunkard reels,
From forth Days path-way, made by Titan's Wheels.
Hence will I to my Ghostly Friar's close Cell,
His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell. [Exit.

Previous section

Next section