Fri.
The grey-ey'd morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light;
And flecker'd ^note darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth day's path-way, made by Titan's wheels:
Now ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to ^note chear, and night's dank dew to dry,
I must up-fill this osier cage of ours
With baleful weeds, and precious-juiced flowers.
The earth, that's nature's mother, is her ^note tomb;
What is her burying grave, that is her womb:
And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find;
Many for many virtues excellent,
None but for some, and yet all different.
O, mickle is the powerful grace, that lies
In herbs, plants, ^note stones, and their true qualities:
For nought so vile14Q1397 that on the earth doth live,
But to the ^note earth some special good doth give;
Nor ought so good, but, strain'd from that fair use,
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse ^note:
Virtue itself turns vice, being mis-apply'd;
And vice sometime's ^note by action dignify'd.
Within the infant rind of this † small flower ^note
Poison hath residence, and med'cine power:
For this, being smelt, with that part chears each part;
Being tasted, slays ^note all senses with the heart.
Two such opposed kings ^note encamp them still
In man as well as herbs, grace, and rude will;
And, where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant. Enter Romeo.

Rom.
Good morrow, father.

Fri.
Benedicite!
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 ^note, sleep will never lie;
But where unbruised youth with unstuft brain
Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign:
Therefore thy earliness doth me assure,
Thou art uprouz'd by some ^note distemp'rature;
Or if not so, then here I hit it right—
Our 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 woe.

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 physick ^note lies:
I bear no hatred, blessed man; for, lo,
My intercession likewise steads my foe.

Fri.
Be plain, good son, and homely ^note in thy drift;
Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift.

Rom.
Then plainly know, my heart's dear love is set
On the fair daughter ^note of rich Capulet:
As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine;
And all combin'd, save what thou must combine
By holy marriage: When, and where, and how,
We met, we woo'd, and made exchange of vow,

I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray,
That thou consent to marry us to-day.

Fri.
Holy saint Francis! what a change is here!
Is Rosaline, whom thou ^note didst love so dear,
So soon forsaken? young men's love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.
Jesu Maria! what a deal of brine
Hath wash'd thy sallow ^note cheeks for Rosaline!
How much salt water thrown ^note away in waste,
To season love, that of it doth ^note not taste!
The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears,
Thy old groans yet ring in ^note my ^note ancient ears;
Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit
Of an old tear, that is not wash'd off yet:
If e'er thou wast thyself, and ^note these woes thine,
Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline;
And art thou chang'd? pronounce this sentence then—
Women may fall, when there's no strength in men.

Rom.
Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline.

Fri.
For doating, not for loving, pupil mine.

Rom.
And bad'st me bury love.

Fri.
Not in a grave,
To lay one in, another out to have.

Rom.
I pray thee, chide not: she, whom I ^note love now,
Doth grace for grace, and love for love allow;
The other did not so.

Fri.
O, she knew well,
Thy love did read by rote, and could ^note not spell ^note.
But come, young waverer, come go ^note with me,
In one respect I'll thy assistant be;
For this alliance may so happy prove,
To turn your housholds' ^note rancour to pure love.

Rom.
O, let us hence; I stand on sudden haste.

Fri.
Wisely, and slow; They stumble, that run fast. [Exeunt.

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