The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 444

by William Shakespeare


  Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,

  And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two

  And sleeps again. This is that very Mab

  That plaits the manes of horses in the night

  And bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs,

  90

  Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes.

  This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,

  That presses them and learns them first to bear,

  Making them women of good carriage.

  This is she –

  ROMEO Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace.

  95

  Thou talk’st of nothing.

  MERCUTIO True, I talk of dreams,

  Which are the children of an idle brain,

  Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,

  Which is as thin of substance as the air

  And more inconstant than the wind, who woos

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  Even now the frozen bosom of the north

  And, being anger’d, puffs away from thence

  Turning his side to the dew-dropping south.

  BENVOLIO

  This wind you talk of blows us from ourselves:

  Supper is done and we shall come too late.

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  ROMEO I fear too early, for my mind misgives

  Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

  Shall bitterly begin his fearful date

  With this night’s revels, and expire the term

  Of a despised life clos’d in my breast

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  By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

  But he that hath the steerage of my course

  Direct my suit. On, lusty gentlemen.

  BENVOLIO Strike, drum.

  1.5 They march about the stage, and Servingmen come forth with napkins.

  1 SERVINGMAN Where’s Potpan that he helps not to take

  away? He shift a trencher! He scrape a trencher!

  2 SERVINGMAN When good manners shall lie all in one

  or two men’s hands, and they unwashed too, ’tis a foul

  thing.

  5

  1 SERVINGMAN Away with the joint-stools, remove the

  court- cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save me

  a piece of marchpane, and as thou loves me, let the

  porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell – Anthony,

  and Potpan!

  10

  3 SERVINGMAN Ay boy, ready.

  1 SERVINGMAN You are looked for and called for, asked

  for and sought for, in the great chamber.

  4 SERVINGMAN We cannot be here and there too.

  Cheerly, boys! Be brisk awhile, and the longer liver

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  take all. Exeunt servingmen.

  Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, JULIET, TYBALT, Nurse and all the guests and gentlewomen to the masquers.

  CAPULET

  Welcome, gentlemen, ladies that have their toes

  Unplagu’d with corns will walk a bout with you.

  Ah my mistresses, which of you all

  Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,

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  She I’ll swear hath corns. Am I come near ye now?

  Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day

  That I have worn a visor and could tell

  A whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear,

  Such as would please. ’Tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone,

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  You are welcome, gentlemen: come, musicians, play.

  A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it girls!

  [Music plays and they dance.]

  More light, you knaves, and turn the tables up.

  And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.

  Ah sirrah, this unlook’d-for sport comes well.

  30

  Nay sit, nay sit, good cousin Capulet,

  For you and I are past our dancing days.

  How long is’t now since last yourself and I

  Were in a masque?

  COUSIN CAPULET By’r Lady, thirty years.

  CAPULET

  What, man, ’tis not so much, ’tis not so much.

  35

  ’Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio,

  Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,

  Some five and twenty years: and then we masqu’d.

  COUSIN CAPULET

  ’Tis more, ’tis more, his son is elder, sir:

  His son is thirty.

  CAPULET Will you tell me that?

  40

  His son was but a ward two years ago.

  ROMEO What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand

  Of yonder knight?

  SERVANT I know not, sir.

  ROMEO O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright.

  It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

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  As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear –

  Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.

  So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

  As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.

  The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,

  50

  And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.

  Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight.

  For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.

  TYBALT This by his voice should be a Montague.

  Fetch me my rapier, boy. Exit boy.

  What, dares the slave

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  Come hither, cover’d with an antic face,

  To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?

  Now by the stock and honour of my kin,

  To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.

  CAPULET

  Why how now, kinsman, wherefore storm you so?

  60

  TYBALT Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe:

  A villain that is hither come in spite

  To scorn at our solemnity this night.

  CAPULET Young Romeo is it?

  TYBALT ’Tis he, that villain Romeo.

  CAPULET Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,

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  A bears him like a portly gentleman;

  And, to say truth, Verona brags of him

  To be a virtuous and well-govern’d youth.

  I would not for the wealth of all this town

  Here in my house do him disparagement.

  70

  Therefore be patient, take no note of him.

  It is my will, the which if thou respect,

  Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,

  An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.

  TYBALT It fits when such a villain is a guest:

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  I’ll not endure him.

  CAPULET He shall be endur’d.

  What, goodman boy! I say he shall! Go to,

  Am I the master here or you? Go to.

  You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul,

  You’ll make a mutiny among my guests,

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  You will set cock-a-hoop, you’ll be the man!

  TYBALT Why, uncle, ’tis a shame.

  CAPULET Go to, go to.

  You are a saucy boy. Is’t so indeed?

  This trick may chance to scathe you. I know what.

  You must contrary me. Marry, ’tis time –

  85

  Well said, my hearts – You are a princox, go

  Be quiet, or – More light! More light! – For shame,

  I’ll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my hearts!

  TYBALT Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting

  Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.

  90

  I will withdraw; but this intrusion shall

  Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall. Exit.

  ROMEO If I profane with my unworthiest hand

  This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:

  My lips, two blushing pilgrims, r
eady stand

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  To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

  JULIET

  Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

  Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

  For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,

  And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.

  100

  ROMEO Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

  JULIET Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

  ROMEO O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do:

  They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

  JULIET

  Saints do not move, though grant for prayer’s sake.

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  ROMEO

  Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take.

  [He kisses her.]

  Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purg’d.

  JULIET Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

  ROMEO Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg’d.

  Give me my sin again. [He kisses her.]

  JULIET You kiss by th’ book.

  110

  NURSE Madam, your mother craves a word with you.

  ROMEO What is her mother?

  NURSE Marry bachelor,

  Her mother is the lady of the house,

  And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous.

  I nurs’d her daughter that you talk’d withal.

  115

  I tell you, he that can lay hold of her

  Shall have the chinks.

  ROMEO Is she a Capulet?

  O dear account. My life is my foe’s debt.

  BENVOLIO Away, be gone, the sport is at the best.

  ROMEO Ay, so I fear; the more is my unrest.

  120

  CAPULET Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone,

  We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.

  [They whisper in his ear.]

  Is it e’en so? Why then, I thank you all;

  I thank you honest gentlemen, good night.

  More torches here. Come on then, let’s to bed.

  125

  Ah sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late,

  I’ll to my rest. Exeunt Capulet, Lady Capulet guests, gentlewomen and masquers,

  JULIET Come hither Nurse. What is yond gentleman?

  NURSE The son and heir of old Tiberio.

  JULIET What’s he that now is going out of door?

  130

  NURSE Marry, that I think be young Petruchio.

  JULIET

  What’s he that follows here, that would not dance?

  NURSE I know not.

  JULIET Go ask his name. If he be married,

  My grave is like to be my wedding bed.

  135

  NURSE His name is Romeo, and a Montague,

  The only son of your great enemy.

  JULIET My only love sprung from my only hate.

  Too early seen unknown, and known too late.

  Prodigious birth of love it is to me

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  That I must love a loathed enemy.

  NURSE What’s this? What’s this?

  JULIET A rhyme I learn’d even now

  Of one I danc’d withal. [One calls within: ‘Juliet’.]

  NURSE Anon, anon!

  Come let’s away, the strangers all are gone. Exeunt.

  2.Ch. Enter CHORUS.

  CHORUS Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie

  And young affection gapes to be his heir;

  That fair for which love groan’d for and would die,

  With tender Juliet match’d, is now not fair.

  Now Romeo is belov’d and loves again,

  5

  Alike bewitched by the charm of looks,

  But to his foe suppos’d he must complain

  And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks.

  Being held a foe, he may not have access

  To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear;

  10

  And she as much in love, her means much less

  To meet her new beloved anywhere.

  But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,

  Tempering extremities with extreme sweet. Exit.

  2.1 Enter ROMEO alone.

  ROMEO Can I go forward when my heart is here?

  Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out.

  [Withdraws.]

  Enter BENVOLIO with MERCUTIO.

  BENVOLIO Romeo! My cousin Romeo! Romeo!

  MERCUTIO He is wise,

  And on my life hath stol’n him home to bed.

  BENVOLIO He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall.

  5

  Call, good Mercutio.

  MERCUTIO Nay, I’ll conjure too:

  Romeo! Humours! Madman! Passion! Lover!

 

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