Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a madman is; Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipped 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 learned 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. [Reads. Seignior Martino, and his wife and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; The lady widow of Vitruvio; Seignior Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother Valentine; Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; My fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Seignior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena. A fair assembly. [Gives back the note.] Whither should they come ? Serv. Up. Rom. Whither? Serv. To supper; to our house. Rom. Whose house? Serv. My master's. Rom. Indeed, I should have asked 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 wine.1 Rest you merry. Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's [Exit. 1 This cant expression seems to have been once common; it often occurs in old plays. Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires! And these,-who, often drowned, could never die,— Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun And she shall scant show well, that now shows best. Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendor of mine own. [Exeunt. SCENE III. A Room in Capulet's House.2 Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse. La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old, I bade her come.-What, lamb! what, lady-bird!– God forbid !-where's this girl? what, Juliet! Enter JULIET. Jul. How now; who calls? Nurse. Jul. What is your will? Your mother. Madam, I am here; La. Cap. This is the matter.-Nurse, give leave awhile, 1 Heath says, " Your lady's love, is the love you bear to your lady, which, in our language, is commonly used for the lady herself." Perhaps we should read, "Your lady love." 2 In all the old copies the greater part of this scene was printed as prose. Capell was the first who exhibited it as verse; the subsequent editors have followed him, but perhaps erroneously. We must talk in secret--Nurse, come back again, Nurse. And yet, to my teen1 I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, be it spoken, I have but four.-How long is it now A fortnight, and odd days. Shake, quoth the dove-house; 'twas no need, I trow, To bid me trudge. And since that time it is eleven years; For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood, She could have run and waddled all about, For even the day before, she broke her brow; 1 i. e. to my sorrow. The pretty wretch left crying, and said--Ay. I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it; Wilt thou not, Jule? quoth he: And, pretty fool, it stinted,' and said-Ay. La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse. Yes, madam; yet I cannot choose but 2 laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say-Ay. Yea, quoth my husband, fall'st upon thy face? Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed; La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme Jul. It is an honor that I dream not of. Nurse. An honor! were not I thine only nurse, I'd say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat. La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers; by my count, That you are now a maid. Thus, then, in brief ;— Nurse. A man, young lady! Lady, such a man, As all the world—Why, he's a man of wax.3 1 To stint is to stop. 2 This tautologous speech is not in the first quarto of 1597. La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.1 La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gen tleman ? This night you shall behold him at our feast; And see how one another lends content; 4 The fish lives in the sea; and 'tis much pride, That book in many's eyes doth share the glory, Nurse. No less? nay, bigger; women grow by men. La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love? But no more deep will I endart 5 mine eye, Enter a Servant. Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the nurse 1 After this speech of the nurse, lady Capulet, in the old quarto, says only: "Well, Juliet, how like you of Paris' love?" She answers, "I'll look to like," &c.; and so concludes the scene. 2 Thus the quarto of 1599. The quarto of 1609 and the folio read, several lineaments. 3 The comments on ancient books were generally printed in the margin. 4 Dr. Farmer explains this, "The fish is not yet caught." Fish-skin covers to books anciently were not uncommon. 5 The quarto of 1597 reads engage mine eye. |