Book II. Tales from Shakespeare. By Charles and Mary Lamb. ROMEO AND JULIET. THE FEUD BETWEEN THE MONTAGUES AND CAPULETS-ROMEO IN DISGUISE GOES TO THE CAPULETS' BALL, AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH JULIET AND SHE WITH HIM-THEIR INTERVIEW ON HER BALCONY-PLANS FOR A SECRET MARRIAGE-TYBALT KILLS MERCUTIO, AND ROMEO KILls Tybalt-RoMEO IS BANISHED THE CAPULETS FORCE JULIET INTO A MATCH WITH PARIS-TO ESCAPE SHE TAKES A SLEEPING POTION AND FEIGNS DEATH - ROMEO AND PARIS MEET AT HER TOMB-THEY FIGHT, AND PARIS IS SLAIN-THINKING & HE two chief families in Verona were the rich Capulets and the Montagues. There had been an old quarrel between these families, which was grown to such a height, and so deadly was the enmity between them, that it extended to the remotest kindred, to the followers and retainers of both sides, insomuch that a servant of the house of Montague could not meet a servant of the house of Capulet, nor a Capulet encounter with a Montague by chance, but fierce words and sometimes bloodshed ensued; and frequent were the brawls from such accidental meetings, which disturbed the happy quiet of Verona's estate. Old Lord Capulet made a great supper, to which many fair ladies and many noble guests were invited. All the admired beauties of Verona were present, and all comers were made welcome if they were not of the house of Montague. At this feast of Capulets, Rosaline, beloved of Romeo, son to the old Lord Montague, was present; and though it was dangerous for a Montague to be seen in this assembly, yet Benvolio, a friend of Romeo, persuaded the young lord to go. to this assembly in the disguise of a mask, that he might see his Rosaline, and seeing her compare her with some choice beauties of Verona, who (he said) would make him think his swan a crow. Romeo had small faith in Benvolio's words; nevertheless, for the love of Rosaline, he was persuaded to go. For Romeo was a sincere and passionate lover, and one that lost his sleep for love, and fled society to be alone, thinking on Rosaline, who disdained him, and never requited his love with the least pay for his intrusion. show of courtesy or affection; and Ben- | Montague should at another time dearly volio wished to cure his friend of this love by showing him diversity of ladies and company. To this feast of Capulets then young Romeo with Benvolio and their friend Mercutio went masked. Old Ine dancing being done, Romeo watched the place where the lady stood; and under favor of his masking habit, which might seem to excuse in part the Capulet bid them welcome, and told liberty, he presumed in the gentlest them that ladies who had their toes manner to take her by the hand, calling unplagued with corns would dance with it a shrine, which if he profaned by touchthem. And the old man was light- ing it, he was a blushing pilgrim, and lighting hearted and merry, and said that he had would kiss it for atonement. "Good pilworn a mask when he was young, and grim," answered the lady, "your devocould have told a whispering tale in a tion snows by far too mannerly and too fair lady's ear. And they fell to danc- courtly saints have hands, which piling, and Romeo was suddenly struck grims may touch, but kiss not." "Have with the exceeding beauty of a lady that not saints lips, and pilgrims too?" said danced there, who seemed to him to Romeo. "Ay," said the lady, "lips teach the torches to burn bright, and her which they must use in prayer." ་0 beauty to show by night like a rich jewel then, my dear saint," said Romeo "hear worn by a blackamoor beauty too rich my prayer and grant it, lest I despair." for use, too dear for earth! like a snowy In such like allusions and loving conceits dove trooping with crows (he said), so they were engaged, when the lady was richly did her beauty and perfections called away to her mother. And Romeo shine above the ladies her companions. inquiring who her mother was, discovered While he uttered these praises, he was that the lady whose peerless beauty he overheard by Tybalt, a nephew of Lord was so much struck with, was young Capulet, who knew him by his voice to Juliet, daughter and heir to the Lord be Romeo. And this Tybalt, being of a Capulet, the great enemy of the Monfiery and passionate temper, could not tagues; and that he had unknowingly endure that a Montague should come engaged his heart to his foe. This trouunder cover of a mask, to fleer and scorn bled him, but it could not dissuade him (as he said) at their solemnities. And from loving. As little rest had Juliet, he stormed and raged exceedingly, and when she found that the gentleman that would have struck young Romeo dead. she had been talking with was Romeo But his uncle, the old Lord Capulet, and a Montague, for she had been sudwould not suffer him to do any injury at denly smit with the same hasty and that time, both out of respect to his inconsiderate passion for Romeo, which guests, and because Romeo had borne he had conceived for her; and a prodigihimself like a gentleman, and all tongues ous birth of love it seemed to her, that in Verona bragged of him to be a virtu- she must love her enemy, and that her ous and well-governed youth. Tybalt, affections should settle there, where forced to be patient against his will, re- family considerations should induce her strained himself, but swore that this vile chiefly to hate. ing him some other name, or that he would put away the hated name, and for that name, which was no part of himself, he should take all herself. At this loving word Romeo could no longer refrain, but taking up the dialogue as if her words had been addressed to him personally, and not merely in fancy, he bade her call him Love, or by whatever other name she pleased, for he was no longer Romeo, if that name was displeasing to her. Juliet, alarmed to hear a man's voice in the garden, did not at first know who it was, that by favor of the night and darkness had thus stumbled upon the discovery of her secret; but when he spoke again, though her ears had not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue's uttering, yet so nice is a lover's hearing, that she immediately knew him to be young Romeo, and she expostulated with him on the danger to which he had exposed himself by climbing the orchard walls, for if any of her kinsmen should find him there, it would be death to him, being a Montague. Alack," said Romeo, "there is more peril in your eye, than in twenty of their swords. Do you but look kind upon me, lady, and I am proof against their enmity. Better my life should be ended by their hate, than that hated life. prolonged, to live without your love." your love." "How came you into this place," said Juliet, "and by whose direction?" "Love directed me," answered Romeo. "I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far apart from me as that vast shore which is washed with the farthest sea, I should adventure for such merchandise. A crimson blush came over the face of Juliet, yet unseen by Romeo by reason of the night, when she It being midnight Romeo with his companions departed; but they soon missed him, for, unable to stay away from the house where he had left his heart, he leaped the wall of an orchard which was at the back of Juliet's house. Here he had not remained long, ruminating on his new love, when Juliet appeared above at a window, through which her exceeding beauty seemed to break like the light of the sun in the east; and the moon, which shone in the orchard with a faint light, appeared to Romeo as if sick and pale with grief at the superior luster of this new sun. And she leaning her hand upon her cheek, he passionately wished himself a glove upon that hand, that he might touch her cheek. She, all this while. thinking herself alone, fetched a deep sigh, and exclaimed, "Ah me!" Romeo was enraptured to hear her speak, and said softly, unheard by her, "O speak again, bright angel, for such you appear, being over my head like a winged messenger from heaven whom mortals fall back to gaze upon." She, unconscious of being overheard, and full of the new passion which that night's adventure had given birth to, called upon her lover by name (whom she supposed absent): "O Romeo, Romeo!" said she, "wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father, and refuse thy name, for my sake; or if thou wilt not, be but my sworn love, and I no longer will be a Capulet." Romeo, having this encouragement, would fain have spoken, but he was desirous of hearing more; and the lady continued her passionate discourse with herself (as she thought), still chiding Romeo for being Romeo and a Montague, and wish should be reflected upon the discovery which she had made, yet not meaning to make it, of her love to Romeo. She would fain have recalled her words, but that was impossible; fain would she have stood upon form, and have kept her lover at a distance, as the custom of discreet ladies is, to frown and be perverse, and give their suitors harsh denials at first; to stand off, and affect a coyness or indifference, where they most love, that their lovers may not think them too lightly or too easily won: for the difficulty of attainment increases the value of the object. But there was no room in her case for denials, or puttings off, or any of the customary arts of delay and protracted courtship. Romeo had heard from her own tongue, when she did not dream that he was near her, a confession of her love. So with an honest frankness, which the novelty of her situation excused, she confirmed the truth of what he had before heard, and addressing him by the name of fair Montague (love can sweeten a sour name), she begged him not to impute her easy yielding to levity or an unworthy mind, but that he must lay the fault of it (if it were a fault) upon the accident of the night which had so strangely discovered her thoughts. And, she added, that though her behavior to him might not be sufficiently prudent, measured by the custom of her sex, yet that she would prove more true than many whose prudence was dissembling, and their modesty artificial cunning. Romeo was beginning to call the heavens to witness that nothing was farther from his thoughts than to impute a shadow of dishonor to such an honored lady, when she stopped him, begged him not to swear for although she joyed in him, yet she had no joy of that night's contract; it was too rash, too unadvised, too sudden. But he being urgent with her to exchange a vow of love with her that night, she said that she already had given him hers before he requested it; meaning when he overheard her confession; but she would retract what she then bestowed, for the pleasure of giving it again, for her bounty was as infinite as the sea, and her love as deep. From this loving conference she was called by her nurse, who slept with her, and thought it time for her to be in bed, for it was near to daybreak; but hastily returning she said three or four words. more to Romeo, the purport of which was, that if his love was indeed honorable, and his purpose marriage, she would send a messenger to him to-morrow, to appoint a time for their marriage, when she would lay his feet, and follow him as her lord through the world. While they were settling this point, Juliet was repeatedly called for by her nurse, and went in and returned, and went and returned again, for she seemed as jealous of Romeo going from her, as a young girl of her bird, which she will let hop a little from her hand, and pluck it back with a silken thread; and Romeo was as loath to part as she: for the sweetest music to lovers is the sound of each other's tougues at night. But at last they parted, wishing mutually sweet sleep and rest for that night. all her fortunes at The day was breaking when they parted, and Romeo, who was too full of thoughts of his mistress and that blessed meeting to allow him to sleep, instead of going home, bent his course |