Cap. But saying o'er what I have said before: Par. Younger than she are happy mothers made. She is the hopeful lady of my earth: Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light: And like her most whose merit most shall be: Such, amongst view of many, mine being one, May stand in number, though in reckoning none. 10 20 30 Come, go with me. [To Serv., giving a paper.] Go, sirrah, trudge about Through fair Verona; find those persons out Whose names are written there, and to them say, [Exeunt Capulet and Paris. Serv. Find them out whose names are written here! It is written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am sent to find those persons whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. I must to the learned.-In good time. Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO. Ben. Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning, Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning; One desperate grief cures with another's languish: Take thou some new infection to thy eye, 50 And the rank poison of the old will die. Rom. Your plaintain-leaf is excellent for that. Rom. For your broken shin. Ben. Why, Romeo, art thou mad? Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a madman is; Whipp'd and tormented and-God-den, good fellow. 60 Serv. Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I pray, can you read anything you see? Rom. Ay, if I know the letters and the language. [Reads. "Signior Martino and his wife and daughters; County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of Vi truvio; Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; my fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio and the lively Helena.' A fair assembly, whither should they come? Serv. Up. Rom. Whither? Serv. To supper; to our house. Rom. Whose house? Serv. My master's. 80 Rom. Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before. Sere. 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. merry! Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's, Rest you Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires; One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun [Exit. 90 109 But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd And she shall scant show well that now shows best. SCENE III. A room in Capulet's house. Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse. [Exeunt. 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! La. Cap. This is the matter:-Nurse, give leave awhile, We must talk in secret:-nurse, come back again; 10 I have remember'd me, thou's hear our counsel. To Lammas-tide? La. Cap. A fortnight and odd days. Nurse. Even or odd, of all days in the year, On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen; When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool, To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug! "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, I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, 30 40 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 laugh, 50 To think it should leave crying and say "Ay." And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone; A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly: Yea," quoth my husband, "fall'st upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age; Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. 60 Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed: An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish. La. Cap. Marry, that "marry" is the very theme I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married? Nurse An honour! were not I thine only nurse, I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat. 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 70 As all the world-why, he's a man of wax. La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gentleman? This night you shall behold him at our feast; And find delight writ there with beauty's pen; And see how one another lends content, And what obscured in this fair volume lies This precious book of love, this unbound lover, 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. But no more deep will I endart mine eye Enter a Servant. 80 90 Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up. you called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in the pantry, and everything in extremity. I must hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight. La. Cap. We follow thee. [Exit Servant.] Juliet, the county stays. Nurse. Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days. SCENE IV. A street. [Exeunt. Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six Maskers, Torch-bearers, and others. Rom. What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? Or shall we on without apology? Ben. The date is out of such prolixity: We'll have no Cupid hoodwink'd with a scarf, Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper; Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke |