Ben. Then she hath sworn, that she will still live

chaste?

Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge

waste;

For beauty, starv'd with her severity,

Cuts beauty off from all posterity.

She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair,

To merit bliss by making me despair:

She hath forsworn to love; and in that vow

Do I live dead, that live to tell it now.

Ben. Be rul'd by me; forget to think of her. Rom. O, teach me how I should forget to think. Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes: Examine other beauties.

"Tis the way

Rom.
To call her's exquisite, in question more.

These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows,
Being black, put us in mind they hide the fair:
He that is stricken blind cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost.
Shew me a mistress that is passing fair,
What doth her beauty serve, but as a note
Where I may read who pass'd that passing fair?
Farewell thou canst not teach me to forget.
Ben. I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Street.

Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and Servant.

Cap. [But] Montague is bound as well as I,
In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think,
For men so old as we to keep the peace.

Paris. Of honourable reckoning are you both; And pity 'tis you liv'd at odds so long.

But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?

Cap. But saying o'er what I have said before.

My child is yet a stranger in the world;

She hath not seen the change of fourteen years:
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Par. Younger than she are happy mothers

made.

Cap. And too soon marr'd are

marri'd.

those so early

[The] earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she;
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.
This night I hold an old accustom'd feast,
Whereto I have invited many a guest,
Such as I love; and you, among the store,
One more most welcome, makes my number more.
At my poor house look to behold this night
Earth-treading stars, that make dark heaven light:
Such comfort as do lusty young men feel,
When well-apparel'd April on the heel
Of limping Winter treads, even such delight
Among fresh female buds shall you this night
Inherit at my house: hear all, all see,
And like her most whose merit most shall be:
Such, amongst view of many, mine, being one,
May stand in number, though in reck'ning none.
Come, go with me. — Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona; find those persons out,

Whose names are written there, [giving a paper.] and to them say,

My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

[Exeunt CAPULET and PARIS.

Servant. 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,

One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish;

Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;

One desperate grief cures with another's languish : Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

And the rank poison of the old will die.

Rom. Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.
Ben. For what, I pray thee?

Rom.

For your broken shin.

Ben. Why, Romeo, art thou mad?

Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a mad

man is:

Shut up in prison, kept without my food,

Whipp'd, and tormented, and-Good-den, good fellow. Serv. God gi' good den. I pray, sir, can you read?

Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery. Serv. Perhaps you have learn'd 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.

66

[Reads.

Signior Martino, and his wife, and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of Vitruvio; 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. fore.

Serv.

Indeed, I should have ask'd you that be

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. Rest you merry.

[Exit.

Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lov'st,
With all the admired beauties of Verona :
Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
Compare her face with some that I shall shew,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye

Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fire; And these, who, often drown'd, could never die, Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars. One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.

Ben. Tut! you saw her fair, none else being by,

Herself pois'd with herself in either eye;

But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
Your lady's love against some other maid
That I will shew you shining at this feast,

And she shall scant shew well, that now shews best. Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shewn, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A Room in CAPULET'S House.

Enter Lady CAPULET and Nurse.

La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me.

Nurse. Now, by my maiden-head at twelve year

old,

I bade her come.

- What, lamb! what, lady-bird! God forbid!-where's this girl? — what, Juliet.

We must talk in secret.

- Nurse, come back again: I have remember'd me, thou'se hear our counsel. Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age. Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. La. Cap. She's not fourteen.

Nurse.

I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,

And yet to my teen be it spoken I have but four,