Par. Younger than the are happy mothers made.
Cap. And too foon marr'd are those so early made
The earth hath fwallowed all my hopes but her.
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her confent is but a part;
If the agree, within her fcope of choice
Lyes my confent, and fair according voice:
This night, I hold an old accuftom'd feaft,
Whereto I have invited many a guest,
Such as I love, and you among the store
One more, o'th' welcome makes my number more.
At my poor house, look to behold this night
Earth-treading ftars that make dark heaven light.
Such comfort as do lufty young men feel,
When well-apparell'd April on the heel
Of limping winter treads, even fuch delight
Among fresh female-buds fhall you this night
Inherit at my houfe; hear all, all fee,
And like her moft, whofe merit most shall be:
Which on more view of many, mine being one
May ftand in number, though in reck'ning none.
Come go with me. Go, firrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona, find those persons out
Whofe names are written there, and to them say,
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

[Exeunt Capulet and Paris.

Ser. Find them out whofe names are written here? It is written, that the fhoemaker fhould meddle with his yard, and the taylor with his laft, the fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his nets. But I am fent to find those perfons whofe names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing perfon hath here writ. I muft to the learned. In good time.

Enter Benvolio and Romeo.

Ben. Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning,
One pain is leffen'd by another's anguish;
Turn giddy and be help'd by backward turning,

One defperate grief cure with another's languish:
Take thou fome new infection to the eye,
And the rank poison of the old will die.

Rom. Your plantan 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 a Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipt and tormented; and

4

Ser. God gi' good-e'en: I pray, Sir, can you read?
Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my mifery.

Good-e'en, good fellow.
To the Servant.

Ser. 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
Ser. Ye lay honeftly; reft you merry.
Rom. Stay, fellow, I can read.

[He reads the letter.]

Signior Martino, and his wife and daughters: Count Anfelm and bis beauteous fifters; the Lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio, and bis lovely neices; Mercutio, and bis brother Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair neice Rofaline, Livia, Signior Valentio, and bis cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena.

A fair affembly; whither fhould they come ?

Ser. Up.

Rom. Whither?

Ser. To fupper to our house.

Rom. Whole houfe?

Ser. My mafter's.

Rom. Indeed I fhould have afkt you that before.

Ser. Now I'll tell you without asking. My mafter is the great rich Capulet, and if you be not of the houfe of Mountagues, I pray come and crafh a cup of wine. Reft you merry.

[Exit.

Ben. At this fame ancient feast of Capulet's,
Supe the fair Rofaline, whom thou fo lovit;
With all th' admired beauties of Verona.
Go thither, and with unattainted cye,
Compare her face with fome that I fhall fhow,
And I will make thee think thy fwan a crow.
B 2

Rom

Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye 1.
Maintains fuch falfehood, then turn fears to fires;
And those who often drown'd could never die,
Tranfparent hereticks, be burnt for liars!
One fairer than my love! th' all-feeing fun
Ne'er faw her match, fince firft the world begun.

Ben. Tut, tut, you faw her fair, none elfe being by,
Her felf pois'd with her felf in either eye:
But in those chrystal scales let there be weigh'd
Your Lady-love against fome other maid
That I will fhew you, fhining at this feast,
And she will shew fcant well, that now fhews beft.
Rom. I'll go along, no fuch fight to be shewn,
But to rejoice in fplendor of mine own.
SCENE IV. Capulet's Houfe.
Enter Lady Capulet, and Nurse.
La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth

to me.

[Exeunt.

Nurfe. Now, by my maiden-head, (at twelve years old) I bad her come; what, lamb! what, lady-bird! God forbid-where's this girl? what, Juliet!

Enter Juliet.

Jul. How now, who calls?
Nurfe. Your mother.

Jul. Madam, I am here, what is your will?

La. Cap. This is the matter- Nurse, give leave a while, we must talk in fecret; nurfe, come back again, I have remembred me, thou fhalt hear my counsel: thou know'ft my daughter's of a pretty age.

Nurfe. Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.
La. Cap. She's not fourteen.

Nurfe. I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, (and yet to my teen be it fpoken, I have but four,) fhe's not fourteen ; how long is it now to Lammas-tide?

La. Cap. A fortnight and odd days.

Nurfe. Even or odd, of all days in the year, come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen, Sufan and the (God reft all Christian fouls) were of an age. Well, Sufan is with God, fhe was too good for me. But as I faid, on Lammas.eve at night fhall the be fourteen, that shall she,

marry,

marry, I remember it well. 'Tis fince the earthquake now eleven years, and the was wean'd, I never fhall forget it, of all the days in the year, upon that day; for I had ther laid worm-wood to my dug, fitting in the fun under the dove-houfe wall, my Lord and you were then at Mantuabay, I do bear, a brain. But as I faid, when it did tafte the worm-wood on the nipple of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool, to fee it teachy, and fall out with the dug. Shake, quoth the dove-house 'twas no need I trow to' bid me trudge; and fince that time it is eleven years, for then the could ftand alone, nay, by th' rood, fhe could have run, and wadled all about; for even the day before the broke her brow, and then my husband, (God be with his foul, a'was a merry man,) took up the child; yea, quoth he, doft thou fall upon thy face? thou wilt fall backward when thou haft more wit, wilt thou not, Fulé? and by my holy-dam, the pretty wretch left crying, and faid, ay; To fee now how a jeft fhall come about. I warrant, an I fhould live a thousand years, I never fhould forget it: Wilt thou not, Julé, quoth he and pretty fool, it ftinted, and faid, ay.

La. Cap. Enough of this, I pray thee hold thy peace. Nurfe. Yes, Madam; yet I cannot chuse but laugh, to think it fhould leave crying, and fay, ay; and yet I warrant it had upon its brow a bump as big as a young cockrel's ftone: a perilous knock, and it cried bitterly. Yea, quoth my hufband, fall'ft upon thy face? thou wilt fall backward when thou comeft to age; wilt thou not, fülé? it flinted, and faid, ay.

Ful. And flint thee too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurfe. Peace, I have done: God mark thee to his grace, Thou waft the prettiest babe that e'er I nurst. An I might live to fee thee married once, I have my wifh.

La. Cap. And that fame marriage is the very
I care to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How ftands your difpofition to be married?

Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of.
Nurfe. An honour? were not I thine only nurse,
I'd say thou hadst fuck'd wisdom from thy teat,

B 3

theme

La, Cafh

La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you Here in Verona, Ladies of efteem,

Are made already mothers. By my count,
I was your mother much upon thefe years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief,
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

Nurfe. A man, young Lady, Lady, fuch a man As all the world-Why, he's a man of wax.

La. Cap. Verona's fummer hath not fuch a flower.
Nurfe. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.
La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?
Jul. I'll look to like, if looking liking move.
But no more deep will I indart mine eye,
Than your confent gives ftrength to make it fly.
Enter a Servant.

Ser. Madam, the guests are come, fupper ferv'd up, you call'd, my young Lady afk'd for, the nurse curft in the pantry, and every thing in extremity; I muft hence to wait, I befeech you follow. * [Exeunt.

SCENE V. A Street before Capulet's Houfe." Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or fix other Mafkers, Torch-bearers, and Drummer.

Rom. What, fhall this fpeech be spoke for our excuse? Or fhall we on without apology?

Ben. The date is out of fuch prolixity.
We'll have no Cupid hood-wink'd with a scarf,
Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath,
Scaring the Ladies like a crow-keeper.
Nor a without-book prologue faintly spoke
After the prompter, 'fore our enterance.
But let them measure us by what they will,
We'll measure them a measure, and be gone.

Rom. Give me a torch, I am not for this ambling.
Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you
dance.
Rom. Not I, believe me; you have dancing fhoes
With nimble foles, I have a foul of lead
So ftakes me to the ground I cannot move.

- 1 befeech you follow.

L1, Cap. We follow thee. Juliet, the County flays.
Nurfe. Go, girl, fcek happy nights to happy days,

Mer.