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* Enter CAPULET, COUNTY PARIS,
and the Clown [Capulet's Servant].
CAPULET
1 But Montague is bound as well as I,
2 In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think,
3 For men so old as we to keep the peace.
PARIS
4 Of honourable reckoning are you both;
5 And pity 'tis you lived at odds so long.
6 But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?
CAPULET
7 But saying o'er what I have said before:
8 My child is yet a stranger in the world;
9 She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
10 Let two more summers wither in their pride,
11 Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
PARIS
12 Younger than she are happy mothers made.
CAPULET
13 And too soon marr'd are those so early made.
14 The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
15 She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
16 But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
17 My will to her consent is but a part;
18 An she agree, within her scope of choice
19 Lies my consent and fair according voice.
20 This night I hold an old accustom'd feast,
21 Whereto I have invited many a guest,
22 Such as I love; and you, among the store,
23 One more, most welcome, makes my number more.
24 At my poor house look to behold this night
25 Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light.
26 Such comfort as do lusty young men feel
27 When well-apparell'd April on the heel
28 Of limping winter treads, even such delight
29 Among fresh fennel buds shall you this night
30 Inherit at my house; hear all, all see,
31 And like her most whose merit most shall be:
32 Which on more view of many, mine, being one,
33 May stand in number, though in reckoning none.
34 Come, go with me.
[To Servant, giving a paper.]
34 Go, sirrah, trudge about
35 Through fair Verona; find those persons out
36 Whose names are written there, and to them say,
37 My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
Exit [with Paris].
Servant
38 Find them out whose names are written here! It is
39 written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his
40 yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher with
41 his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am
42 sent to find those persons whose names are here
43 writ, and can never find what names the writing
44 person hath here writ. I must to the learned.—In good time!
Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO.
BENVOLIO
45 Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning,
46 One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish;
47 Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;
48 One desperate grief cures with another's languish:
49 Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
50 And the rank poison of the old will die.
ROMEO
51 Your plantain-leaf is excellent for that.
BENVOLIO
52 For what, I pray thee?
ROMEO
52 For your broken shin.
BENVOLIO
53 Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
ROMEO
54 Not mad, but bound more than a mad-man is;
55 Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
56 Whipp'd and tormented and—God-den, good fellow.
Servant
57 God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read?
ROMEO
58 Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Servant
59 Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I
60 pray, can you read any thing you see?
ROMEO
61 Ay, if I know the letters and the language.
Servant
62 Ye say honestly, rest you merry!
ROMEO
63 Stay, fellow; I can read.
He reads the letter.
64 "Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;
65 County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady
66 widow of Vitravio; Signior Placentio and his lovely
67 nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine
68 uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair niece
69 Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin
70 Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena." A fair
71 assembly: whither should they come?
Servant
72 Up.
ROMEO
73 Whither?
Servant
74 To supper; to our house.
ROMEO
75 Whose house?
Servant
76 My master's.
ROMEO
77 Indeed, I should have ask'd that before.
Servant
78 Now I'll tell you without asking. My master is the
79 great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house
80 of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine.
81 Rest you merry!
[Exit.]
BENVOLIO
82 At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
83 Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves,
84 With all the admired beauties of Verona:
85 Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
86 Compare her face with some that I shall show,
87 And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
ROMEO
88 When the devout religion of mine eye
89 Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
90 And these, who often drown'd could never die,
91 Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
92 One fairer than my love! The all-seeing sun
93 Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.
BENVOLIO
94 Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
95 Herself poised with herself in either eye;
96 But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
97 Your lady's love against some other maid
98 That I will show you shining at this feast,
99 And she shall scant show well that now shows best.
ROMEO
100 I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,
101 But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.
[Exeunt.]
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