Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)
Not Peer Reviewed
¶
Enter Countie Paris, old Capulet.
¶Of honorable reckoning are they both,
¶And pittie tis they liue at ods so long:
255My daughter is a stranger in the world,
¶Shee hath not yet attainde to fourteene yeares:
¶Let two more sommers wither in their pride,
¶Before she can be thought fit for a Bride.
¶But wooe her gentle Paris, get her heart,
¶My word to her consent is but a part.
¶Whereto I haue inuited many a guest,
¶Such as I loue: yet you among the store,
270One more most welcome makes the number more.
¶Earth treadding stars, that make darke heauen light:
¶Such comfort as doo lusty youngmen feele,
¶When well apparaild Aprill on the heele
275Of lumping winter treads, euen such delights
¶Such amongst view of many myne beeing one,
280May stand in number through in reckoning none.
280.1
Enter Seruingman.
¶Where are you sirra, goe trudge about
284.1
Exeunt.
290and yet I knowe not who are written here: I must to
¶the learned to learne of them, that's as much to say, as
¶with his needle, the Painter with his nets, and the Fisher
¶
Enter Benuolio and Romeo.
¶Ben: Tut man one fire burnes out anothers burning,
295Turne backward, and be holp with backward turning,
¶Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
¶And the ranke poyson of the old will die.
¶Romeo: Your Planton leafe is excellent for that.
300Ben: For what?
¶Ben: Why Romeo art thou mad?
¶Rom: Not mad, but bound more than a mad man is.
¶Shut vp in prison, kept without my foode,
305Whipt and tormented, and Godden good fellow.
¶Ser: Perhaps you haue learned it without booke:
¶but I pray can you read any thing you see?
310Rom: I if I know the letters and the language.
¶Rom: Stay fellow I can read.
¶
He reads the Letter.
¶SEigneur Martino and his wife and daughters, Countie
¶Vtruuio, Seigneur Placentio, and his louelie Neeces,
316.1Mercutio and his brother Valentine, mine vncle Capu-
¶let his wife and daughters, my faire Neece Rosaline and
¶Liuia, Seigneur Valentio and his Cosen Tibalt, Lucio
¶and the liuelie Hellena.
¶Ser: Vp.
¶the great rich Capulet, and if you be not of the house of
330you merrie.
¶With all the admired beauties of Verona,
¶Goe thither and with vnattainted eye,
¶And I will make thee thinke thy swan a crow.
¶Ro: When the deuout religion of mine eye
¶And these who often drownde could neuer die,
340Transparent Heretiques be burnt for liers.
350But to reioyce in splendor of mine owne.
