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Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed
Ro. He ieasts at scarres that neuer felt a wound,
795But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Iuliet is the Sun.
Arise faire Sun and kill the enuious Moone,
Who is alreadie sicke and pale with greefe,
That thou her maide art far more faire then she:
800Be not her maide since she is enuious,
Her vestall liuery is but sicke and greene,
And none but fooles do weare it, cast itoff:
It is my Lady, ô it is my loue, ô that she knew she wer,
She speakes, yet she saies nothing, what of that?
805Her eye discourses, I will answere it:
I am too bold, tis not to me she speakes:
Two of the fairest starres in all the heauen,
Hauing some busines to entreate her eyes,
To twinckle in their spheres till they returne.
810What if her eyes were there, they in her head,
The brightnesse of her cheek wold shame those stars,
As day-light doth a lampe, her eye in heauen,
Would through the ayrie region streame so bright,
That birds would sing, and thinke it were not night:
815See how she leanes her cheeke vpon her hand.
O that I were a gloue vpon that hand,
That I might touch that cheeke.
Iu. Ay me.
Ro. She speakes.
820Oh speake againe bright Angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night being ore my head,
As is a winged messenger of heauen
Vnto the white vpturned wondring eyes,
Of mortalls that fall backe to gaze on him,
825When he bestrides the lazie puffing Cloudes,
And sayles vpon the bosome of the ayre.
Iuli. O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Denie thy father and refuse thy name:
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworne my loue,
830And ile no longer be a Capulet.
Ro. Shall I heare more, orshall I speake at this?
Iu. Tis but thy name that is my enemie:
Thou art thy selfe, though not a Mountague,
Whats Mountague? it is nor hand nor foote,
835Nor arme nor face, ô be some other name
Belonging to a man.
Whats in a name that which we call a rose,
By any other word would smell as sweete,
So Romeo would wene he not Romeo cald,
840Retaine that deare perfection which he owes,
Without that tytle, Romeo doffe thy name,
And for thy name which is no part of thee,
Take all my selfe.
Ro. I take thee at thy word:
845Call me but loue, and Ile be new baptizde,
Henceforth I neuer will be Romeo.
Iuli. What man art thou, that thus beschreend in
So stumblest on my counsell?
Ro. By a name, I know not how to tell thee who I
My name deare saint, is hatefull to my selfe,
Because it is an enemie to thee,
Had I it written, I would teare the word.
Iuli. My eares haue yet not drunk a hundred words
855Of thy tongus vttering, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Mountague?
Ro. Neither faire maide, if either thee dislike.
Iuli. How camest thou hither, tel me, and wherfore?
860The Orchard walls are high and hard to climbe,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
Ro. With loues light wings did I orepearch these
865For stonie limits cannot hold loue out,
And what loue can do, that dares loue attempt:
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
Iu. If they do see thee, they will murther thee.
Ro. Alack there lies more perill in thine eye,
870Then twentie of their swords, looke thou but sweete,
And I am proofe against their enmitie.
Iuli. I would not for the world they saw thee here.
Ro. I haue nights cloake to hide me frō their eies,
And but thou loue me, let them finde me here,
875My life were better ended by their hate,
Then death proroged wanting of thy loue.
Iu. By whose direction foundst thou out this place?
Ro. By loue that first did promp me to enquire,
He lent me counsell, and I lent him eyes:
880I am no Pylat, yet wert thou as farre
As that vast shore washeth with the farthest sea,
I should aduenture for such marchandise.
Iu. Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheeke,
885For that which thou hast heard me speake tonight,
Faine would I dwell on forme, faine, faine, denie
What I haue spoke, but farwell complement.
Doest thou loue me? I know thou wilt say I:
And I will take thy word, yet if thou swearst,
890Thou maiest proue false at louers periuries.
They say Ioue laughes, oh gentle Romeo,
If thou dost loue, pronounce it faithfully:
Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly wonne,
Ile frowne and be peruerse, and say thee nay,
895So thou wilt wooe, but else not for the world,
In truth faire Montague I am too fond:
And therefore thou maiest think my behauior light,
But trust me gentleman, ile proue more true,
Then those that haue coying to be strange,
900I should haue bene more strange, I must confesse,
But that thou ouerheardst ere I was ware,
My truloue passion, therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yeelding to light loue,
Which the darke night hath so discouered.
905Ro. Lady, by yonder blessed Moone I vow,
That tips with siluer all these frute tree tops.
Iu. O swear not by the moone th'inconstant moone,
That monethly changes in her circle orbe,
Least that thy loue proue likewise variable.
910Ro. What shall I sweare by?
Iu. Do not sweare at all:
Or if thou wilt, sweare by thy gracious selfe,
Which is the god of my Idolatrie,
And Ile beleeue thee.
915Ro. If my hearts deare loue.
Iu. Well do not sweare, although I ioy in thee:
I haue no ioy of this contract to night,
It is too rash, too vnaduisd, toosudden,
Too like the lightning which doth cease to bee,
920Ere one can say, it lightens, sweete goodnight:
This bud of loue by Sommers ripening breath,
May proue a bewtious floure when next we meete,
Goodnight, goodnight, as sweete repose and rest,
Come to thy heart, as that within my brest.
925Ro. O wilt thou leaue me so vnsatisfied?
Iuli. What satisfaction canst thou haue to night?
Ro. Th'exchange of thy loues faithful vow for mine.
Iu. Igaue thee mine before thou didst request it:
And yet I would it were to giue againe.
930 Ro. Woldst thou withdraw it, for what purpose loue?
Iu. But to be franke and giue it thee againe,
And yet I wish but for the thing I haue,
My bountie is as boundlesse as the sea,
935My loue as deepe, the more I giue to thee
The more I haue, for both are infinite:
I heare some noyse within, deare loue adue:
Anon good nurse, sweete Mountague be true:
940Stay but a little, I will come againe.
Ro. O blessed blessed night, I am afeard
Being in night, all this is but a dreame,
Too flattering sweete to be substantiall.
Iu. Three words deare Romeo, & goodnight indeed,
If that thy bent of loue be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word to morrow,
By one that ile procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt performe the right,
950And all my fortunes at thy foote ile lay,
And follow thee my L. throughout the world.
Madam.
I come, anon: but if thou meanest not well,
I do beseech thee (by and by I come)
Madam.
To cease thy strife, and leaue me to my griefe,
To morrow will I send.
Ro. So thriue my soule.
Iu. A thousand times goodnight.
960Ro. A thousand times the worse to want thy light,
Loue goes toward loue as schooleboyes from their bookes,
But loue from loue, toward schoole with heauie lookes.
Enter Iuliet againe.
Iuli. Hist Romeo hist, ô for a falkners voyce,
965To lure this Tassel gentle back againe,
Bondage is hoarse, and may not speake aloude,
Else would I teare the Caue where Eccho lies,
And make her ayrie tongue more hoarse, then
With repetition of my Romeo.
970Ro. It is my soule that calls vpon my name.
How siluer sweete, sound louers tongues by night,
Like softest musicke to attending eares.
Iu. Romeo.
Ro. My Neece.
975Iu. What a clocke to morrow
Shall I send to thee?
Ro. By the houre of nine.
Iu. I will not faile, tis twentie yeare till then,
I haue forgot why I did call thee backe.
980Ro. Let me stand here till thou remember it.
Iu. I shall forget to haue thee still stand there,
Remembring how I loue thy companie.
Ro. And Ile still stay, to haue thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.
985Iu. Tis almost morning, I would haue thee gone,
And yet no farther then a wantons bird,
That lets it hop a litle from his hand,
Like a poore prisoner in his twisted giues,
And with a silken threed, plucks it backe againe,
990So louing Iealous of his libertie.
Ro. I would I were thy bird.
Iu. Sweete so would I,
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing:
Good night, good night.
995Parting is such sweete sorrow,
That I shall say good night, till it be morrow.
Iu. Sleep dwel vpon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
Ro. Would I were sleepe and peace so sweet to rest
The grey eyde morne smiles on the frowning night,
1000Checkring the Easterne Clouds with streaks of light,
And darknesse fleckted like a drunkard reeles,
From forth daies pathway, made by Tytans wheeles.
Hence will I to my ghostly Friers close cell,
His helpe to craue, and my deare hap to tell.
1004.1
Exit.