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  • Title: Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)
  • Editor: Roger Apfelbaum

    • ISBN: 1-55058-299-2

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)

    1005Enter Frier Francis
    Frier: The gray ey'd morne smiles on the frowning (night,
    Checkring the Easterne clouds with streakes of light,
    And flecked darkenes like a drunkard reeles,
    From forth daies path, and Titans fierie wheeles:
    1010Now ere the Sunne aduance his burning eye,
    The world to cheare, and nights darke dew to drie
    We must vp fill this oasier Cage of ours,
    With balefull weeds, and precious iuyced flowers.
    1020Oh mickle is the powerfull grace that lies
    In hearbes, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
    For nought so vile, that vile on earth doth liue,
    But
    of Romeo and Iuliet.
    But to the earth some speciall good doth giue:
    Nor nought so good,but straind from that faire vse,
    1025Reuolts to vice and stumbles on abuse:
    Vertue it selfe turnes vice being misapplied,
    And vice sometimes by action dignified.
    Within the infant rinde of this small flower,
    1030Poyson hath residence,and medecine power:
    For this being smelt too, with that part cheares ech hart,
    Being tafted slaies all sences with the hart.
    Two such opposed foes incampe them still,
    In man as well as herbes,grace and rude will,
    1035And where the worser is predominant,
    Full soone the canker death eats vp that plant.
    Rom: Good morrow to my Ghostly Confessor.
    Fri: Benedicite, what earlie tongue so soone saluteth (me?
    1040Yong sonne it argues a distempered head,
    So soone to bid good morrow to my bed.
    Care keepes his watch in euerie old mans eye,
    And where care lodgeth, sleep can neuer lie:
    But where vnbrused youth with vnstuft braines
    1045Doth couch his limmes, there golden sleepe remaines:
    Therefore thy earlines doth me assure,
    Thou art vprows'd by some distemperature.
    Or if not so, then here I hit it righ
    Our Romeo hath not bin a bed to night.
    1050Ro: The last was true, the sweeter rest was mine.
    Fr: God pardon sin, wert thou with Rosaline?
    Ro: With Rosaline my Ghostly father no,
    I haue forgot that name,and that names woe.
    Fri: Thats my good sonne: but where hast thou bin(then?
    1055Ro: I tell thee ere thou aske it me againe,
    I haue bin feasting with mine enemie:
    Where
    The most excellent Tragedie,
    Where on the sodaine one hath wounded mee
    Thats by me wounded, both our remedies
    With in thy help and holy phisicke lies,
    1060I beare no hatred blessed man : for loe
    My intercession likewise steades my foe.
    Frier: Be plaine my sonne and homely in thy drift,
    Ridling confession findes but ridling shrift.
    Rom: Then plainely know my harts deare loue is set
    1065On the faire daughter of rich Capulet:
    As mine on hers,so hers likewise on mine,
    And all combind, saue what thou must combine
    By holy marriage: where,and when,and how,
    We met, we woo'd,and made exchange of vowes,
    1070Il'e tell thee as I passe: But this I pray,
    That thou consent to marrie vs to day.
    Fri: Holy S.Francis, what a change is here?
    Is Rosaline whome thou didst loue so deare
    So soone forsooke, lo yong mens loue then lies
    1075Not truelie in their harts, but in their eyes.
    Iesu Maria, what a deale of brine
    Hath washt thy sallow cheekes for Rosaline?
    How much salt water cast away in waste,
    To season loue, that of loue doth not taste.
    1080The sunne not yet thy sighes from heauen cleares,
    Thy old grones ring yet in my ancient eares,
    And loe vpon thy cheeke the staine doth sit,
    Of an old teare that is not washt off yet.
    If euer thou wert thus, and these woes thine,
    1085Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline,
    And art thou changde, pronounce this sentence then
    Women may fal, when ther's no strength in men.
    Rom: Thou chidst me oft for louing Rosaline.
    Frier:
    of Romeo and Iuliet.
    Fr: For doating, not for louing, pupill mine.
    1090Rom: And badst me burie loue.
    Fr: Not in a graue,
    To lay one in another out to haue.
    Rom: I pree thee chide not, she whom I loue now
    Doth grace for grace, and loue for loue allow:
    1095The other did not so.
    Fr: Oh she knew well
    Thy loue did read by rote, and could not spell,
    But come yong Wauerer, come goe with mee,
    In one respect Ile thy assistant bee:
    1100For this alliaunce may so happie proue,
    To turne your Housholds rancour to pure loue. Exeunt.
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