Romeo and Juliet (Modern, Quarto 2)

 [Scene 4/I.iv]
4.0.1454465Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or six other
 455466masquers [and] torchbearers.
4.2456467Romeo
 What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse?
4.3457468Or shall we on without apology?
4.4458469Benvolio
 The date is out of such prolixity,
4.5459470We'll have no Cupid, hoodwinked with a scarf,
4.6460471Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath,
4.7461472Scaring the ladies like a crowkeeper.
4.8462473But let them measure us by what they will,
4.9463474We'll measure them a measure and be gone.
4.10464475Romeo
 Give me a torch; I am not for this ambling.
4.11465476Being but heavy I will bear the light.
4.12466477Mercutio
 Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.
4.13467478Romeo
 Not I, believe me, you have dancing shoes
4.14468479With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead
4.15469480So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.
4.16470481Mercutio
 You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings,
4.17471482And soar with them above a common bound.
4.18472483Romeo
 I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft
4.19473484To soar with his light feathers, and so bound,
4.20474485I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe.
4.21475486Under love's heavy burden do I sink.
4.22476487Mercutio
 And to sink in it should you burden love,
4.23477488Too great oppression for a tender thing.
4.24478489Romeo
 Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,
4.25479490Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.
4.26480491Mercutio
 If love be rough with you, be rough with love.
4.27481492Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
4.28482493Give me a case to put my visage in,[Puts on mask.]
4.29483494A visor for a visor! What care I
4.30484495What curious eye doth cote deformities?
4.31485496Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me.
4.32486497Benvolio
 Come, knock and enter, and no sooner in,
4.33487498But every man betake him to his legs.
4.34488499Romeo
 A torch for me. Let wantons light of heart
4.35489500Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels.
4.36490501For I am proverbed with a grandsire phrase,
4.37491502I'll be a candle-holder and look on.
4.38492503The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done.
4.39493504Mercutio
 Tut, dun's the mouse, the constable's own word.
4.40494505If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire,
4.41495506Or, save your reverence, love, wherein thou stickest
4.42496507Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho!
4.43497508Romeo
 Nay, that's not so.
4.44498509Mercutio
 I mean, sir, in delay.
4.45499510We waste our lights, in vain light lights by day.
4.46500511Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits
4.47501512Five times in that ere once in our fine wits.
4.48502513Romeo
 And we mean well in going to this masque,
4.49503514But 'tis no wit to go.
4.50504515Mercutio
 Why, may one ask?
4.51505516Romeo
 I dreamt a dream tonight.
4.52506517Mercutio
 And so did I.
4.53507518Romeo
 Well, what was yours?
4.54508519Mercutio
 That dreamers often lie.
4.55509520Romeo
 In bed asleep while they do dream things true.
4.56510521Mercutio
 O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
4.57511522She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes 
4.58512523In shape no bigger than an agate stone
4.59512.1523.1On the forefinger of an alderman, 
4.60513524Drawn with a team of little atomi 
4.61513.1524.1Over men's noses as they lie asleep. 
4.62514525Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs,
4.63515526The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers, 
4.64515.1526.1Her traces of the smallest spider web, 
4.65516527Her collars of the moonshine's watery beams, 
4.66516.1527.1Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film,
4.67518528Her wagoner, a small gray-coated gnat, 
4.68519529Not half so big as a round litle worm, 
4.69519.1529.1Pricked from the lazy finger of a man. 
4.70520530Her chariot is an empty hazelnut,  
4.71521531Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, 
4.72521.1531.1Time out o'mind, the fairies' coachmakers. 
4.73522532And in this state she gallops night by night
4.74524533Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love. 
4.75525534On courtiers' knees, that dream on curtsies straight; 
4.76525.1534.1O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees; 
4.77526535O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream, 
4.78527536Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, 
4.79528537Because their breath with sweetmeats tainted are. 
4.80528.1537.1Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, 
4.81529538And then dreams he of smelling out a suit, and sometime comes 
4.82530539And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail, 
4.83530.1539.1Tickling a parson's nose as 'a lies asleep, 
4.84531540Then he dreams of another benefice. 
4.85531.1540.1Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, 
4.86532541And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, 
4.87533542Of breaches, ambuscados, Spanish blades, 
4.88535543Of healths five-fathom deep, and then anon 
4.89535.1543.1Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,
4.90536544And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two,  
4.91537545And sleeps again. This is that very Mab 
4.92537.1545.1That plaits the manes of horses in the night
4.93538546And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, 
4.94539547Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes.
4.95541548This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
4.96542549That presses them and learns them first to bear,
4.97543550Making them women of good carriage.
4.98544551This is she--
4.99545552Romeo
 Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace,
4.100546553Thou talk'st of nothing.
4.101547554Mercutio
 True, I talk of dreams,
4.102548555Which are the children of an idle brain,
4.103549556Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
4.104550557Which is as thin of substance as the air
4.105551558And more inconstant than the wind who woos
4.106552559Even now the frozen bosom of the north
4.107553560And, being angered, puffs away from thence,
4.108554561Turning his side to the dew-dropping south.
4.109555562Benvolio
 This wind you talk of blows us from ourselves,
4.110556563Supper is done, and we shall come too late.
4.111557564Romeo
 I fear too early, for my mind misgives
4.112558565Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
4.113559566Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
4.114560567With this night's revels, and expire the term
4.115561568Of a despisèd life closed in my breast
4.116562569By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
4.117563570But he that hath the steerage of my course
4.118564571Direct my suit. On, lusty gentlemen.
4.119565572Benvolio
 Strike, drum.
4.119.1566573They [Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio, and masquers] march about the stage, [as the scene shifts to inside the Capulet house] and serving men come forth with 567574napkins [as they transition to the next scene within the Capulet house.
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Romeo and Juliet (Modern, Quarto 2)
