THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
CHORUS.
Twohouseholds,bothalikeindignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayour
scène
scene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.FromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoesApairofstar-cross’dloverstaketheirlife;
Whosemisadventur’dpiteousoverthrowsDothwiththeirdeathburytheirparents’strife.
Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’dlove,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rage,Which,buttheirchildren’send,noughtcouldremove,Isnowthetwohours’trafficofour
scène
stage;ACTI
SCENEI.A
public
publicplace.EnterSampsonandGregoryarmedwithswordsandbucklers.
SAMPSON.
Gregory,onmyword,we’llnot
porterons
carrycoals.GREGORY.
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON.
Imean,ifwebeincholer,we’lldraw.
GREGORY.
Ay,whileyoulive,drawyour
cou
neckouto’thecollar.SAMPSON.
Istrike
rapidement
quickly,beingmoved.GREGORY.
Butthouartnotquicklymovedtostrike.
SAMPSON.
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesme.
GREGORY.
Tomoveistostir;
andtobevaliantistostand:
therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.
Iwilltakethe
mur
wallofanymanormaidofMontague’s.GREGORY.
Thatshowstheeaweakslave,fortheweakestgoestothe
mur
wall.SAMPSON.
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothe
mur
wall:thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfromthe
mur
wall,andthrusthismaidstothemur
wall.GREGORY.
Thequarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.
SAMPSON.
’Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfatyrant:
whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbecivilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.
GREGORY.
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON.
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads;
takeitinwhat
sens
sensethouwilt.GREGORY.
Theymusttakeitin
sens
sensethatfeelit.SAMPSON.
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:
and’tisknownIamapretty
morceau
pieceofflesh.GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnot
poisson
fish;ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpoorJohn.
Drawthytool;
herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.
EnterAbramandBalthasar.
SAMPSON.
Mynaked
arme
weaponisout:quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
How?
Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Peur
Fearmenot.GREGORY.
No,marry;
I
crains
fearthee!SAMPSON.
Letustakethelawofoursides;
letthem
commencer
begin.GREGORY.
IwillfrownasI
passant
passby,andletthemtakeitastheylist.SAMPSON.
Nay,asthey
osent
dare.Iwillbitemythumbatthem,whichisdisgracetothemifthey
supportent
bearit.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,sir?
SAMPSON.
Idobitemythumb,sir.
ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,sir?
SAMPSON.
IsthelawofoursideifIsayay?
GREGORY.
No.
SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemythumbatyou,sir;
butIbitemythumb,sir.
GREGORY.
Doyouquarrel,sir?
ABRAM.
Quarrel,sir?
No,sir.
SAMPSON.
Butifyoudo,sir,Iamforyou.
Iserveasgoodamanasyou.
ABRAM.
Nobetter.
SAMPSON.
Well,sir.
EnterBenvolio.
GREGORY.
Saybetter;
herecomesoneofmymaster’skinsmen.
SAMPSON.
Yes,better,sir.
ABRAM.
Youlie.
SAMPSON.
Draw,ifyoubemen.
Gregory,rememberthywashing
coup
blow.BENVOLIO.
Part,fools!
putupyourswords,youknownotwhatyoudo.
EnterTybalt.
TYBALT.
What,artthoudrawnamongtheseheartlesshinds?
TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthydeath.
BENVOLIO.
Idobutkeepthe
paix
peace,putupthysword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.TYBALT.
What,drawn,andtalkof
paix
peace?IhatethewordAsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,coward.
EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
FIRSTCITIZEN.
Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!
DownwiththeMontagues!
EnterCapuletinhisgown,andLadyCapulet.
CAPULET.
Whatnoiseisthis?
Givememylongsword,ho!
LADYCAPULET.
Acrutch,acrutch!
Whycallyouforasword?
CAPULET.
Mysword,Isay!
OldMontagueiscome,Andflourisheshisbladeinspiteofme.
EnterMontagueandhisLadyMontague.
MONTAGUE.
ThouvillainCapulet!
Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstironefoottoseekafoe.
EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
PRINCE.
Rebellioussubjects,enemiesto
paix
peace,Profanersofthisneighbour-stainedsteel,—Willtheynothear?
What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainoftorture,fromthosebloodyhands
Jetez
Throwyourmistemper’dweaponstothesol
groundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.Threecivilbrawls,bredofanairyword,Bythee,oldCapulet,andMontague,Havethricedisturb’dthequietofourstreets,AndmadeVerona’sancientcitizensCastbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,Towieldoldpartisans,inhandsasold,Canker’dwith
paix
peace,topartyourcanker’dhate.Ifeveryoudisturbourstreetsagain,Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthe
paix
peace.Forthistimealltherestdepartaway:
You,Capulet,shallgoalongwithme,AndMontague,comeyouthis
après-midi
afternoon,Toknowourfartherplaisir
pleasureinthiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcommonjudgement-place.Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
[ExeuntPrinceandAttendants;
MONTAGUE.
Whosetthisancientquarrelnewabroach?
Speak,nephew,wereyoubywhenit
commencé
began?BENVOLIO.
HereweretheservantsofyouradversaryAndyours,closefightingereIdidapproach.
Idrewtopartthem,intheinstantcameThefieryTybalt,withhisswordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heswungabouthishead,andcutthewinds,Whonothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminscorn.
WhilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblowsCamemoreandmore,andfoughtonpartandpart,TillthePrincecame,whopartedeitherpart.
LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,sawyouhimtoday?
Right
content
gladIamhewasnotatthisfray.BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp’d
soleil
sunPeer’dforththegoldenfenêtre
windowoftheeast,Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad,WhereunderneaththegroveofsycamoreThatwestwardrootethfromthiscityside,SoearlywalkingdidIseeyourson.TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.
I,measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostsoughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beingonetoomanybymywearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,Andgladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme.
MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’sdew,Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;
Butallsosoonastheall-cheering
soleil
sunShouldinthefarthestest
eastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sbed,Awayfromlightstealshomemylourd
heavyson,Andprivateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdaylightoutAndmakeshimselfanartificialnight.Blackandportentousmustthishumourprove,Unlessgoodcounselmaythecauseremove.
BENVOLIO.
Mynobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?
MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcan
apprendre
learnofhim.BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends;
Buthe,hisownaffections’counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotsayhowtrue—
Buttohimselfso
secret
secretandsoclose,Sofarfromsoundinganddiscovery,AsisthebudbitwithanenviouswormErehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,Ordedicatehisbeauté
beautytothesun.Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.EnterRomeo.
BENVOLIO.
See,wherehecomes.
Sopleaseyoustepaside;
I’llknowhisgrievanceorbemuchdenied.
MONTAGUE.
IwouldthouwertsohappybythystayToheartrueshrift.
Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,
cousin
cousin.ROMEO.
Isthedaysoyoung?