THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
Chœur
CHORUS.Twohouseholds,bothalikein
dignité
dignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayourscene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutinerie
mutiny,Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.FromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoesApairofstar-cross’dloverstaketheirlife;
Whosemisadventur’dpiteous
renversent
overthrowsDothwiththeirdeathburytheirparents’strife.Thefearful
passage
passageoftheirdeath-mark’dlove,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rage,Which,buttheirchildren’send,noughtcouldremove,Isnowthetwohours’trafficofourstage;ACTI
SCENEI.Apublicplace.
EnterSampsonandGregoryarmedwithswordsandbucklers.
SAMPSON.
Gregory,onmyword,we’llnotcarrycoals.
GREGORY.
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON.
Imean,ifwebeincholer,we’lldraw.
GREGORY.
Ay,whileyoulive,drawyourneckouto’the
collier
collar.SAMPSON.
Istrikequickly,beingmoved.
GREGORY.
Butthouartnotquicklymovedtostrike.
SAMPSON.
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesme.
GREGORY.
Tomoveistostir;
andtobe
courageux
valiantistostand:therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.
IwilltakethewallofanymanormaidofMontague’s.
GREGORY.
Thatshowstheeaweakslave,fortheweakestgoestothewall.
SAMPSON.
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothewall:
thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfromthewall,andthrusthismaidstothewall.
GREGORY.
The
querelle
quarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.SAMPSON.
’Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfa
tyran
tyrant:whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbecivilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.
GREGORY.
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON.
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads;
takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY.
Theymusttakeitinsensethatfeelit.
SAMPSON.
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:
and’tisknownIamaprettypieceofflesh.
GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnotfish;
ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpoorJohn.
Drawthy
outil
tool;herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.
EnterAbramandBalthasar.
SAMPSON.
Mynakedweaponisout:
quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
How?
Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Fearmenot.
GREGORY.
No,marry;
Ifearthee!
SAMPSON.
Letustakethelawofoursides;
letthembegin.
GREGORY.
Iwill
froncer les sourcils
frownasIpassby,andletthemtakeitastheylist.SAMPSON.
Non
Nay,astheydare.Iwillbitemy
pouce
thumbatthem,whichishonte
disgracetothemiftheybearit.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyour
pouce
thumbatus,sir?SAMPSON.
Idobitemy
pouce
thumb,sir.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyour
pouce
thumbatus,sir?SAMPSON.
IsthelawofoursideifIsayay?
GREGORY.
No.
SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemy
pouce
thumbatyou,sir;butIbitemy
pouce
thumb,sir.GREGORY.
Doyouquarrel,sir?
ABRAM.
Dispute
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,rememberthywashingblow.
BENVOLIO.
Part,fools!
putupyourswords,youknownotwhatyoudo.
EnterTybalt.
TYBALT.
What,artthoudrawnamongthese
sans cœur
heartlesshinds?TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthydeath.
BENVOLIO.
Idobutkeepthepeace,putupthysword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.
TYBALT.
What,drawn,andtalkofpeace?
IhatethewordAsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,coward.
EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
FIRST
Citoyen
CITIZEN.Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!
DownwiththeMontagues!
EnterCapuletinhis
robe
gown,andLadyCapulet.CAPULET.
Whatnoiseisthis?
Givememylongsword,ho!
LADYCAPULET.
A
béquille
crutch,acrutch!Whycallyouforasword?
CAPULET.
Mysword,Isay!
OldMontagueiscome,And
fleurit
flourisheshisbladeinspiteofme.EnterMontagueandhisLadyMontague.
MONTAGUE.
Thou
méchant
villainCapulet!Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstironefoottoseeka
ennemi
foe.EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
PRINCE.
Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,Profanersofthisneighbour-stainedsteel,—
Willtheynothear?
What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainoftorture,fromthosebloodyhandsThrowyourmistemper’dweaponstothegroundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.
Threecivilbrawls,bredofanairyword,Bythee,oldCapulet,andMontague,Havethricedisturb’dthequietofourstreets,AndmadeVerona’sancientcitizensCastbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,Towieldoldpartisans,inhandsasold,Canker’dwithpeace,topartyourcanker’dhate.
Ifeveryou
dérangez
disturbourstreetsagain,Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthepeace.Forthistimealltherestdepartaway:
You,Capulet,shallgoalongwithme,AndMontague,comeyouthisafternoon,Toknowour
plus
fartherpleasureinthiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcommonjudgement-place.Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
[ExeuntPrinceandAttendants;
MONTAGUE.
Whosetthisancient
querelle
quarrelnewabroach?Speak,nephew,wereyoubywhenitbegan?
BENVOLIO.
Hereweretheservantsofyour
adversaire
adversaryAndyours,closefightingereIdidapproach.Idrewtopartthem,intheinstantcameThefieryTybalt,withhisswordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heswungabouthishead,andcutthewinds,Whonothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminscorn.
WhilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblowsCamemoreandmore,andfoughtonpartandpart,TillthePrincecame,whopartedeitherpart.
LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,sawyouhimtoday?
RightgladIamhewasnotatthisfray.
BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp’dsunPeer’dforththegoldenwindowoftheeast,Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad,Where
sous
underneaththegroveofsycamoreThatwestwardrootethfromthiscityside,SoearlywalkingdidIseeyourson.TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.
I,
mesurant
measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostsoughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beingonetoomanybymyfatigué
wearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,Andjoyeusement
gladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme.MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’s
rosée
dew,Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;Butallsosoonastheall-cheeringsunShouldinthefarthesteastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sbed,Awayfromlightstealshomemyheavyson,Andprivateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfair
lumière du jour
daylightoutAndmakeshimselfanartificielle
artificialnight.Blackandportentousmustthishumourprove,Unlessgoodcounselmaythecauseremove.
BENVOLIO.
My
noble
nobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcanlearnofhim.
BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends;
Buthe,hisownaffections’
conseiller
counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotsayhowtrue—Buttohimselfsosecretandsoclose,Sofarfromsoundingand
découverte
discovery,Asisthebudbitwithanenvieux
enviouswormErehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,Orconsacrer
dedicatehisbeautytothesun.Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.EnterRomeo.
BENVOLIO.
See,wherehecomes.
Sopleaseyoustepaside;
I’llknowhisgrievanceorbemuchdenied.
MONTAGUE.
IwouldthouwertsohappybythystayToheartrueshrift.
Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,cousin.
ROMEO.
Isthedaysoyoung?