A visor for a visor. What care I
What curious eye doth quote deformities?
Here are the beetle-brows shall blush for me.
Benvolio
Come, knock and enter; and no sooner in
But every man betake him to his legs.
Romeo
A torch for me: let wantons, light of heart,
Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels;
For I am proverbd with a grandsire phrase,
Ill be a candle-holder and look on,
The game was neer so fair, and I am done.
Mercutio
Tut, duns the mouse, the constables own word:
If thou art dun, well draw thee from the mire
Or save your reverence love, wherein thou stickest
Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho.
Romeo
Nay, thats not so.
Mercutio
I mean sir, in delay
We waste our lights in vain, light lights by day.
Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits
Five times in that ere once in our five wits.
Romeo
And we mean well in going to this mask;
But tis no wit to go.
Mercutio
Why, may one ask?
Romeo
I dreamt a dream tonight.
Mercutio
And so did I.
Romeo
Well what was yours?
Mercutio
That dreamers often lie.
Romeo
In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
Mercutio
O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Over mens noses as they lie asleep:
Her waggon-spokes made of long spinners legs;
The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers;
Her traces, of the smallest spiders web;
The collars, of the moonshines watery beams;
Her whip of crickets bone; the lash, of film;
Her waggoner, a small grey-coated gnat,
Not half so big as a round little worm
Prickd from the lazy finger of a maid:
Her chariot is an empty hazelnut,
Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub,
Time out o mind the fairies coachmakers.
And in this state she gallops night by night
Through lovers brains, and then they dream of love;
Oer courtiers knees, that dream on curtsies straight;
Oer lawyers fingers, who straight dream on fees;
Oer ladies lips, who straight on kisses dream,
Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues,
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are:
Sometime she gallops oer a courtiers nose,
And then dreams he of smelling out a suit;
And sometime comes she with a tithe-pigs tail,
Tickling a parsons nose as a lies asleep,
Then dreams he of another benefice:
Sometime she driveth oer a soldiers neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscados, Spanish blades,
Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon
Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes;
And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two,
And sleeps again. This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horses in the night;
And bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs,
Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes:
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
That presses them, and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage:
This is she,-
Romeo
Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace,
Thou talkst of nothing.
Mercutio
True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
Which is as thin of substance as the air,
And more inconstant than the wind, who woos
Even now the frozen bosom of the north,
And, being angerd, puffs away from thence,
Turning his side to the dew-dropping south.
Benvolio
This wind you talk of blows us from ourselves:
Supper is done, and we shall come too late.
Romeo
I fear too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this nights revels; and expire the term
Of a despised life, closd in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But he that hath the steerage of my course
Direct my suit. On, lusty gentlemen!
Benvolio
Strike, drum.
[Exeunt.]
Scene V
A Hall in Capulets House. Musicians waiting. Enter Servants.
First servant
Wheres Potpan, that he helps not to take away?
He shift a trencher! He scrape a trencher!
Second servant
When good manners shall lie all in one or two mens hands, and they unwashd too, tis a foul thing.
First servant
Away with the join-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane; and as thou loves me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell. Antony and Potpan!
Second servant
Ay, boy, ready.
First servant
You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great chamber.
Second servant
We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys. Be brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.
[Exeunt.]
Enter Capulet, amp;c. with the Guests
and Gentlewomen to the Maskers.
Capulet
Welcome, gentlemen, ladies that have their toes
Unplagud with corns will have a bout with you.
Ah my mistresses, which of you all
Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
She Ill swear hath corns. Am I come near ye now?
Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor, and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair ladys ear,
Such as would please; tis gone, tis gone, tis gone,
You are welcome, gentlemen! Come, musicians, play.
A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it, girls.
[Music plays, and they dance.]
More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah sirrah, this unlookd-for sport comes well.
Nay sit, nay sit, good cousin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days;
How long ist now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?
Capulets Cousin
Byr Lady, thirty years.
Capulet
What, man, tis not so much, tis not so much:
Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio,
Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five and twenty years; and then we maskd.
Capulets Cousin
Tis more, tis more, his son is elder, sir;
His son is thirty.
Capulet
Will you tell me that?
His son was but a ward two years ago.
Romeo
What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?
Servant
I know not, sir.
Romeo
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady oer her fellows shows.
The measure done, Ill watch her place of stand,
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I neer saw true beauty till this night.
Tybalt
This by his voice, should be a Montague
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What, dares the slave
Come hither, coverd with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.
Capulet
Why how now, kinsman!
Wherefore storm you so?
Tybalt
Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe;
A villain that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.
Capulet
Young Romeo, is it?
Tybalt
Tis he, that villain Romeo.
Capulet
Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,
A bears him like a portly gentleman;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governd youth.
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement.
Therefore be patient, take no note of him,
It is my will; the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
Tybalt
It fits when such a villain is a guest:
Ill not endure him.
Capulet
He shall be endurd.
What, goodman boy! I say he shall, go to;
Am I the master here, or you? Go to.
Youll not endure him! God shall mend my soul,
Youll make a mutiny among my guests!
You will set cock-a-hoop, youll be the man!
Tybalt
Why, uncle, tis a shame.
Capulet
Go to, go to!
You are a saucy boy. Ist so, indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what.
You must contrary me! Marry, tis time.
Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; go:
Be quiet, or-More light, more light! For shame!