Juliet
My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongues utterance, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
Romeo
Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.
Juliet
How camst thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
Romeo
With loves light wings did I oerperch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
Juliet
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
Romeo
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
Juliet
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
Romeo
I have nights cloak to hide me from their eyes,
And but thou love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
Juliet
By whose direction foundst thou out this place?
Romeo
By love, that first did prompt me to enquire;
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
I am no pilot; yet wert thou as far
As that vast shore washd with the farthest sea,
I should adventure for such merchandise.
Juliet
Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I have spoke; but farewell compliment.
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say Ay,
And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swearst,
Thou mayst prove false. At lovers perjuries,
They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
Ill frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo. But else, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond;
And therefore thou mayst think my haviour light:
But trust me, gentleman, Ill prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheardst, ere I was ware,
My true-love passion; therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
Romeo
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops,-
Juliet
O swear not by the moon, thinconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
Romeo
What shall I swear by?
Juliet
Do not swear at all.
Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And Ill believe thee.
Romeo
If my hearts dear love,-
Juliet
Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract tonight;
It is too rash, too unadvisd, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say It lightens. Sweet, good night.
This bud of love, by summers ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
Romeo
O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
Juliet
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
Romeo
Thexchange of thy loves faithful vow for mine.
Juliet
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;
And yet I would it were to give again.
Romeo
Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
Juliet
But to be frank and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have;
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.
[Nurse calls within.]
Anon, good Nurse! Sweet Montague be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
[Exit.]
Romeo
O blessed, blessed night. I am afeard,
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
Enter Juliet above.
Juliet
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
By one that Ill procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
And all my fortunes at thy foot Ill lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
Nurse
[Within.] Madam.
Juliet
I come, anon. But if thou meanest not well,
I do beseech thee,-
Nurse
[Within.] Madam.
Juliet
By and by I come-
To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief.
Tomorrow will I send.
Romeo
So thrive my soul,-
Juliet
A thousand times good night.
[Exit.]
Romeo
A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
[Retiring slowly.]
Re-enter Juliet, above.
Juliet
Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falconers voice
To lure this tassel-gentle back again.
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine
With repetition of my Romeos name.
Romeo
It is my soul that calls upon my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears.
Juliet
Romeo!
Romeo
My nyas?
Juliet
What oclock tomorrow
Shall I send to thee?
Romeo
By the hour of nine.
Juliet
I will not fail. Tis twenty years till then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.
Romeo
Let me stand here till thou remember it.
Juliet
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembering how I love thy company.
Romeo
And Ill still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.
Juliet
Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone,
And yet no farther than a wantons bird,
That lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
So loving-jealous of his liberty.
Romeo
I would I were thy bird.
Juliet
Sweet, so would I:
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
[Exit.]
Romeo
Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest.
Hence will I to my ghostly Sires cell,
His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.
[Exit.]
Scene III
Friar Lawrences Cell. Enter Friar Lawrence with a basket.
Friar Lawrence
The grey-eyd morn smiles on the frowning night,
Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light;
And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth days pathway, made by Titans fiery wheels
Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer, and nights dank dew to dry,
I must upfill this osier cage of ours
With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.
The earth thats natures mother, is her tomb;
What is her burying grave, that is her womb:
And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find.
Many for many virtues excellent,
None but for some, and yet all different.
O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities.
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give;
Nor aught so good but, straind from that fair use,
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.
Virtue itself turns vice being misapplied,
And vice sometimes by action dignified.
Within the infant rind of this weak flower
Poison hath residence, and medicine power:
For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.
Two such opposed kings encamp them still
In man as well as herbs, grace and rude will;
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.
Enter Romeo.
Romeo
Good morrow, father.
Friar Lawrence
Benedicite!
What early tongue so sweet saluteth me?
Young son, it argues a distemperd head
So soon to bid good morrow to thy bed.