among view of many, mine, being one,
May stand in number, though in reckoning none.
Come, go with me.—Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona; find those persons out
Whose names are written there, [gives a paper] and to them say,
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
[Exeunt Capulet and Paris].
Servant.Find them out whose names are written here! It is written that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard and the tailor with his last, the fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am sent to find those persons whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. I must to the learned:—in good time!
[Enter Benvolio and Romeo.]
Benvolio.
Tut, man, one fire burns out another’s burning,
One pain is lessen’d by another’s anguish;
Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;
One desperate grief cures with another’s languish:
Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
And the rank poison of the old will die.
Romeo.
Your plantain-leaf is excellent for that.
Benvolio.
For what, I pray thee?
Romeo.
For your broken shin.
Benvolio.
Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
Romeo.
Not mad, but bound more than a madman is;
Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
Whipp’d and tormented and—God-den, good fellow.
Servant.
God gi’ go-den.—I pray, sir, can you read?
Romeo.
Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Servant. Perhaps you have learned it without book: but I pray, can you read anything you see?
Romeo.
Ay, If I know the letters and the language.
Servant.
Ye say honestly: rest you merry!
Romeo. Stay, fellow; I can read. [Reads.] ‘Signior Martino and his wife and daughters; County Anselmo and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; my fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio and the lively Helena.’ A fair assembly. [Gives back the paper]: whither should they come?
Servant.
Up.
Romeo.
Whither?
Servant.
To supper; to our house.
Romeo.
Whose house?
Servant.
My master’s.
Romeo.
Indeed I should have ask’d you that before.
Servant.
Now I’ll tell you without asking: my master is the great
rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house of Montagues,
I pray, come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry!
[Exit.]
Benvolio.
At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lov’st;
With all the admired beauties of Verona.
Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
Romeo.
When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
And these,—who, often drown’d, could never die,—
Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
One fairer than my love? the all-seeing sun
Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.
Benvolio.
Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
Herself pois’d with herself in either eye:
But in that crystal scales let there be weigh’d
Your lady’s love against some other maid
That I will show you shining at this feast,
And she shall scant show well that now shows best.
Romeo.
I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown,
But to rejoice in splendour of my own.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE III. Room in Capulet’s House.
[Enter Lady Capulet, and Nurse.]
Lady Capulet.
Nurse, where’s my daughter? call her forth to me.
Nurse.
Now, by my maidenhea,—at twelve year old,—
I bade her come.—What, lamb! what ladybird!—
God forbid!—where’s this girl?—what, Juliet!
[Enter Juliet.]
Juliet.
How now, who calls?
Nurse.
Your mother.
Juliet.
Madam, I am here. What is your will?
Lady Capulet.
This is the matter,—Nurse, give leave awhile,
We must talk in secret: nurse, come back again;
I have remember’d me, thou’s hear our counsel.
Thou knowest my daughter’s of a pretty age.
Nurse.
Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.
Lady Capulet.
She’s not fourteen.
Nurse.
I’ll lay fourteen of my teeth,—
And yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four,—
She is not fourteen. How long is it now
To Lammas-tide?
Lady Capulet.
A fortnight and odd days.
Nurse.
Even or odd, of all days in the year,
Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.
Susan and she,—God rest all Christian souls!—
Were of an age: well, Susan is with God;
She was too good for me:—but, as I said,
On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;
That shall she, marry; I remember it well.
‘Tis since the earthquake now eleven years;
And she was wean’d,—I never shall forget it—,