William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet

O’er 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 o’er a courtier’s nose,

And then dreams he of smelling out a suit. 66

And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig’s tail

Tickling a parson’s nose as ’a lies asleep;

Then dreams he of another benefice. 67

Sometime she driveth o’er a soldier’s neck;

And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,

Of breaches, ambuscados, Spanish blades,

Of healths five fathom deep; 68and 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 plaits the manes of horses in the night

And bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs,

Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes. 69

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. 70

This is she –

ROMEO. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!

Thou talkest 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 angered, 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 night’s revels, and expire the term

Of a despisèd life, closed in my breast,

By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

But He that hath the steerage of my course

Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen! 71

BENVOLIO. Strike, drum.

(They march into the house.)

Scene 5

The hall in Capulet’s house.

Musicians waiting. Enter the maskers, march round the hall, and stand aside. Servingmen come forth with napkins.

FIRST SERVINGMAN. Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shift a trencher 72! He scrape a trencher!

SECOND SERVINGMAN. When good manners shall lie all in one or two men’s hands, and they unwashed too, ’tis a foul thing.

FIRST SERVINGMAN. Away with the joint-stools 73; 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.

(Exit Second Servingman.)

Anthony, and Potpan!

(Enter two more Servingmen.)

THIRD SERVINGMAN. Ay, boy, ready.

FIRST SERVINGMAN. You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great chamber.

FOURTH SERVINGMAN. We cannot be here and there too.

Cheerly, boys! Be brisk a while, and the longer liver take all. 74

(Exeunt Third and Fourth Servingmen.)

(Enter Capulet, his wife, Juliet, Tybalt, Nurse, and all the guests and gentlewomen to the maskers.)

CAPULET. Welcome, gentlemen! 75Ladies that have their toes

Unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you.

Ah, my mistresses, which of you all

Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,

She, I’ll 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 lady’s ear,

Such as would please. ’Tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone!

You are welcome, gentlemen! Come, musicians, play.

(Music plays, and they dance.)

A hall, a hall! Give room! and foot it, girls.

More light, you knaves! and turn the tables up;

And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.

Ah, sirrah, this unlooked-for sport comes well.

Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,

For you and I are past our dancing days.

How long is’t now since last yourself and I

Were in a mask?

COUSIN CAPULET. By’r Lady, 76thirty 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 masked.

COUSIN CAPULET. ’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. 77

ROMEO (to Servingman) .

What lady’s that, which doth enrich the hand

Of yonder knight?

SERVINGMAN. 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 Ethiop’s ear –

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.

The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand

And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!

For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night. 78

TYBALT. This, by his voice, should be a Montague.

Fetch me my rapier, boy. What, dares the slave

Come hither, covered 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-governed youth.

I would not for the wealth of all this 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.

I’ll not endure him.

CAPULET. He shall be endured.

What, goodman boy! 79I say he shall. Go to!

Am I the master here, or you? Go to!

You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul!

You’ll make a mutiny among my guests!

You will set cock-a-hoop 80! You’ll be the man!

TYBALT. Why, uncle, ’tis a shame.

CAPULET. Go to, go to!

You are a saucy boy. Is’t so, indeed?

This trick may chance to scathe you. 81I 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!

I’ll make you quiet, what! – Cheerly, my hearts!

TYBALT. Patience perforce 82with wilful choler meeting

Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.

I will withdraw. But this intrusion shall,

Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall.

(Exit Tybalt)

ROMEO. If I profane with my unworthiest hand

This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this.

My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this.

For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss. 83

ROMEO. Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

JULIET. Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROMEO. O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!