Rom. Ay, if I know the letters and the language.
Serv. Ye say honestly: rest you merry!
Rom. Stay, fellow; I can read.

[Reads.

'Signior Martino and his wife and daughters; County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of 65 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: whither should they come?

70

Rom. Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before.
Serv. 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.
you merry!

Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest,
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.

63. [Reads.] He reades the Letter. QqFf. He reads the list. Johnson. 64-70. Signior...Helena.] As nine lines of verse, Dyce, ed. 2 (Capell conj.).

64. daughters] Qq. daughter Ff. County] Count Rowe.

65. Anselme] Qq F, F2

Rest

[Exit.

72. Up] To sup Staunton conj.
73, 74. Whither? Serv. To...sup
per; to]
Theobald (Warburton).
Whether to supper? Ser: To (Q1).
Whither to supper? Ser. To Q2. Whi-
ther to supper. Ser.? To Q3. Whither
to supper. Ser. To Q4. Whither? to
supper? Ser. To FfQ5.

Anselm F3F4 Anselmo Dyce, ed. 2 (Capell conj.).

68. Livia] Livio Rowe (ed. 2). gentle Livia Capell conj. and Livia

Dyce, ed. 2 (Courtenay conj.). 69. lively] lovely Rowe.

71. [giving back the Note. Capell.

83. lovest] F2Q5F3F4 loves (Q) Q2Q3Q4F

87. thee] the Q3.

75

80

85

Rom. 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.
Ben. Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
Herself poised with herself in either eye:

But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
Your lady's love against some other maid

90

95

That I will show you shining at this feast,

And she shall scant show well that now seems best.
Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,
But to rejoice in splendour of mine own.

SCENE III. A room in Capulet's house.

100

[Exeunt.

Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse.

La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to

me.

Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old,

I bade her come. What, lamb! what, lady-bird!

God forbid! Where's this girl? What, Juliet!

Enter JULIET.

Jul. How now! who calls?

Nurse. Your mother.

Ful. Madam, I am here. What is your will?

La. Cap. 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 know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.
Nurse. Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.
La. Cap. 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?

La. Cap. 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;

5

JO

15

20

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—
Of all the days of the year, upon that day:
For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,
Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall;
My lord and you were then at Mantua:-
Nay, I do bear a brain:-but, as I said,
When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple
Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool,
To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug!

Shake, quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I trow,
To bid me trudge.

35

And since that time it is eleven years;

For then she could stand high-lone; nay, by the rood,
She could have run and waddled all about;
For even the day before, she broke her brow:
And then my husband,-God be with his soul!
A' was a merry man-took up the child:
'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?

40

Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;

Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidame,

The pretty wretch left crying, and said 'Ay.'

45

To see now how a jest shall come about!

I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,

I never should forget it: 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he;
And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said 'Ay.'

F4

23.

La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.

That] then Q4Q5.

26. of the year] in the year Q5F3

33. with] wi' Capell.

40. with] om. Rowe (ed. 1).
44. Jule] Juliet (Q1)F4. Julet F2
F3. Julé Hanmer. Juli' Capell.

47.

an] Pope. and QqF3F4. E
if (Q).

should] (Q1)F3F4. shall The

48. Jule] Julet F,F2F3. Juliet F4. Julé Hanmer.

50, 64, 70, 78, 80, 97. La. Cap.] Rowe. Old La. QqFf.

50

Nurse. Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say 'Ay:'

And yet, I warrant, it had upon it brow

A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone;

A perilous knock; and it cried bitterly:

55

'Yea,' quoth my husband, 'fall'st upon thy face? · Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age; Wilt thou not, Jule?' it stinted, and said 'Ay.'

I.

ful. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! 60 Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed: An I might live to see thee married once,

I have my wish.

La. Cap. Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How stands your disposition to be married?

Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of.

Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse,

I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat.

65

La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you 70 Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,

Are made already mothers. By my count,
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief;
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

75

72. mothers. By] Ff. mothers by

61. wast] wert (Q1). was F2. 62. An] Pope. and QqFf.

Qq.