ROMEO AND JULIET.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. IN 1562 Mr. Arthur Brooke published a poem on "The Tragicall Historie of Romeus and Juliett ;" the materials for which he chiefly obtained from a French translation (by Boisteau) of an Italian novel by Luigi da Porto, a Venetian gentleman, who died in 1529. A prose translation of Boisteau's work was also published 1576, by Paister, in his Palace of Pleasure, vol. II.; and upon the incidents of these two works, especially of the poem, Malone decides that Shakspeare constructed his entertaining tragedy. Dr. Johnson has declared this play to be "one of the most pleasing of Shakspeare's performances:" but it contains some breaches of irregularity--. many superfluities, tumid conceits, and bombastic ideas, inexcusable even in a lover; with a continued recurrence of jingling periods and trifling quibbles, which obscure the sense, or disgust the reader. Several of the characters are, however, charmingly designed, and not less happily executed; the catastrophe is intensely affecting; the incidents various and expressive; and as the passion which it delineates is one of universal acceptance in the catalogue of human wishes, the tinder-like character of the lady, and the notable constancy of the gentleman, are forgotten in the dangers and the calamities of both. The numerous rhymes which occur, are probably seedlings from Arthur Brooke's stock plant. "The nurse (says Dr. Johnson) is one of the characters in which Shakspeare delighted: he has, with great subtilty of distinction, drawn her at once loquacious and secret, obsequious and insolent, trusty and dishonest."

ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

PARIS, a young Nobleman, Kinsman to the
Prince.

MONTAGUE, Heads of two Houses at vari-
CAPULET,
ance with each other.

AN OLD MAN, Uncle to Capulet.
ROMEO, Son to Montague.
MERCUTIO, Kinsman to the Prince, and Friend
to Romeo.

BENVOLIO, Nephew to Montague, and Friend
to Romeo.

TYBALT, Nephew to Lady Capulet.
FRIAR LAWRENCE, a Franciscan.
FRIAR JOHN, of the same Order.
BALTHAZAR, Servant to Romeo.

SAMPSON, Servants to Capulet.
GREGORY,

ABRAM, Servant to Montague.
AN APOTHECARY.
THREE MUSICIANS.

CHORUS.-Box, Puge to Paris.-PETER, an
Officer.

LADY MONTAGUE, Wife to Montague.
LADY CAPULET, Wife to Capulet.
JULIET, Daughter to Capulet.
NURSE to Juliet.

Citizens of Verona; several Men and
Women, relations to both Houses:
Maskers Guards, Watchmen, and At-
tendants.

SCENE, during the greater part of the Play, in Verona: once, in the fifth Act, at Mantua.

Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the Down with the Capulets! down with the Mon weakest goes to the wall.

Sum. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall:therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.

Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men.

Sam. 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads.

Gre. The beads of the maids?

Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel it.

Sam. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand and 'tis known I am a pretty piece of

flesh.

Gre. 'Tis well, thou art not fish: if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. * Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Mon. tagues.

Enter ABRAM and BALTHAZER.

tagues!

come

And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

Enter MONTAGUE, and LADY MONTAGUE. Mon. Thou villain, Capulet,-Hold me not, let me go.

La. Mon. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek
a foe.

Enter PRINCE, with Attendants.
Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,-
Will they not hear?-what ho! you men, you
beasts,-

That quench the fire of your pernicions rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,

Sam. My naked weapon is out; quarrel, I will On pain of torture, from those bloody hands

back thee.

Gre. How? turn thy back, and run?

Sam. Fear me not.

Gre. No, marry: I fear thee!

Sam. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

Gre. I will frown as I pass by: and let them take it as they list.

Sam. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?
Sam. I do bite my thumb, Sir.
Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?
Sem. Is the law on our side, if I say,-ay?
Gre. No.

Sam. No, Sir, I do not bite my thumb at you,
Sir; but I bite my thumb, Sir.

Gre. Do you quarrel, Sir?

Abr. Quarrel, Sir? no, Sir.

Sam. If you do, Sir, I am for you; I serve as

good a man as you.

Abr. No better.

Sam. Well, Sir

Enter BENVOLIO, at a Distance.

Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the

ground,

And hear the sentence of your moved prince.-
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets;
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partizans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace to part your canker'd hate :
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

[Exeunt PRINCE and Attendants; CAPU

LET, LADY CAPULET, TYBALT, CITI-
ZENS, and Servants.
Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new
abroach?

Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
Ben. Here were the servants of your ad-
versary,

Gre. Say-better; here comes one of my And your's, close fighting ere I did approach:

master's kinsmen.

Sam. Yes, better, Sir.

Abr. You lie.

Sam. Draw, if you be men.-Gregory, remember thy smashing blow.

[They fight. Ben. Part, fools; put up your swords; you know not what you do.

[Beats down their Swords. Enter TYBALT.

Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these

heartless hinds?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

I drew to part them; in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar'd;
Which, as he breath'd defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head, and cut the winds,
Who, nothing hurt withal, hiss'd him in scorn:
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows
Came more and more and fought on part and

part,

Till the prince came, who parted either part.
La. Mon. O where is Romeo?-saw you him
to day ?

Right glad I am, he was not at his fray.
Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd
sun,

Ben. I do but keep the peace; put up thy Peer'd through the golden window of the east, sword,

Or manage it to part these men with me.

A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;
Where, underneath the grove of sycamore,

Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate That westward rooteth from the city's side,

the word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward.

So early walking did I see your son:
Towards him I made; but he was 'ware of me,
And stole into the covert of the wood:

[They fight.!, measuring his affections by my own, Enter several Partizans of both Houses, who That nost are busied when they are most alone, join the Fray: then enter CITIZENS with And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me. Pursu'd my humour, not pursuing his,

To call her's exquisite, in question more:
These happy masks, that kiss fair ladies' brows,
Being black, put us in mind they hide the
fair;

He, that is strucken blind, cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost :
Show me a mistress that is passing fair,
What doth her beauty serve, but as a note
Where I may read, who pass'd that passing
fair?

[love:
:-Farewell; thon canst not teach me to forget.
Ben. I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in
debt.
[Exeunt.

[Exit.

Such as I love; and you, among the store, [more. not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come
Once more, most welcome, makes my number and crush a cup of wine. * Rest your merry 1
At my poor house, look to behold this night
Earth-treading stars, that make dark heaven
light:

Such comfort, as do lusty young men feel
When well-apparell'd April on the heel

Of limping winter treads, even such delight
Among fresh female buds shall you this night
Inherit at my house; here all, all see,
And like her most, whose merit most shall be:
Such, amongst view of inany, mine being one,
May stand in number, though in reckoning +

none.

Come, go with me;-Go, Sirrab, 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.
Serv. Find them out, whose names are writ-
ten 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 uames the writing person
hath here writ. I must to the learned:-In
good time.

Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO.

Ben. Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning,

Ben. 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.
Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to
tires!

And these,-who often drown'd could never die,-
Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars !
One fairer than my love! th' all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match, since first the world
begun.

Ben. Tut! you saw her fair, none else be-
ing by,

Herself pois'd with herself in either eye:
But in those 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.

One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish ;
Turu giddy, and be holp by backward turning :
One desperate grief cures with another's lan-I
guish :

Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
And the rank poison of th' old will die.
Rom. Your plaintain leaf is excellent for

that.

Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipp'd, and tormented, and-Good-e'en, good fellow.

Serv. God gi' good e'en.-I pray, Sir, can you read?

Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Serv. Perhaps you have learn'd it without

book:

But I pray, can you read any thing you see?

Enter Lady CAPULET and NURSE. La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me.

Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve bade her come.-What, lamb! what, ladyyear old,[bird!God forbid !-where's this girl?-what, Juliet !

Enter JULIET.

Jul. How now, who calls?
Nurse. Your mother.
Jul. Madam, I am here,
What is your will?

La. Cup. This is the matter:-Nurse, give
leave awhile,

We must talk in secret.-Nurse, come back again;
I have remember'd me, thou shalt hear our
counsel.

Thou know'st, my daughter's of a pretty age.
Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age uuto an

hoar.

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,

Rom. Ay, if I know the letters, and the lan-She is not fourteen: How long is it now

guage. Serv. Ye say honestly; Rest you merry! Rom. Stay, fellow; I can read. [Reads.

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 four-

teen.

Signior Martino, and his wife and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; The lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Susan and she,-God rest all Christian souls!Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, Were of an age.-Well, Susan is with God; and his brother Valentine; Mine uncle She was too good for ine: But, as I said, Capulet, his wife, and daughters; My fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena.

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,-

A fair assembly; [Gives back the Note.] Whither Of all the days of the year, upon that day:

Serv. To supper; to our house.

should they come?

Serv. Up.

Rom. Whither?

Rom. Whose house?

Serv. My master's.

Rom. Indeed, I should have asked you before.

that

My

Serv. Now I'll tell you without asking: master is the great rich Capulet; and if you be

• To inherit, in the language of Shakspeare is to postess, + Estimation.

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
To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug.
Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool!
Shake, quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need,
To bid me trudge.
I trow,

To crack a bottle, is still a cant phrase. 1 Weighed. 1 Scarcely. To my sorrow. i 1. e. I have a perfect recollection.