But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail ! 20 — On, lusty gentlemen.
Ben. Strike, drum. 21

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

A Hall in CAPULET's House.

Musicians waiting. Enter Servants. 1 Serv. Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away ? he shift a trencher !2 he scrape a trencher!

2 Serv. When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's hands, and they unwash'd too, 'tis a foul thing.

1 Serv. Away with the joint-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate. — Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane ; 4 and, as thou lovest me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone, and Nell. — Antony! and Potpan !

2 Serv. Ay, boy; ready.

H.

20 So in the first quarto; the other old copies have suit instead of sail.

H. 21 Here the folio adds : “ They march about the stage, and serving men come forth with their napkins."

The opening of this scene, down to the entrance of Capulet, is not in the quarto of 1597.

2 To shift a trencher was technical. Trenchers were used in Shakespeare's time and long after by persons of good fashion and quality.

3 The court cupboard was the ancient sideboard : it was a cuin. brous piece of furniture, with stages or shelves gradually receding, like stairs, to the top, whereon the plate was displayed at festivals. They are mentioned in many old comedies.

1 Serv. You are look'd for and callid for, ask'd for and sought for, in the great chamber.

2 Serv. We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys! be brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.

[They retire behind.

Enter CAPULET, foc., with the Guests and the

Maskers.
Cap. Welcome, gentlemen ! ladies, that have their

toes
Unplagued with corns, will have a bout with you :'
Ah ha, 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 you now? You are 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. A hall! a hall! 6 give room, and foot it, girls. —

[Music plays, and they dance. More lights, ye knaves! and turn the tables up, And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot. — Ah, sirrah! this unlook'd-for sport comes well. Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet ; 8

H.

5 So the first quarto; the other old copies, “ will walk about with you."

For you and I are past our dancing days :
How long is't now, since last yourself and I
Were in a mask ?
2 Cap.

By’r lady, thirty years. : 1 Cap. 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 mask'd..

2 Cap. 'Tis more, 'tis more: his son is elder, sir ; His son is thirty. 1 Cap.

Will you tell me that ? His son was but a ward two years ago. Rom. What lady's that, which doth enrich the

hand Of yonder knight?

Serv. I know not, sir.

Rom. O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like 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 blessed my rude hand." Did my heart love till now ? forswear it, sight! I never saw true beauty till this night.

Tyb. This, by his voice, should be a Montague. —

9 So read all the old copies till the second folio, which has, “ Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night.” The Poet has a similar passage in his 27th Sonnet: " Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night, Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new.”

H. 10 So all the old copies except the first quarto, which has happy instead of blessed.

H.

Fetch me my rapier, boy. – What! dares the slave
Come hither, cover'd 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.
1 Cap. Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm

you so ?
Tyb. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe;
A villain, that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.

1 Cap. Young Romeo is it?
Tyb. ..

'Tis he, that villain Romeo.
1 Cap. Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,
He bears him like a portly gentleman ;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him,
To be a virtuous and well-govern'd 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.

Tyb. It fits, when such a villain is a guest : I'll not endure him. 1 Cap.

He shall be endur'd :
What, goodman boy! - I 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! you'll be the man !

Tyb. Why, uncle, 'tis a shame.
1 Cap.

Go to, go to;
You are a saucy boy. - Is't so, indeed ? —
This trick may chance to scath you;" – I know

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 !
Tyb. Patience perforce with wilful choler meet-

ing, Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. I will withdraw ; but this intrusion shall, Now seeming sweet, convert to bitter gall. [Exit.

Rom. If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this,13 —

12 Minshew calls a princox " a ripe-headed young boy," and derives the word from the Latin precox. The more probable derivation is from prime cock; that is, a cock of prime courage or spirit; hence applied to a pert, conceited, forward person. So in the Return from Parnassus : “Your proud university princox thinkes he is a man of such merit, the world cannot sufficiently endow him with preferment." And in Phaer's Virgil : “ Fyne princox, fresh of face, furst uttring youth by buds unshorne." — Coleridge remarks upon this dialogue thus : “ How admirable is the old man's impetuosity, at once contrasting, yet barmonized, with young Tybalt's quarrelsome violence! But it would be endless to repeat observations of this sort. Every leaf is different on an oak tree; but still we can only say, - our tongues defrauding our eyes,- This is another oak-leaf !”

H. 13 The old copies have sinne instead of fine ; an easy misprint when sinne was written with a long s; corrected by Warburton. - In the preceding line, the first quarto has unworthy instead of unworthiest. — The temper of this first interview is very happily suggested by the corresponding passage in Brooke's poem : “ As soone as had the knight the vyrgins right hand raught, Within his trembling hand her left bath Romeus caught. Then she with slender hand his tender palm hath prest : What joy, trow you, was graffed so in Romeus brest ? At last, with trembling voyce and shametast chere, the mayde Unto her Romeus tournde, and thus to him she sayde : 60, blessed be the time of thy arrivall here.' • What chaunce (q'he) unware to me, O lady mine, is hapt, That geves you worthy cause my cumming here to blisse ?? Fyrst ruthfully she lookd, then sayd with smyling chere, • Mervayle no whit, my heartes delight, my only knight and fere;