A quarrel between servants grows into a public fight involving members of both houses. Prince Escalus restores order and decrees death for anyone who disturbs Verona’s peace again. Romeo tells Benvolio that he is miserable because Rosaline will not return his love.
SCENE II. A Street.
Enter Capulet, Paris and Servant.
CAPULET
But Montague is bound as well as I,In penalty alike; and ’tis not hard, I think,For men so old as we to keep the peace.
PARIS
Of honourable reckoning are you both,And pity ’tis you liv’d at odds so long.But now my lord, what say you to my suit?
CAPULET
But saying o’er what I have said before.My child is yet a stranger in the world,She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;Let two more summers wither in their prideEre we may think her ripe to be a bride.
PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made.
CAPULET
And too soon marr’d are those so early made.The earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she,She is the hopeful lady of my earth:But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,My will to her consent is but a part;And she agree, within her scope of choiceLies my consent and fair according voice.This night I hold an old accustom’d feast,Whereto I have invited many a guest,Such as I love, and you among the store,One more, most welcome, makes my number more.At my poor house look to behold this nightEarth-treading stars that make dark heaven light:Such comfort as do lusty young men feelWhen well apparell’d April on the heelOf limping winter treads, even such delightAmong fresh female buds shall you this nightInherit at my house. Hear all, all see,And like her most whose merit most shall be:Which, on more view of many, mine, being one,May stand in number, though in reckoning none.Come, go with me. Go, sirrah, trudge aboutThrough fair Verona; find those persons outWhose names are written there, 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 lastA shoemaker's foot-shaped mould on which shoes are made or repaired., 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-denmay God grant you a good evening; a greeting used from afternoon onwards.. 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.
He reads the letter.
Signior Martino and his wife and daughters; County Anselmo and his beauteous sisters; The lady widow of Utruvio; Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; My fair niece Rosaline and Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio and the lively Helena.
ROMEO
A fair assembly. Whither should they come?
SERVANT
Up.
ROMEO
Whither to supper?
SERVANT
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 cupto drink a cup of wine or other liquor. of wine. Rest you merry.
Exit.
BENVOLIO
At this same ancientAn ensign or standard-bearer. feast of Capulet’sSups 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 eyeMaintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fire;And these who, often drown’d, could never die,Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars.One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sunNe’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’dYour lady’s love against some other maidThat 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.