Obe.

And this ditty, after me,
Sing, and dance it trippingly.
First, rehearse your song by rote,
To each word a warbling note:
Hand in hand, with fairy grace,

270

Will we sing, and bless this place. [Song and dance.
Now, until the break of day,

Through this house each fairy stray,

And each several chamber bless,

Through this palace with sweet peace;
And the owner of it blest
Ever shall in safety rest.

Trip away; make no stay;

Meet me all by break of day.

280

[Exeunt Oberon, Titania, and train.

Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords and bucklers.

Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves me.

Gre. To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand: therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away. Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Montagues.

Sam. My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee. Gre. I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list.

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

Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sam. I do bite my thumb, sir.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb àt ùs, sir?

Sam. [Aside to Gre.] Is the law of our side, if I say ay? Gre. No.

10

Sam. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb àt yòu, sir, but—1 bite my thumb, sir.

you.

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

Abr. No better.

Sam. Well, sir.

20

Gre. Say 'better' here comes one of my master's kinsmen. Sam. Yes, better, sir.

Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? 30

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Ben. I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,

Or manage it to part these men with me.

Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

Have at thee, coward!

[They fight.

Enter several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs.

First Cit. Down with the Capulets! Down with the
Montagues!

Enter PRINCE, with Attendants.
Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your movéd prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

40

[Exeunt all but Benvolio.

Is the day so young?

Ay me! sad hours seem long.

Ben. But new struck nine.

Rom.
Ben. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?

Rom. Not having that, which having, makes them short.

Ben. In love?

50

89

[Exeunt.

Rom. Out of her favour, where I am in love.
Ben. Alas, that love so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.

Rom. O, teach me how I should forget to think.
Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
Examine other beauties.

Rom.

"Tis the way

To call hers exquisite, in question more.
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?
Farewell thou canst not teach me to forget.

:

Ben. I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.

A street.

Enter CAPULET, Paris, and Servant.

Cap. But Montague is bound as well as I, In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard,

For men so old as we to keep the peace.

Par. 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 ?

Cap. 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 pride,

70

Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Par. Younger than she are happy mothers made.
Cap. And too soon marr'd are those so early made.

80

But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies 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.

Come, go with me. [To Serv., giving a paper.] Go, sirrah, trudge about

Through fair Verona; find those persons out
Whose names are written there, and to them say,
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

90

[Exeunt Capulet and Paris.

Serv. Find them out whose names are written here! It is written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard, and the tailor with his last; 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.

Ben. Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning; Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

And the rank poison of the old will die.

Rom. Your plaintain-leaf is excellent for that.
Ben. For what, I pray thee?

Rom.

For your broken shin. Ben. Why, Romeo, art thou mad ?

Rom. 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.
Serv. God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read ?
Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.

100

Serv. Perhaps you have learn'd it without book: but, I

pray, can you read any thing you see?

Rom. Ay, if I know the letters and the language.

Serv. Ye say honestly: rest you merry!

Rom. Stay, fellow; I can read.

A fair assembly: whither should they come ?,

Serv. Up.

Rom. Whither ?

Serv. To supper; to our house.

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

110

[Reads.

119

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, pray, come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry' [Exit. Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's

Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest,
With all the admir'd 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. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,

But to rejoice in splendour of mine own.

[Exeunt. 130