ROMEO
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
ROMEO
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That her maid art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses, I will answer it.
I am too bold, not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek.
JULIET
Ay me.
ROMEO
She speaks.
O speak again bright angel, for art
As glorious to this night, being my head,
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET
O Romeo, Romeo, art Romeo?
Deny father and refuse name.
Or if wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
but name that is my enemy;
art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O be some other name.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff name,
And for name, which is no part of ,
Take all myself.
ROMEO
I take at word.
Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET
What man art that, thus bescreen’d in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO
By a name
I know not how to tell who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to .
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET
My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound.
Art not Romeo, and a Montague?
ROMEO
Neither, fair maid, if either dislike.
JULIET
How cam’st , tell me, and ?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who art,
If any of my kinsmen find here.
ROMEO
With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Therefore kinsmen are no stop to me.
JULIET
If they do see , they will murder .
ROMEO
, there lies more peril in eye
Than twenty of their swords. Look but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET
I would not for the world they saw here.
ROMEO
I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
And but love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death prorogued, wanting of love.
JULIET
By whose direction found’st out this place?
ROMEO
By love, that first did prompt me to enquire;
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
I am no pilot; yet wert as far
As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,
I should adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET
knowest the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which heard me speak tonight.
would I dwell on form, , deny
What I have spoke; but farewell compliment.
love me? I know wilt say Ay,
And I will take word. Yet, if swear’st,
mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,
They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if thinkest I am too quickly won,
I’ll frown and be perverse, and say nay,
So wilt woo. But else, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond;
And therefore mayst think my ’haviour light:
But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that overheard’st, I was ’ware,
My true-love passion; therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night so discovered.
ROMEO
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops,—
JULIET
O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO
What shall I swear by?
JULIET
Do not swear at all.
Or if wilt, swear by gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I’ll believe .
ROMEO
If my heart’s dear love,—
JULIET
Well, do not swear. Although I joy in ,
I have no joy of this contract tonight;
It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which cease to be
one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night.
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest
Come to heart as that within my breast.
ROMEO
O wilt leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET
What satisfaction canst have tonight?
ROMEO
Th’exchange of love’s faithful vow for mine.
JULIET
I gave mine before request it;
And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO
withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
JULIET
But to be frank and give it again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have;
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to ,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.
, good Nurse!—Sweet Montague be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
ROMEO
O blessed, blessed night. I am afeard,
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
JULIET
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
If that bent of love be honourable,
purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
By one that I’ll procure to come to ,
Where and what time wilt perform the rite,
And all my fortunes at foot I’ll lay
And follow my lord throughout the world.
NURSE
Madam.
JULIET
I come, .— But if meanest not well,
I do beseech ,—
NURSE
Madam.
JULIET
By and by I come—
To cease strife and leave me to my grief.
Tomorrow will I send.
ROMEO
So thrive my soul,—
JULIET
A thousand times good night.
ROMEO
A thousand times the worse, to want light.
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
JULIET
Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falconer’s voice
To lure this tassel-gentle back again.
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine
With repetition of my Romeo’s name.
ROMEO
It is my soul that calls upon my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears.
JULIET
Romeo.
ROMEO
My nyas?
JULIET
What o’clock tomorrow
Shall I send to ?
ROMEO
By the hour of nine.
JULIET
I will not fail. twenty years till then.
I have forgot why I did call back.
ROMEO
Let me stand here till remember it.
JULIET
I shall forget, to have still stand there,
Remembering how I love company.
ROMEO
And I’ll still stay, to have still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.
JULIET
almost morning; I would have gone,
And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird,
That lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
So loving-jealous of his liberty.
ROMEO
I would I were bird.
JULIET
Sweet, so would I:
Yet I should kill with much cherishing.
Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
ROMEO
Sleep dwell upon eyes, peace in breast.
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest.
will I to my ghostly Sire’s cell,
His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.