Act I, Scene 2

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 lived at odds so long. 275
  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 pride, 280
  Ere 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 swallow'd all my hopes but she,
  She is the hopeful lady of my earth: 285
  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, 290
  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 night
  Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light: 295
  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; hear all, all see, 300
  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.
  [To Servant, giving a paper] 305
  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.

[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 last, the fisher with
  his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am
  sent to find those persons whose names are here 315
  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; 320
  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 plaintain-leaf is excellent for that. 325

• 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 mad-man is;
  Shut up in prison, kept without my food, 330
  Whipp'd and tormented and—God-den, good fellow.

• Servant. God gi' god-den. 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 any thing you see? 335

• Romeo. Ay, if I know the letters and the language.

• Servant. Ye say honestly: rest you merry!

• Romeo. Stay, fellow; I can read.
  [Reads]
  'Signior Martino and his wife and daughters; 340
  County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady
  widow of Vitravio; Signior Placentio and his lovely
  nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine
  uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair niece
  Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin 345
  Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena.' A fair
  assembly: whither should they come?

• Servant. Up.

• Romeo. Whither?

• Servant. To supper; to our house. 350

• 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 355
  of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine.
  Rest you merry!

[Exit]

• Benvolio. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
  Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest, 360
  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 eye 365
  Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
  And these, who often drown'd could never die,
  Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
  One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun
  Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun. 370

• Benvolio. Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
  Herself poised with herself in either eye:
  But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
  Your lady's love against some other maid
  That I will show you shining at this feast, 375
  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 splendor of mine own.

[Exeunt]