1    He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
JULIET appears above at a window
2    But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
3    It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
4    Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
5    Who is already sick and pale with grief,
6    That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
7    Be not her maid, since she is envious;
8    Her vestal livery is but sick and green
9    And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
10   It is my lady, O, it is my love!
11   O, that she knew she were!
12   She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
13   Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
14   I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
15   Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
16   Having some business, do entreat her eyes
17   To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
18   What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
19   The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
20   As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
21   Would through the airy region stream so bright
22   That birds would sing and think it were not night.
23   See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
24   O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
25   That I might touch that cheek!

26   Ay me!

27   She speaks:
28   O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
29   As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
30   As is a winged messenger of heaven
31   Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
32   Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
33   When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
34   And sails upon the bosom of the air.

35   O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
36   Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
37   Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
38   And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Aside
39    Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

40   'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
41   Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
42   What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
43   Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
44   Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
45   What's in a name? that which we call a rose
46   By any other name would smell as sweet;
47   So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
48   Retain that dear perfection which he owes
49   Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
50   And for that name which is no part of thee
51   Take all myself.

52   I take thee at thy word:
53   Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
54   Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

55   What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
56   So stumblest on my counsel?

57   By a name
58   I know not how to tell thee who I am:
59   My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
60   Because it is an enemy to thee;
61   Had I it written, I would tear the word.

62   My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
63   Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:
64   Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?

65   Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.

66   How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
67   The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
68   And the place death, considering who thou art,
69   If any of my kinsmen find thee here.

70   With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
71   For stony limits cannot hold love out,
72   And what love can do that dares love attempt;
73   Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.

74   If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

75   Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
76   Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet,
77   And I am proof against their enmity.

78   I would not for the world they saw thee here.

79   I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;
80   And but thou love me, let them find me here:
81   My life were better ended by their hate,
82   Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

83   By whose direction found'st thou out this place?

84   By love, who first did prompt me to inquire;
85   He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes.
86   I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
87   As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea,
88   I would adventure for such merchandise.

89   Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,
90   Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
91   For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night
92   Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
93   What I have spoke: but farewell compliment!
94   Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,'
95   And I will take thy word: yet if thou swear'st,
96   Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries
97   Then say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
98   If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully:
99   Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
100  I'll frown and be perverse an say thee nay,
101  So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
102  In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
103  And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light:
104  But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
105  Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
106  I should have been more strange, I must confess,
107  But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware,
108  My true love's passion: therefore pardon me,
109  And not impute this yielding to light love,
110  Which the dark night hath so discovered.

111  Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
112  That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops--

113  O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
114  That monthly changes in her circled orb,
115  Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

116  What shall I swear by?

117  Do not swear at all;
118  Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
119  Which is the god of my idolatry,
120  And I'll believe thee.

121  If my heart's dear love--

122  Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee,
123  I have no joy of this contract to-night:
124  It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
125  Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
126  Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night!
127  This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
128  May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
129  Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest
130  Come to thy heart as that within my breast!

131  O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

132  What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?

133  The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.

134  I gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
135  And yet I would it were to give again.

136  Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love?

137  But to be frank, and give it thee again.
138  And yet I wish but for the thing I have:
139  My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
140  My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
141  The more I have, for both are infinite.
Nurse calls within
142  I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
143  Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
144  Stay but a little, I will come again.

145  O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard.
146  Being in night, all this is but a dream,
147  Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.

148  Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
149  If that thy bent of love be honourable,
150  Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow,
151  By one that I'll procure to come to thee,
152  Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
153  And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay
154  And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

Within
155   Madam!

156  I come, anon.--But if thou mean'st not well,
157  I do beseech thee--

Within
158   Madam!

159  By and by, I come:--
160  To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief:
161  To-morrow will I send.

162  So thrive my soul--

163  A thousand times good night!

164  A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
165  Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from
166  their books,
167  But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.

168  Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice,
169  To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
170  Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud;
171  Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
172  And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine,
173  With repetition of my Romeo's name.

174  It is my soul that calls upon my name:
175  How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night,
176  Like softest music to attending ears!

177  Romeo!

178  My dear?

179  At what o'clock to-morrow
180  Shall I send to thee?

181  At the hour of nine.

182  I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then.
183  I have forgot why I did call thee back.

184  Let me stand here till thou remember it.

185  I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
186  Remembering how I love thy company.

187  And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,
188  Forgetting any other home but this.

189  'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:
190  And yet no further than a wanton's bird;
191  Who lets it hop a little from her hand,
192  Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
193  And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
194  So loving-jealous of his liberty.

195  I would I were thy bird.

196  Sweet, so would I:
197  Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
198  Good night, good night! parting is such
199  sweet sorrow,
200  That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

201  Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
202  Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!
203  Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell,
204  His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.