ACT II SCENE II

Romeo and Juliet

ACT II SCENE II	Capulet’s orchard.
[Enter ROMEO]
ROMEO	He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
[JULIET appears above at a window]
	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,	5
	That thou 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!	10
	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, ’tis not to me she speaks:
	Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,	15
	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 doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven	20
	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!	25
JULIET	Ay me!
ROMEO	She speaks:
	O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
	As glorious to this night, being o’er my head
	As is a winged messenger of heaven	30
	Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
	Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
	When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
	And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET	O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?	35
	Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
	Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
	And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO	[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET	‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy;	40
	Thou 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	45
	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 thy name,
	And for that name which is no part of thee	50
	Take all myself.
ROMEO	I take thee at thy word:
	Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized;
	Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET	What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night	55
	So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO	By a name
	I know not how to tell thee who I am:
	My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
	Because it is an enemy to thee;	60
	Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET	My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
	Of that tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound:
	Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
ROMEO	Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.	65
JULIET	How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
	The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
	And the place death, considering who thou art,
	If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
ROMEO	With love’s light wings did I o’er-perch these walls;	70
	For stony limits cannot hold love out,
	And what love can do that dares love attempt;
	Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.
JULIET	If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
ROMEO	Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye	75
	Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet,
	And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET	I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO	I have night’s cloak to hide me from their sight;
	And but thou love me, let them find me here:	80
	My life were better ended by their hate,
	Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
JULIET	By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
ROMEO	By love, who first did prompt me to inquire;
	He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes.	85
	I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
	As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,
	I would adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET	Thou know’st the mask of night is on my face,
	Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek	90
	For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night
	Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
	What I have spoke: but farewell compliment!
	Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say ‘Ay,’
	And I will take thy word: yet if thou swear’st,	95
	Thou mayst prove false; at lovers’ perjuries
	Then say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
	If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully:
	Or if thou think’st I am too quickly won,
	I’ll frown and be perverse an say thee nay,	100
	So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
	In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
	And therefore thou mayst think my ‘havior light:
	But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
	Than those that have more cunning to be strange.	105
	I should have been more strange, I must confess,
	But that thou overheard’st, ere I was ware,
	My true love’s passion: therefore pardon me,
	And not impute this yielding to light love,
	Which the dark night hath so discovered.	110
ROMEO	Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
	That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops–
JULIET	O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
	That monthly changes in her circled orb,
	Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.	115
ROMEO	What shall I swear by?
JULIET	Do not swear at all;
	Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
	Which is the god of my idolatry,
	And I’ll believe thee.	120
ROMEO	If my heart’s dear love–
JULIET	Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee,
	I have no joy of this contract to-night:
	It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
	Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be	125
	Ere 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 thy heart as that within my breast!	130
ROMEO	O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET	What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?
ROMEO	The exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.
JULIET	I gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
	And yet I would it were to give again.	135
ROMEO	Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love?
JULIET	But to be frank, and give it thee 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 thee,	140
	The more I have, for both are infinite.
[Nurse calls within]
	I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
	Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
	Stay but a little, I will come again.
[Exit, above]
ROMEO	O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard.	145
	Being in night, all this is but a dream,
	Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.
[Re-enter JULIET, above]
JULIET	Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
	If that thy bent of love be honourable,
	Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow,	150
	By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
	Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
	And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
	And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
Nurse	[Within] Madam!	155
JULIET	I come, anon.–But if thou mean’st not well,
	I do beseech thee–
Nurse	[Within] Madam!
JULIET	By and by, I come:–
	To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief:	160
	To-morrow will I send.
ROMEO	So thrive my soul–
JULIET	A thousand times good night!
[Exit, above]
ROMEO	A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
	Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from	165
	their books,
	But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
[Retiring]
[Re-enter JULIET, above]
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;	170
	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,	175
	Like softest music to attending ears!
JULIET	Romeo!
ROMEO	My dear?
JULIET	At what o’clock to-morrow
	Shall I send to thee?	180
ROMEO	At the hour of nine.
JULIET	I will not fail: ’tis twenty years till then.
	I have forgot why I did call thee back.
ROMEO	Let me stand here till thou remember it.
JULIET	I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,	185
	Remembering how I love thy company.
ROMEO	And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
	Forgetting any other home but this.
JULIET	‘Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:
	And yet no further than a wanton’s bird;	190
	Who 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 thy bird.	195
JULIET	Sweet, so would I:
	Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
	Good night, good night! parting is such
	sweet sorrow,
	That I shall say good night till it be morrow.	200
[Exit above]
ROMEO	Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
	Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!
	Hence will I to my ghostly father’s cell,
	His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
[Exit]

Next: Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 3