La. Cap. Verona's fummer hath not such a flower.
Nurse. Nay he's a flower, in faith a very flower. ‡
La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?
Jul. I'll look to like, if looking liking move.
But no more deep will I ingage mine eye,
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

Enter a Servant.

Ser. Madam, the guests are come, supper serv'd up, you call'd, my young lady ask'd for, the nurse curft in the pantry, and every thing in extremity; I must hence to wait, I beseech you follow.* [Exeunt.

SCENE V.

Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or fix
other maskers, torch-bearers.

Rom. What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse?
Or fhall we on without apology?

Ben. The date is out of fuch prolixity.
We'll have no Cupid hood-wink'd with a scarf,
Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath,
Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper.
† Nor a without-book prologue faintly spoke
After the prompter, for our enterance.
But let them measure us by what they will,
We'll measure them a measure, and be gone.
Rom. Give me a torch, I am not for this ambling.
Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.

+ In the common editions here follows a ridiculous Speech, which is entirely added fince the firft.

*

I beseech you follow.

La. Cap. We follow thee. Juliet, the county ftays.
Nurfe. Go, girl, feek happy nights to happy days.

The two following lines are inferted from the first edition.
Kk 2

Rom.

Rom. Not I, believe me; you have dancing fhoes
With nimble foles, I have a foul of lead,

So ftakes me to the ground I cannot move. †
Mer. Give me a cafe to put my visage in,
A visor for a vifor; what care I

What curious eye doth quote deformities,
Here are the beetle-brows fhall blush for me.

Rom. A torch for me. Let wantons, light of heart,
Tickle the fenfelefs rufhes with their heels;
For I am proverb'd with a grand-fire phrafe;
I'll be a candle-holder, and look on.
I dreamt a dream to-night.

Mer. And fo did I.

Rom. Well; what was yours?

Mer. That dreamers often lie.

Rom. In bed afleep; while they do dream things true.
Mer. O then I fee queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies mid-wife, and she comes

In fhape no bigger than an agat-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies,

• Athwart mens noses as they lye asleep:

+ Other lines follow here which are not to be found in the first edition.

*

-and look on,

The game was ne'er fo fair, and I am done.

Mer. Tut, dun's the moufe, the conftable's own word;

If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire;

Or, fave your reverence, love, wherein thou ftickeft

Up to the ears: come, we burn day-light, ho.

Rom. Nay, that's not fo.

Mer. I mean, Sir, we delay.

We burn our lights by night, like lamps by day. [ed. 1.]

Take our good meaning, for our judgment fits

Five times a day, ere once in her right wits. [ed. 1]

Rom. And we mean well in going to this mask
But 'tis no wit to go.

Mer. Why, may one ask?
Rom. I dreamt a dream, &.

3.

1

• Her

"Her waggon-fpokes made of long fpinners legs;
The cover, of the wings of grafhoppers;
The traces, of the smallest spider's web;
The collars, of the moonshine's watry beams;
. Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lash, of film;

Her waggoner a small grey-coated gnat,
. Not half fo big as a round little worm,
Prickt from the lazy finger of a maid.
. Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut,
< Made by the joyner squirrel or old grub,
<Time out of mind the fairies coach-makers :
• And in this state she gallops night by night,

Through lovers brains, and then they dream of love: 'On courtiers knees, that dream on curtfies ftrait: 'O'er lawyers fingers, who ftrait dream on fees: ‹ O'er ladies lips, who strait on kisses dream, • Which oft the angry Mab with blifters plagues, Because their breaths with fweet-meats tainted are. • Sometimes fhe gallops o'er a 'lawyer's nofe, And then dreams he of fmelling out a fuit:

And fometimes comes the with a tith-pig's tail,
Tickling a parfon as he lies asleep;

'Then dreams he of another benefice.

• Sometimes she driveth o'er a foldier's neck,
• And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,
• Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon
'Drums in his ears, at which he starts and wakes,
And being thus frighted, fwears a prayer or two,
And fleeps again. This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horses in the night,
And & cakes the elf-locks in foul fluttish hairs,

This is the hag, when maids lye on their backs,
That preffes them, and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage:
"This is fhe

Rom. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace;
Thou talk'st of nothing.

Mer. True, I talk of dreams;
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing, but vain phantafie,
Which is as thin of fubftance as the air,
And more unconftant than the wind; who wooes
Ev'n now the frozen bosom of the north,
And being anger'd puffs away from thence,
Turning his face to the dew-dropping fouth.

Ben. This wind you talk of blows us from our felves;
Supper is done, and we shall come too late.
Rom. I fear too early; for my mind mifgives
Some confequence, ftill hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date

With this night's revels; and expire the term
Of a despised life clos'd in my breast,

By fome vile forfeit of untimely death.
But he that hath the steerage of my course,

Direct my fuit! On, lufty gentlemen.

Ben. Strike, drum.

They march about the flage, and Servants come forth
with their napkins.

1 Ser. Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away?

he fhift a trencher! he fcrape a trencher!

2 Ser. When good manners fhall lye all in one or two mens hands, and they unwash'd too, 'tis a foul thing.

Ser. Away with the joint-ftools, remove the court-cup-board,

look

look to the plate: good thou, save me a peice of march-pane; and as thou lovest me, let the porter let in Sufan Grindstone, and Nell, Anthony, and Potpan.

2 Ser. Ay, boy, ready.

1 Ser. You are look'd for, call'd for, ask'd for, and fought for, in the great chamber.

2 Ser. We cannot be here and there too; chearly boys; be brisk a while, and the longer liver take all.

SCENE VI.

Enter all the guests and ladies to the maskers.

i

[Exeunt.

Ladies that have

your feet

1 Cap. Welcome gentlemen.
Unplagu'd with corns, we'll have a bout with you.
Ah me, my mistresses, which of you all

Will now deny to dance? fhe that makes dainty
I'll fwear hath corns; am I come near ye now?
Welcome all gentlemen, I've seen the day
That I have worn a vifor, and could tell

A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,

Such as would please: 'tis gone; 'tis gone; 'tis gone!

[Mufick plays, and they dance.

More light ye knaves, and turn the tables up;
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah, Sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.
Nay fit, nay fit, good coufin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days:
How long is't now fince last your self and I
Were in a mask?

2 Cap. By'r lady, thirty years.

1 Cap. What, man! 'tis not so much, 'tis not fo much; 'Tis fince the nuptial of Lucentio,

Come Pentecoft as quickly as it will,