PROLOGUE. 'CHORUS'. Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Do, with their death', bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. 1 Chorus.] No doubt, as Malone suggested, the insertion of "Chorus" under the word "Prologue,” indicates that it was spoken by the same performer who delivered the chorus at the end of Act i. Malone subjoined the Prologue as it is given in the quarto, 1597, but with just as many variations as lines. It runs literatim thus: "Two household Frends, alike in dignitie, (In faire Verona, where we lay our Scene,) Whose civil warre makes civill hands vncleane. A paire of starre-crost Lovers tooke their life; (Through the continuing of their Fathers strife, What here we want, wee'l studie to amend." 2 Do, with their death,] The quarto, 1599, "Doth," &c.; a grammatical error, not corrected in subsequent editions. ROMEO AND JULIET. ACT I. SCENE I. A public Place. Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, armed with Swords and Bucklers'. Sam. Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals'. Gre. No, for then we should be colliers. Sam. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. Gre. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar. Sam. I strike quickly, being moved. Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to strike. Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves me. Gre. To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand; therefore, if thou art moved, thou run'st away3. Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to stand. 1 armed with Swords and Bucklers.] The old copies add the information that they were " of the house of Capulet." 2 we'll not carry coals.] Numberless authorities might be produced to show that "to carry coals" formerly meant to bear injuries. The quarto, 1597, opens the tragedy thus: "1. Gregory, of my word, I'll carry no coals. 2. No, for if you do, you should be a collier. 1. If I be in choler, I'll draw. 2. Ever, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar." The quarto, 1599, omits "the" before "collar :" "the" is twice repeated in the quarto, 1597. 3 thou run'st away.] This speech is thus given in the quarto, 1597 :— "To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand to it; therefore (of my word) if thou be mov'd, thou'lt run away." I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's. Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall. Sam. "Tis true; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall:-therefore, I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall. Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men. Sam. "Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be civil with the maids1; I will cut off their heads. Gre. The heads of the maids? Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel it3. Sam. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand; and, 'tis known, I am a pretty piece of flesh. Gre. 'Tis well, thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John". John". Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Montagues'. Enter ABRAM and BALTHASAR. Sam. My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee. Gre. How! turn thy back, and run? Sam. Fear me not. Gre. No marry: I fear thee! 4 I will be CIVIL with the maids ;] The quarto, 1597, has not the word; but the quartos, 1599 and 1609, together with the folio, 1623, have "civil." It was perhaps a misprint for cruel, as the undated edition gives it; but Sampson may mean to speak ironically. 5 They must take it IN sense, that feel it.] Here we necessarily resort to the quarto, 1597, for the word "in," which is omitted in subsequent impressions. In Sampson's reply in the same edition, he asserts, "I am a tall piece of flesh;" but Boswell misinforms us that he says, "I am a ball." Tall means bold, courageous. See Vol. iii. p. 330; Vol. iv. p. 484, &c. 6 -- poor John.] Dried and salted hake was frequently so called. 7 TWO of the house of the Montagues.] So the quarto, 1597: that of 1599, and the subsequent impressions made from it, omit "two." Sam. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin. Gre. I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list. Sam. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it3. Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sam. I do bite my thumb, sir. Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sam. Is the law of our side, if I say-ay? Gre. No. Sam. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite my thumb, sir. Gre. Do you quarrel, sir? Abr. Quarrel, sir? no, sir. Sam. If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you. Abr. No better. Sam. Well, sir. Enter BENVOLIO, at a Distance. Gre. Say-better: here comes one of my master's kinsmen'. Sam. Yes, better, sir. Abr. You lie. Sam. Draw, if you be men.-Gregory, remember thy swashing blow'. [They fight. 8 which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.] Malone quoted the following passage in point, from Dekker's "Dead Term," 4to, 1608, where he is adverting to the persons who visited the walks in St. Paul's church :-"What swearing is there, what shouldering, what justling, what jeering, what biting of thumbs to beget quarrels." In the quarto, 1597, the 1 Serving-man says, “I'll tell thee what I'll do: as I go by I'll bite my thumb, which is disgrace enough, if they suffer it." 9 Say-better here comes one of my master's kinsmen.] The quarto, 1597, reads, "Say ay: here comes my master's kinsman." It is immediately followed by the subsequent stage-direction, which is all that is there found until the entrance of "the Prince with his Train" 66 They draw to them enters Tybalt. They fight to them the Prince, old Montague and his Wife; old Capulet and his Wife, and other Citizens, and part them." 1 1 remember thy sWASHING blow.] We have had "swashing" in " As You Ben. Part, fools! put up your swords; you know not what you do. [Beats down their Swords. Enter TYBALT. Tyb. What! art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death. Ben. I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me. Tyb. What! drawn, and talk of peace?? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward. [They fight. Enter several persons of both Houses, who join the Fray ; then enter Citizens, with Clubs or Partisans. 1 Cit. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down! Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues! Enter CAPULET, in his Gown; and Lady CAPULET. Cap. What noise is this?-Give me my long sword, ho! La. Cap. A crutch, a crutch!-Why call you for a sword? Cap. My sword, I say!-Old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me. Enter MONTAGUE and Lady MONTAGUE. Mon. Thou villain Capulet!-Hold me not; let me go. Like It," Vol. iii. p. 26, "We'll have a swashing and a martial outside." Barret in his "Alvearie," 1580, states that "to swash is to make a noise with swords against targets." Ben Jonson also, in his "Staple of News," speaks of "a swashing blow," which is evidently the right word, though the quartos, 1597, 1599, 1609, and all the folios, have washing. The undated quarto, "swashing." 2 What! DRAWN, and talk of peace ?] All the quartos have "drawn:" the folios, draw. |