ROMEO.
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
JULIET.
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
ROMEO.
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
JULIET.
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
ROMEO.
Then move not while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purg'd.
[Kissing her.]
JULIET.
Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
ROMEO.
Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd!
Give me my sin again.
JULIET.
You kiss by the book.
NURSE.
Madam, your mother craves a word with you.
ROMEO.
What is her mother?
NURSE.
Marry, bachelor,
Her mother is the lady of the house.
And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous:
I nurs'd her daughter that you talk'd withal;
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks.
ROMEO.
Is she a Capulet?
O dear account! my life is my foe's debt.
BENVOLIO.
Away, be gone; the sport is at the best.
ROMEO.
Ay, so I fear; the more is my unrest.
CAPULET.
Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone;
We have a trifling foolish banquet towards. —
Is it e'en so? why then, I thank you all;
I thank you, honest gentlemen; good-night. —
More torches here! — Come on then, let's to bed.
Ah, sirrah [to 2 Capulet], by my fay, it waxes late;
I'll to my rest.
[Exeunt all but Juliet and Nurse.]
JULIET.
Come hither, nurse. What is yond gentleman?
NURSE.
The son and heir of old Tiberio.
JULIET.
What's he that now is going out of door?
NURSE.
Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio.
JULIET.
What's he that follows there, that would not dance?
NURSE.
I know not.
JULIET.
Go ask his name: if he be married,
My grave is like to be my wedding-bed.
NURSE.
His name is Romeo, and a Montague;
The only son of your great enemy.
JULIET.
My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy.
NURSE.
What's this? What's this?
JULIET.
A rhyme I learn'd even now
Of one I danc'd withal.
[One calls within, 'Juliet.']
NURSE.
Anon, anon!
Come, let's away; the strangers all are gone.
[Exeunt.]
Glossary
trencher a wooden board or platter on which to carve or serve meat.
marchpane marzipan, a confection of ground almonds, sugar, and egg white made into a paste and variously shaped and colored.
visor mask.
Pentecost a religious festival, the seventh Sunday after Easter.
antic face Romeo's face is still covered by his mask.
to fleer to laugh derisively (at); sneer or jeer (at).
portly dignified or well-mannered.
disparagement disrespect.
an ill-beseeming semblance an unfitting or inappropriate outward appearance or aspect.
set cock-a-hoop be boastful or conceited. Capulet is concerned that Tybalt's anger and lack of restraint will spoil the feast.
princox a coxcomb; fop. Capulet is keen to belittle Tybalt and force him to submit to his will as head of the household.
bitt'rest gall bitter feeling; rancor. Gall is another name for bile, one of the bodily humors (that is, bodily fluids thought to be responsible for one's health and disposition).
holy palmers' kiss a palmer is a pilgrim who carried a palm leaf to signify the making of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. For Romeo, love is likened to a religious quest.
you kiss by th'book that is, according to convention.
marry an exclamation of surprise. "Marry" is a respelling of (the Virgin) "Mary."
the chinks plenty of cash.
fay faith: used in oaths as here.
prodigious both wonderful and portentous.
