Table of Contents

Scene III. Friar Laurence's cell.

Enter Friar, [Laurence] alone, with a basket.

  Friar. The grey-ey'd morn smiles on the frowning night,     Check'ring the Eastern clouds with streaks of light;     And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels     From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels.     Non, ere the sun advance his burning eye     The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,     I must up-fill this osier cage of ours     With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.     The earth that's nature's mother is her tomb.     What is her burying gave, that is her womb;     And from her womb children of divers kind     We sucking on her natural bosom find;     Many for many virtues excellent,     None but for some, and yet all different.     O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies     In plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities;     For naught so vile that on the earth doth live     But to the earth some special good doth give;     Nor aught so good but, strain'd from that fair use,     Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.     Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,     And vice sometime's by action dignified.     Within the infant rind of this small flower     Poison hath residence, and medicine power;     For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;     Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.     Two such opposed kings encamp them still     In man as well as herbs- grace and rude will;     And where the worser is predominant,     Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.

                    Enter Romeo.

Rom. Good morrow, father.

  Friar. Benedicite!     What early tongue so sweet saluteth me?     Young son, it argues a distempered head     So soon to bid good morrow to thy bed.     Care keeps his watch in every old man's eye,     And where care lodges sleep will never lie;     But where unbruised youth with unstuff'd brain     Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign.     Therefore thy earliness doth me assure     Thou art uprous'd with some distemp'rature;     Or if not so, then here I hit it right-     Our Romeo hath not been in bed to-night.

Rom. That last is true-the sweeter rest was mine.

Friar. God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline?

  Rom. With Rosaline, my ghostly father? No.     I have forgot that name, and that name's woe.

Friar. That's my good son! But where hast thou been then?

  Rom. I'll tell thee ere thou ask it me again.     I have been feasting with mine enemy,     Where on a sudden one hath wounded me     That's by me wounded. Both our remedies     Within thy help and holy physic lies.     I bear no hatred, blessed man, for, lo,     My intercession likewise steads my foe.

  Friar. Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift     Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift.

  Rom. Then plainly know my heart's dear love is set     On the fair daughter of rich Capulet;     As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine,     And all combin'd, save what thou must combine     By holy marriage. When, and where, and how     We met, we woo'd, and made exchange of vow,     I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray,     That thou consent to marry us to-day.

  Friar. Holy Saint Francis! What a change is here!     Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear,     So soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies     Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.     Jesu Maria! What a deal of brine     Hath wash'd thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline!     How much salt water thrown away in waste,     To season love, that of it doth not taste!     The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears,     Thy old groans ring yet in mine ancient ears.     Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit     Of an old tear that is not wash'd off yet.     If e'er thou wast thyself, and these woes thine,     Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline.     And art thou chang'd? Pronounce this sentence then:     Women may fall when there's no strength in men.

Rom. Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline.

Friar. For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.

Rom. And bad'st me bury love.

  Friar. Not in a grave     To lay one in, another out to have.

  Rom. I pray thee chide not. She whom I love now     Doth grace for grace and love for love allow.     The other did not so.

  Friar. O, she knew well     Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell.     But come, young waverer, come go with me.     In one respect I'll thy assistant be;     For this alliance may so happy prove     To turn your households' rancour to pure love.

Rom. O, let us hence! I stand on sudden haste.

  Friar. Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.                                                          Exeunt.