R&J Scene 2

Benvolio

Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

And the rank poison of the old will die.

Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.

BENVOLIO

For what, I pray thee?

For your broken shin.

BENVOLIO

Why, Romeo, art thou mad?

Not mad, but bound more than a mad-man is;

Shut up in prison, kept without my food,

Whipp'd and tormented and--God-den, good fellow.

GEORGIA

God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read?

Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.

GEORGIA

Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I

pray, can you read anything you see?

Ay, if I know the letters and the language.

GEORGIA

Ye say honestly: rest you merry!

Stay, fellow; I can read.

[Reads the letter]

“Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;

County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady

widow of Vitravio; Signior Placentio and his lovely

nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine

uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair niece

Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin

Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena.” A fair 

assembly. Whither should they come?

GEORGIA

Up.

Whither?

GEORGIA

To supper; to our house.

Whose house?

GEORGIA

My master's.

Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before.

BENVOLIO

And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

When the devout religion of mine eye

Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;

And these, who often drown'd could never die,

Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!

One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun

Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.

BENVOLIO
That I will show you shining at this feast,

And she shall scant show well that now shows best.

I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,

But to rejoice in splendor of my own.