Bal. No, my good lord.
Rom. No matter; get thee gone, 32
And hire those horses: I'll be with thee straight.
Exit Man.
Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee to-night.
Let's see for means: O mischief! thou art swift
To enter in the thoughts of desperate men. 36
I do remember an apothecary,
And hereabouts he dwells, which late I noted
In tatter'd weeds, with overwhelming brows,
Culling of simples; meagre were his looks, 40
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones:
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,
An alligator stuff'd, and other skins
Of ill-shap'd fishes; and about his shelves 44
A beggarly account of empty boxes,
Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds,
Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of roses,
Were thinly scatter'd, to make up a show. 48
Noting this penury, to myself I said:
An if a man did need a poison now,
Whose sale is present death in Mantua,
Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him. 52
O! this same thought did but fore-run my need,
And this same needy man must sell it me.
As I remember, this should be the house:
Being holiday, the beggar's shop is shut. 56
What, ho! apothecary!
Enter Apothecary.
Ap. Who calls so loud?
Rom. Come hither, man. I see that thou art poor;
39 weeds: garments
overwhelming: overhanging
40 simples: medicinal herbs
45 beggarly account, etc.; cf. n.
47 cakes of roses: solid perfume from rose-petals
52 caitiff: miserable
