The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (Dowden)/Act 3/Scene 4

SCENE IV. The Same. A room in Capulet's house.^{[C 1]}

Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Paris. ^{[C 2]}

Cap.	Things have fall'n out, sir, so unluckily, That we have had no time to move our daughter: Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly, And so did I: well, we were born to die. 'Tis very late, she'll not come down to-night:5 I promise you, but for your company, I would have been a-bed an hour ago.

Par.	These times of woe afford no time[C 3] to woo. Madam, good night: commend me to your daughter.

Lady Cap.

I will, and know her mind early to-morrow;10 To-night she's[C 4] mew'd up[E 1] to her heaviness.

Cap.

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender[E 2] Of my child's love: I think she will be ruled In all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not.— Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed;15 Acquaint her here of[C 5] my son Paris' love, And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next—[C 6] But, soft! what day is this?

Par.	But, soft! what day is this? Monday, my lord.

Cap.

Monday! ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon; O' Thursday let it be:—o'[C 7] Thursday, tell her,20 She shall be married to this noble earl. Will you be ready? do you like this haste? We'll[E 3] keep[C 8] no great ado; a friend or two; For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late, It may be thought we held him carelessly,25 Being our kinsman, if we revel much. Therefore we'll have some half a dozen friends, And there an end.—But what say you to Thursday?

Par.	My lord, I would that Thursday were to-morrow.

Cap.	Well, get you gone: o'[C 9] Thursday be it then.—30 Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed, Prepare her, wife, against this wedding-day.— Farewell, my lord.—Light to my chamber, ho! Afore me,[E 4] it is so very very late, That we may call it early by and by:[C 10][E 5]—35 Good night.[Exeunt.

Critical notes

1. A room …] Capell.
2. Enter …] Rowe.
3. 8. time] Q 1; times Q, F.
4. 11. she's] Q, she is F.
5. 16. here of] Q 4; here, of Q, F; hereof, Q 3; here with Q 5.
6. 17. next—] Rowe; next, Q, F.
7. 20. O' … o] Capell; A … a Q, F.
8. 23. We'll keep] F, Well, keepe Q.
9. 30. o'] Capell; a Q, F.
10. 34, 35. Afore … by and by] Q 1, Afore … so very late … by and by Q, Afore … so late … by and by F.

Explanatory notes

1. 11. mew'd up] shut up, as in Richard III. I. i. 38. Mew, originally a cage; afterwards, as stated in R. Holmes, Academy of Armory and Blazon, "the place … in which the hawk is put during the time she casts … her feathers." The oldest meaning of the French word is to moult.
2. 12. desperate tender] bold, or adventurous, offer. Steevens cites from The Weakest goeth to the Wall, 1600: "Witness this desperate tender of mine honour."
3. 23. We'll] Mommsen argues in favour of Q Well, supposing that Capulet here replies to a gesture of horror, made by his wife at the suggestion that she can be so soon ready.
4. 34. Afore me] i.e. God before me (Dyce), in the presence of God, as in Pericles, II. i. 84: "Now, afore me, a handsome fellow." Or may it not be corrupted from "Afore my God"? Here it is possible that the words are an instruction to the light-bearer to carry the light before Capulet, or to Paris to take precedence in leaving the room.
5. 35. by and by] presently, immediately, as in II. ii. 151.