## The Prologue

### CHORUS.

Two households both alike in dignitie,
(In faire Verona where we lay our Scene)
From ancient grudge, breake to new mutinie.
Where ciuill bloud makes ciuill hands uncleane:
From forth the fatall loynes of these two foes,
A paire of Starre-croft louers take their life:
Whose misaduentur'd pittious ouerthrowes,
Doth with their Death burie their Parents strife.
The fearefull passage of their Death-markt loue,
And the continuance of their Parents rage,
Which but their childrens end,nought could remoue:
Is now the two hours trafficke of our Stage.
Thewhich if you with patient eares attend,
What here shall misse, our toyle shall striue to mend.

# THE MOST EXCEL-
LENT AND LAMENTABLE
Tragedie of ROMEO and
IVLIET.

Enter Sampson and Gregorie, with Swords and Bucklers,
of the House of Capulet.

Samp. Gregorie, on my word weele not carie Coles.

Greg. No, for then we should be Collyers.

Samp. I meane, and we be in choller, weele draw.

Greg. I while you liue, drawe your Necke out of the Coller.

Samp. I strike quickly being moued.

Greg. But thou art not quickly moued to strike.

Samp. A dogge of the house of Mountague moues me.

Greg. To moue is to stirre, and to be valiant, is to stand,
Therefore if thou art moued thou run't away.

Samp. A dog of that house shall moue me to stand.

I will take the wall of any Man or Maide of Mountague.

Greg. That shewes thee a weake slaue, for the weakest goes to the wall.

Samp. Tis true, and therefore women being the weaker
vessels are guer thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Mount-
agues men from the wall, and thrust his Maides to the wall.

Greg. The quarrell is betweene our masters, & vi their men.

Samp. Tis all one I will shew my felte a tyrant, when I haue
sought with the men, I will be cruell with the Maides, I will cut
off their Heads.

Grego. The heads of the Maides.

A 2

Samp.