Thou hadst the strength of will to slay thyself; | Jul. O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, 24 From off the battlements of yonder tower; Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk Where serpents are; chain me with roaring Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house, [bears; O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's rattling bones, With reeky shanks, and yellow chapless sculls; And I will do it without fear or doubt, Fri. Hold, then; go home, be merry, give consent To marry Paris: Wednesday is to-morrow; death: comes And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death Jul. Give me, O give me! tell me not of fear. Fri. Hold; get you gone, be strong and prosperous In this resolve: I'll send a friar with speed Farewell, dear father. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Room in CAPULET'S House. Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, NURSE, and SERVANTS. Cap. So many guests invite as here are writ.[Exit SERVANT. Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks. 2 Serv. You shall have none ill, Sir; for I'll try if they can lick their fingers. Cap. How canst thou try them so? 2 Serv. Marry, Sir, 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers: therefore he, that cannot lick his fingers, goes not with me. Cup. Go, begone.[Exit SERVANT. We shall be much unfurnish'd for this time.What, is my daughter gone to friar Laurence? Nurse. Ay, forsooth. Cap. Well, he may chance to do some good on her: A peevish self-will'd harlotry it is. Nurse. See, where she comes from shrift* with merry look. Cap. How now, my headstrong? where have you been gadding? Jul. Where I have learn'd me to repent the Of disobedient opposition [sin To you, and your behests ;† and am enjoin'd By holy Laurence to fall prostrate here, And beg your pardon :-Pardon, I beseech Henceforward I'am ever rul'd by you. [you! Cap. Send for the county; go tell him of this; [ing. I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow mornJul. I met the youthful lord at Laurence' cell; And gave him what becomed‡ love I might, Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty. Cap. Why, I am glad on't; this is well,stand up: [ty; This is as't should be.-Let me see the counAy, marry, go, I say, and fetch him hither.-Now, afore God, this reverend holy friar, All our whole city is much bound to him. Jul. Nurse, will you go with me into my closet, To help me sort such needful ornaments Cap. Go, nurse, go with her:-we'll to church to-morrow. [Exeunt JULIET and NURSE. La. Cap. We shall be short in our provision; 'Tis now near night. Cap. Tush! I will stir about, [wife: And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her; I'll not to bed to-night;-let me alone; [ho!I'll play the housewife for this once.--What, They are all forth: Well, I will walk myself To county Paris, to prepare him up [light, Against to-morrow: my heart is wondrous Since this same wayward girl is so reclaim'd. [Exeunt. SCENE III-JULIET'S Chamber. Enter JULIET and NURSE. Jul. Ay, those attires are best:-But, gentle nurse, I pray thee, leave me to myself to-night; To move the heavens to smile upon my state, Which, well thou know'st, is cross and full of sin. Enter LADY CAPULET. La. Cap. What, are you busy? do you need my help? Jul. No, madam; we have cull'd such necessaries As are behoveful for our state to-morrow: * Confession. ↑ Becoming. ↑ Commands J Prayers. 898 La. Cap. Good night! I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins, My dismal scene I needs must act alone.- What if this mixture do not work at all? What if it be a poison, which the friar To whose foul mouth no healthsome air And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? say, At some hours in the night spirits resort;- So early waking,-what with loathsome smells; That living mortals, hearing them, run mad ;*— [She throws herself on the Bed. Nurse. They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.t Enter CAPUlet. Cap. Come, stir, stir, stir! the second cock hath crow'd, The curfeu bell hath wrung, 'tis three o'clock:- Nurse. Go, go, you cot-quean, go, The fabulous accounts of the plant called a mandrake Enter SERVANTS, with Spits, Logs, and Baskets. 1 Serv. Things for the cook, Sir; but I know Cap. Make haste, make haste. [Exit 1 SERV.] Call Peter, he will show thee where they are. And never trouble Peter for the matter. [Erit. madam! Ay, let the county take you in your bed; I must needs wake you: Lady! lady! lady! La. Cap. What noise is here? life, Revive, look up, or I will die with thee!- Nurse. She's dead, deceas'd, she's dead; alack the day! La. Cup. Alack the day! she's dead, she's dead, she's dead." Cap. Ha! let me see her:-Out, alas! she's cold; Her blood is settled; and her joints are stiff; Cap. Death, that hath ta'en her hence to make me wail, Ties up my tongue, and will not let me speak. Enter Friar LAURENCE and PARIS, with MUSI On this fair corse; and, as the custom is, Cap. All things, that we ordained festival, And go, Sir Paris;-every one prepare To follow this fair corse unto her grave: The heavens do low'r upon you, for some ill; Move them no more, by crossing their high will. [Exeunt CAPULET, Lady CAPULET, PARIS, and FRIAR. 1 Mus. 'Faith, we may put up our pipes, and be gone. Nurse. Honest good fellows, ah, put up; put up; For, well you know, this is a pitiful case. [Exit NURSE. 1 Mus. Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended. Enter PETER. Pet. Musicians, O, musicians, Heart's ease, heart's ease; O, an you will have me live, play hate-heart's ease. Most miserable hour, that e'er time saw Most lamentable day! most woeful day, O day! O day! O day! O hateful day! Par. Beguil'd, divorced, wronged, spited, slain! Most détestable death, by thee beguil❜d, Uncomfortable time! why cam'st thou now, O child! O child!-my soul, and not my child!- In these confusions. Heaven and yourself But heaven keeps his part in eternal life. 1 Mus. Why heart's ease? Pet. O, musicians, because my heart itself plays-My heart is full of woe: O, play me some merry dump, to comfort me. * 2 Mus. Not a dump we; 'tis no time to play now. Pet. You will not then? Pet. Then will I lay the serving-creature's dagger on your pate. I will carry no crotchets: I'll re you, I'll fa you; Do you note me? 1 Mus. An you re us, and fa us, you note us. 2 Mus. Pray you, put up your dagger, and put out your wit. Pet. Then have at you with my wit; I will dry-beat you with an iron wit, and put up my iron dagger :-Answer me like men: When griping grief the heart doth wound, And doleful dumps the mind oppress, Then music, with her silver sound; Why, silver sound? why, music with her silver sound? What say you, Simon Catling? 1 Mus. Marry, Sir, because silver hath a sweet sound. Pet. Pretty! What say you, Hugh Rebeck ? 2 Mus. I say-silver sound, because musicians sound for silver. Pet. Pretty too!-What say you, James Soundpost? I 3 Mus. 'Faith, I know not what to say. Pet. O, I cry you mercy! you are the singer: will say for you. It is music with her silver • Dumps were heavy mournful tunes. To gleek is to scoff, and a gleekman signified a minstrel "And the jocund rebecks sound."-Milton. sound, because such fellows as you have sel | Noting this penury, to myself I said— dom gold for sounding: Then music, with her silver sound, With speedy help doth lend redress. [Exit, singing. 1 Mus. What a pestilent knave is this same? 2 Mus. Hang him, Jack! Come, we'll in here; tarry for the mourners, and stay dinner. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE 1.-Mantua.-A Street. Enter ROMEO. Rom. If I may trust the flattering eye of sleep, My dreams presage some joyful news at hand: I dreamt, my lady came and found me dead; And breath'd such life with kisses in my lips, Enter BALTHASAR. News from Verona !-How now, Balthasar? Bal. Then she is well, and nothing can be ill; Rom. Is it even so? then I defy you, stars!Thou know'st my lodging: get me ink and Your looks are pale and wild, and do import Rom. Tush, thou art deceiv'd; Bal. No, my good lord. straight. Rom. No matter: get thee gone, And hire those horses; I'll be with thec [Exit BALTHASAR. Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee to-night. Let's see for means:-0, mischief, thou art swift To enter in the thoughts of desperate men! And if a man did need a poison now, Enter APOTHECARY. Ap. Who calls so loud? Rom. Come hither, man.-I see, that thou As violently, as hasty powder fir'd Ap. Such mortal drugs I have; but Mantua's law Is death, to any he that utters them. Rom. Art thou so bare, and full of wretchedness, And fear'st to die? famine is in thy cheeks, The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law: The world affords no law to make thee rich; Then be not poor, but break it, and take this. Ap. My poverty, but not my will, con sents. Rom. I pay thy poverty, and not thy will. Ap. Put this in any liquid thing you will, And drink it off; and, if you had the strength Of twenty men, it would despatch you straight. Rom. There is thy gold; worse poison to men's souls, Doing more murders in this loathsome world, Than these poor compounds that thou may'st not sell: I sell thee poison, thou hast sold me none. SCENE II.-Friar LAURENCE's Cell. Enter Friar JOHN. John. Holy Franciscan friar! brother, ho! Enter Friar LAURENCE. Lau. This same should be the voice of friar John. I could not send it,-here it is But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry again, Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, Lau. Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood, John. Brother, I'll go and bring't thee. [Exit. Lau. Now must I to the monument alone; Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake; She will beshrew me much, that Romeo Hath had no notice of these accidents: But I will write again to Mantua, And keep her at my cell till Romeo come; Poor living corse, clos'd in a dead man's tomb! [Exit. SCENE III-A Church-Yard; in it, a Monument belonging to the CAPULETS. Enter PARIS, and his PAGE, bearing Flowers and a Torch. Par. Give me thy torch, boy: Hence, and stand aloof; Yet put it out, for I would not be seen. Under yon yew-trees lay thee all along, Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground; So shall no foot upon the church-yard tread, (Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,) But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me, As signal that thou hear'st something approach. Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go. Page. I am almost afraid to stand alone Here in the church-yard; yet I will adventure. [Retires. Par. Sweet flower, with flowers I strew thy bridal bed: Sweet tomb, that in thy circuit dost contain What cursed foot wanders this way to-night, Rom. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching iron. Hold, take this letter; early in the morning Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand all aloof, gone: * I. e. On a trivial or idle subject. +I. e. Action of importance. [ger In what I further shall intend to do, The time and my intents are savage-wild; Bal. I will be gone, Sir, and not trouble gone; Let them affright thee.-I beseech thee, youth, And do attach thee as a felon here. watch. Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet. [Dies. Rom. In faith, I will:-Let me peruse this face; What said my man, when my betossed soul For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes * I refuse to do as thou conjurest me to do, ie. depart. + The allusion is to a louvre or turret full of windows by means of which ancient halls, &c. are illuminated. Presence chamber. |