Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Rom.

T

[blocks in formation]

HIS gentleman, the prince's near ally, My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt In my behalf; my reputation's ftain'd With Tibalt's flander: Ofweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate, And in my temper foftned valour's steel.

Enter Benvolio.

Ben. O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead, That gallant fpirit hath afpir'd the clouds, Which too untimely here did fcorn the earth. Enter Tibalt.

Ben. Here comes the furious Tibalt back again. Rom. Alive in triumph? and Mercutio lain? Away to heav'n respective lenity,

And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now!

Now, Tibalt, take the villain back again,
That late thou gav'ft me: for Mercutio's foul

Is but a little way above our heads,

And thou or I, muft keep him company.

Tib. Thou wretched boy, that didft confort him here,

Shalt with him hence.

Rom. This fhall determine that.

Ben. Romeo, away, begone:

[They fight, Tibalt falls.

The citizens are up, and Tibalt flain

Stand not amaz'd; the prince will doom thee death,

If thou art taken: hence, begone, away.

Rom. O! I am fortune's fool.

[Exit Romeo.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Prince, Mountague, Capulet, Citizens, &c.

Prince.

WHERE are the vile beginners of this

WHER Fray?

Ben. O noble prince, I can discover all

The

The unlucky manage of this fatal quarrel :
There lies the man flain by young Romeo,
That flew thy kinsman brave Mercutio.

Cap. Unhappy fight! alas, the blood is fpill'd Of my dear kinfman- Now as thou art a Prince,

For blood of ours, fhed blood of Mountague.

Prin. Benvolio, who began this fray !
Ben. Tibalt here flain;

Romeo befpake him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urg'd withal
Your high displeasure: all this uttered

With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd,
Could not make truce with the unruly fpleen
Of Tibalt, deaf to peace; but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast ;
Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And with a martial fcorn, with one hand beats
Cold death afide, and with the other fènds
It back to Tibalt, whofe dexterity

Retorts it: Romeo, he cries aloud,

Hold friends, friends part! and fwifter than his tongue, His agil arm beats down their fatal points,

And 'twixt them rufhes; underneath whofe arm

An envious thruft from Tibalt hit the life

Of stout Mercutio, and then Tibalt fled
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,
And to't they go like lightning: for ere I
Could draw to part them, was ftout Tibalt flain,
And as he fell, did Romeo turn to fly :
This is the Truth, or let Benvolio fuffer.
Cap. He is a kinfman to the Mountague.
Affection makes him false; he speaks not true;
I beg for juftice; juftice, gracious Prince;
Romeo flew Tibalt, Romeo muft not live.

Prin. Romeo flew him, he flew Mercutio;
Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?
Mount. Romeo but took the forfeit life of Tibalt.
Prin. And we for that offence do banish him.
I have an int'reft in your heady brawls,
My blood doth flow from brave Mercutio's wounds.
But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine,

That

That

you fhall all repent my lofs in him. I will be deaf to pleading and excufe,

Nor tears nor prayers fhall purchase our repeal:
Therefore ufe none; let Romeo be gone,

Elfe when he is found, that hour is his laft.
Bear hence this body, and attend our will:
Mercy but murders, pardoning thofe that kill. [Exeunt.

ful. G

[blocks in formation]

Enter Juliet alone.

ALLOP apace, you fiery-footed steeds,
To Phabus' manfion; fuch a waggoner,

As Phaeton, would whip you to the west,

And bring in cloudy night immediately.

Spread thy clofe curtain, love-performing night,
That th' run-away's eyes may wink and Romeo
Leap to thefe arms, untalkt of and unfeen.

Come night, come Romeo! come thou day in night!
For thou wilt lye upon the wings of night,
Whiter than fnow upon the raven's back:
Give me my Romeo, night, and when he dies
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heav'n fo fine,
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garifh fun :
O, I have bought the mansion of a love,
But not poffefs'd it; fo tedious is this day,
As is the night before fome feftival,

To an impatient child that hath new robes,

And may not wear them. O, here comes my nurse!
Enter Nurfe.

And the brings news, and every tongue, that speaks
But Romeo's name, fpeaks heav'nly eloquence;
Now nurse, what news?

Why doft thou wring thy hands?

Nurfe. Ah welladay he's dead, he's dead, he's dead! We are undone, lady, we are undone.

Jul. Can heav'n be fo envious?

Nurfe.

Nurfe. Romeo can,

Though heav'n cannot. O Romeo! Romeo!

ful. What devil art thou, that does torment me thus ? This torture fhould be roar'd in difmal hell.

Hath Romeo flain himself? fay thou but ay,
And that bare little word fhall poifon more
Than the earth darting eye of cockatrice. »
Nurfe. I faw the wound, I faw it with mine eyes,
Here on his manly breast.-A piteous coarse
A bloody piteous coarfe, pale, pale as afhes,
I fwooned at the fight.

Jul. O break my heart!poor bankrupt, break.

at once!

To prifon, eyes! ne'er look on liberty;
Vile earth to earth refign, end motion here,
And thou and Romeo prefs one heavy bier!

Nurfe. O Tibalt, Tibalt, the best friend I had;
That ever I fhould live to fee thee dead.

Jul. What form is this that blows fo contrary? Is Romeo flaughter'd? and is Tibalt dead?

Nurfe. Tibalt is dead, and Romeo banished,

Romeo that kill'd him, he is banished.

Jul. O heaven! did Romeo's hand fhed Tibalt's blood? Nurfe. It did, it did, alas the day! it did.

Jul. O nature! what hadft thou to do in hell, When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend

In mortal paradife of fuch fweet flesh? O that deceit fhould dwell

In fuch a gorgeous palace.

Nurfe. There is no truft,

No faith, no honesty in men; all perjur'd;
Shame come to Romeo!

Ful. Blifter'd be thy tongue,

For fuch a wifh, he was not born to fhame,

Upon his brow fhame is afham'd to fit :
For 'tis a throne where honour may be crown'd,
Sole monarch of the univerfal earth.

O what a wretch was I to chide him fo?

Nurfe. Will you speak well of him, that kill'd your coufin?

Jul. Shall I fpeak ill of him that is my husband?

Ah poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name,

When

When I thy three hours wife have mangled it?
Back foolish tears, back to your native fpring;
Your tributary drops belong to woe,
Which you mistaking offer up to joy.

My husband lives that Tibalt would have flain,
And Tibalt's dead that would have kill'd my husband;
All this is comfort; wherefore weep I then?
Some word there was worfer than Tibalt's death
That murder'd me; I would forget it fain,
But oh it preffes to my memory,

Like damned guilty deeds to finners' minds ;
Tibalt is dead, and Romeo banished:

That banished, that one word banished,

Hath flain ten thousand Tibalts: In that word
Is, father, mother, Tibalt, Romeo, Juliet,

All flain, all dead!

-Romeo is banished!

Where is my father, and my mother, nurfe!

Nurfe. Weeping and wailing over Tibalt's coarse : Will you go to them? I will bring you thither. Jul. Wash they his wounds with tears? My eyes fhall flow

When theirs are dry, for Romeo's banishment.

Nurfe. Hie to your chamber, I'll find Romeo
To comfort you. I wot well where he is.
Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at night;
I'll to him, he is hid at Lawrence' cell.

ful, Oh find him, give this ring to my true lord, And bid him come to take his last farewel.

[Exeunt.

S CE

N E.

V.

The Monaftery.

Enter Friar Lawrence and Romeo.

Fri. ROMEO, come forth; come forth, thou fearful

man,

Affliction is enamour'd of thy parts;

And thou art wedded to calamity.

Rom. Father, what news? what is the prince's doom? What forrow craves acquaintance at my hand, That I yet know not?

Fri.

« AnteriorContinua »