Imatges de pàgina
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Prince. Then fay at once what thou doft know in this:
Fri. I will be brief, for my fhort date of breath
Is not fo long as is a tedious tale.

Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet ;
And the there dead, that Romeo's faithful wife:
I married them; and their ftol'n marriage-day
Was Tybalt's doom's-day, whofe untimely death
Banifh'd the new-made bridegroom from this city,
For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pin'd.
You, to remove that fiege of grief from her,
Betroth'd, and would have married her perforce
To County Paris. Then comes fhe to me,
And, with wild looks, bid me devife fome means
To rid her from this fecond marriage,
Or in my cell there would fhe kill her felf.
Then gave I her (fo tutor❜d by my art)
A fleeping potion, which fo took effect
As I intended, for it wrought on her

The form of death. Mean time I write to Romeo,
That he should hither come, as this dire night,
To help to take her from her borrowed grave,
Being the time the potion's force fhould ceafe.
But he which bore my letter, Friar John,
Was ftaid by accident, and yesternight
Return'd my letter back; then all alone,
At the prefixed hour of her awaking,
Came I to take her from her kindred's vault;
Meaning to keep her closely at my cell,
'Till I conveniently could fend to Romeo.
But when I came (fome 4'minutes ere the time
Of her awaking) here untimely lay
The noble Paris, and true Romeo dead.
She wakes, and I intreat her to come forth,
And bear this work of heav'n with patience:
But then a noife did fcare me from the tomb,
And she too defp'rate would not go with me,

4 Minute

But,

But, as it seems, did violence on her felf.
All this I know, and to the marriage
Her nurse is privy: but if ought in this
Miscarried by my fault, let my old life
Be facrific'd, fome hour before its time,
Unto the rigour of fevereft law.

Prince. We still have known thee for an holy man.
Where's Romeo's man? what can he fay to this?
Bal. I brought my mafter news of Juliet's death,
And then in poft he came from Mantua
To this fame place, to this fame monument.
This letter he early bid me give his father,
And threatned me with death, going to the vault,
If I departed not, and left him there.

Prince. Give me the letter, I will look on it. Where is the County's page that rais'd the Watch? Sirrah, what made your mafter in this place?

Page. He came with flowers to ftrew his Lady's grave, And bid me ftand aloof, and so I did:

Anon comes one with light to ope the tomb,

And by and by my mafter drew on him,

And then I ran away to call the Watch.

Prince. This letter doth make good the Friar's words,
Their course of love, the tidings of her death:
And here he writes, that he did buy a poison

Of a poor 'pothecary, and therewithal
Came to this vault to die, and lye with Juliet.
Where be these enemies? Capulet! Mountague!
See what a fcourge is laid upon your hate,

That heav'n finds means to kill your joys with love!
And I, for winking at your difcords too,
Have loft a brace of kinfmen: all are punish'd!
Cap. O brother Mountague, give me thy hand,
This is my daughter's jointure; for no more
Can I demand.

Moun. But I can give thee more,
For I will raife her ftatue in pure gold,

That

That while Verona by that name is known,
There fhall no figure at that rate be fet,
As that of true and faithful Juliet.

Cap. As rich fhall Romeo by his lady lye;
Poor facrifices of our enmity!

Prince. A gloomy peace this morning with it brings,

The fun for forrow will not fhew his head;

Go hence to have more talk of these fad things;

Some shall be pardon'd, and fome punished.

For never was a ftory of more woe,

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

[Exeunt omnes.

HAMLET,

1

HAMLET,

PRINCE of DENMARK

2

DRA

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