Imatges de pàgina
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Or, if you do not, make the bridal bed
In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.

La. Cap. Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word:
Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.
[Exit.
Jul. O God! O Nurfe, how fhall this be prevented?
My husband is on earth; my faith in heav'n;
How fhall that faith return again to earth,'
Unless that hufband fend it me from heav'n,
By leaving earth ?.

-Comfort me, counsel me.

Alack, alack, that heaven fhould practise stratagems
Upon fo foft a fubject as myfelf!

What fay'ft thou? haft thou not a word of joy ?
Some comfort, nurse.

Nurfe. Faith, here it is:

Romeo is banish'd; all the world to nothing,
That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you ;.
Or if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
Then fince the cafe fo ftands, as now it doth,
I think it beft, you married with the Count.
Oh, he's a lovely gentleman!

Romeo's a difh-clout to him; an eagle, Madam,
Hath not fo green, fo quick, fo fair an eye
As Paris hath. Behrew my very heart,
I think you happy in this fecond match,
For it excels your first; or if it did not,
Your firft is dead; or 'twere as good he were,
As living here, and you no use of him.
Jul. Speak'ft thou from thy heart?

Nurfe. And from my foul too,

Or elfe befhrew them both.

Jul. Amen.

Nurfe. What?

Jul. Well, thou haft comforted me marvellous much 3 Go in, and tell my lady I am gone,

Having difpleas'd my father, to Lawrence' cell,

To make confeffion, and to be abfolv'd.

Nurfe. Marry, I will; and this is wifely done. [Exit. ful. Ancient damnation! O moft wicked fiend!

Is it more fin to wifh me thus forfworn,

Or,

Or to difpraise my Lord with that fame tongue
Which the hath prais'd him with above compare,
So many thousand times? go, counsellor,
Thou and my bofom henceforth shall be twain:
I'll to the Friar, to know his remedy:
If all elfe fail, myself have power to die.

[Exit.

ACTIV.

SCENE, the MONASTERY.

Enter Friar Lawrence and Paris.

FRIAR.

N Thurfday, Sir! the time is very short. Par. My father Capulet will have it so, And I am nothing flow to flack his hafte.

Fri. You fay, you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is this courfe, I like it not.

Par. Immoderately fhe weeps for Tybalt's death:
And therefore have I little talk'd of love,
For Venus fmiles not in a houfe of tears.
Nów, Sir, her father counts it dangerous,
That, fhe fhould give her forrow fo much fway;
And, in his wifdom, haftes our marriage,
To ftop the inundation of her tears;
Which, too much minded by herself alone,
May be put from her by fociety.

Now do you know the reafon of this hafte?

Fri. I would, I knew not why it should be flow'd.

[Afide. Look, Sir, here comes the lady tow'rds my cell.

Enter Juliet.

Par. Welcome, my love, my lady and my wife! Jul. That may be, Sir, when I may be a wife.

VOL. VIII.

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Par. That may be, muft be, love, on Thursday next. Jul. What must be, fhall be.

Fri. That's a certain text.

Par. Come you to make confeffion to this father?
Jul. To answer that, were to confess to you.
Par. Do not deny to him, that you love me.
Jul. I will confefs to you, that I love him.
Par. So will ye, I am fure, that you
love me.

Jul. If I do fo, it will be of more price
Being spoke behind your back, than to your face.
Par. Poor foul, thy face is much abus'd with tears.
Jul. The tears have got small victory by that:
For it was bad enough before their fpight.

Par.Thou wrong'ft it, more than tears, with that report. Jul. That is no flander, Sir, which is but truth, And what I fpeak, I speak it to my face.

Par. Thy face is mine, and thou haft flander'd it. ful. It may be fo, for it is not mine own. Are you at leifure, holy father, now, Or fhall I come to you at evening mass?

Fri. My leifure ferves me, penfive daughter, now. My Lord, I muft intreat the time alone.

Par. God fhield, I fhould difturb devotion : Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouze you : "Till then, adieu! and keep this holy kifs.

[Exit Paris. Jul. Go, fhut the door, and when thou haft done fo, Come, weep with me, paft hope, paft cure, paft help. Fri. O Fuliet, I already know thy grief,

It trains me paft the compafs of my wits.
I hear, you muft, and nothing may prorogue it,
On Thursday next be married to this Count.

ful. Tell me not, Friar, that thou hear'ft of this,
Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it.
If in thy wisdom thou canft give no help,
Do thou but call my refolution wife,
And with this knife I'll help it presently.

God join'd my heart and Romeo's; thou, our hands; And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo feal'd,

Shall

Shall be the label to another deed,
Or my true heart with treacherous revolt
Turn to another, this fhall flay them both:
Therefore out of thy long-experienc'd time,
Give me fome prefent counfel; or, behold,
'Twixt my extreams and me this bloody knife
Shall play the umpire; arbitrating that,
Which the commifion of thy years and art
Could to no iffue of true honour bring:
Be not fo long to speak; I long to die,
If what thou speak'ft fpeak not of remedy.
Fri. Hold, daughter, I do 'fpy a kind of hope,
Which craves as deíperate an execution,
As that is defp'rate which we would prevent.
If, rather than to marry Comtè Paris,
Thou haft the strength of will to flay thyself,
Then it is likely, thou wilt undertake

A thing like death to chide away this fhame,
That cop'ft with death himself, to 'fcape from it:
And if thou dar'ft, I'll give thee remedy.

Jul. O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of yonder tower:
Or chain me to fome fteepy mountains top,
Where roaring bears and favage lions roam;
Or fhut me nightly in a charnel house,
O'er-cover'd quite with dead mens' ratling bones,
With reeky fhanks, and yellow chapless skulls ;
Or bid me go into a new-made grave,

And hide me with a dead man in his shroud; (Things, that to hear themnam'd, have made me tremble;) And I will do it without fear or doubt,

To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.

Fri. Hold, then, go home, be merry, give confent To marry Paris; Wednesday is to-morrow; To-morrow night, look, that thou lie alone. (Let not thy nurfe lie with thee in thy chamber :) Take thou this phial, being then in bed, And this diftilled liquor drink thou off; When presently through all thy veins fhall run A cold and drowfy humour, which shall seize

D 2

Each

Each vital fpirit; for no pulfe fhall keep
His nat'ral progrefs, but furcease to beat.
No warmth, no breath, fhall testify thou liv'ft;
The roses in thy lips and cheeks fhall fade
To paly afhes: thy eyes' windows fall,

Like death, when he fhuts up the day of life;
Each part, depriv'd of fupple government,
Shall stiff, and stark, and cold appear like death:
And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death
Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,
And then awake, as from a pleasant fleep.
Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes
To roufe thee from thy bed, there art thou dead :
Then, as the manner of our country is,
In thy best robes uncover'd on the bier,
Be born to burial in thy kindred's grave:
Thou shalt be borne to that fame ancient vault,
Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.
In the mean time, against thou shalt awake,
Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,
And hither fhall he come; and he and I
Will watch thy waking, and that very night
Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua;
And this fhall free thee from this prefent fhame,
If no unconftant toy, nor womanish fear,
Abate thy valour in the acting it.

Jul. Give me, oh give me, tell me not of fear.

[Taking the phial. Fri. Hold, get you gone, be ftrong and profperous

In this refolve; I'll fend a Friar with speed

To Mantua, with my letters to thy Lord.

ful. Love, give me ftrength, and strength fhall help

afford,

Farewel, dear father!

[Exeunt.

SCENE

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