Enter FRIAR LAURENCE. Lau. This same should be the voice of friar John.Welcome from Mantua; what says Romeo? Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter. John. Going to find a barefoot brother out, One of our order to associate me,1 Here in this city visiting the sick, And finding him, the searchers of the town, Lau. Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood, John. Brother, I'll go and bring it thee. And keep her at my cell till Romeo come; [Exit. Poor living corse, closed in a dead man's tomb! [Exit. Each friar had always a companion assigned him by the superior, when he asked leave to go out. 2 i. e. was not wantonly written on a trivial or idle matter. 3 Instead of this line, and the concluding part of the speech, the first quarto reads only: "Lest that the lady should before I come Be wak'd from sleepe, I will hye To free her from that tomb of miserie." 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 my torch, boy. Hence, and stand aloof; Yet put it out, for I would not be seen. 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 Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain,1 [The boy whistles. The boy gives warning, something doth approach. What cursed foot wanders this way to-night, To cross my obsequies, and true-love's rites? What, with a torch!-muffle me, night, a while. [Retires 1 The folio has these lines: "Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew; Nightly shall be, to strew thy grave and weep." In the text, the seven lines are printed as they appear in the quarto of 1597. Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with a torch, mat tock, &c. Rom. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching-iron. But, chiefly, to take thence from her dead finger In dear1 employment; therefore hence, be gone ;- In what I further shall intend to do, By Heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint, And strew this hungry church-yard with thy limbs. 'The time and my intents are savage-wild; More fierce, and more inexorable far, Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea. Bal. I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you. Rom. So shalt thou show me friendship.-Take thou that; Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow. Bal. For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout; His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt. [Retires. Rom. Thou détestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open, [Breaking open the door of the monument. And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food! Par. This is that banished, haughty Montague, That murdered my love's cousin ;-with which grief, It is supposed the fair creature died, And here is come to do some villanous shame To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him.— [Advances. 1 That is, in action of importance. The sense of the word dear has been explained. Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague; Obey, and go with me; for thou must die. Rom. I must, indeed; and therefore came I hither.— Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man; Fly hence and leave me-think upon these gone; Let them affright thee.-I beseech thee, youth, Heap not another sin upon my head, By urging me to fury.-O, be gone! By Heaven, I love thee better than myself; For I come hither armed against myself. Stay not; begone ;-live, and hereafter say— A madman's mercy bade thee run away. Par. I do defy thy conjurations,1 And do attach thee as a felon here. Rom. Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy. [They fight. Page. O Lord! they fight. I will go call the watch. [Exit Page Par. O, I am slain! [Falls.]-If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet. [Dies. Rom. In faith, I will.-Let me peruse this face; Mercutio's kinsman, noble county Paris. What said my man, when my betossed soul Did not attend him as we rode? I think He told me Paris should have married Juliet. Said he not so? or did I dream it so? Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, To think it was so ?-O, give me thy hand, One writ with me in sour misfortune's book! I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave;— A grave? O, no; a lantern, slaughtered youth; 1 I refuse to do as thou conjurest me to do, i. e. depart. So Constance, in King John, says :— "No, I defy all counsel, all redress." 2 A lantern may here signify what in ancient records is styled lanternium, i. e. a spacious round or octagonal turret, full of windows, by means of which cathedrals and sometimes halls are illuminated. A presence is a public room, which is, at times, the presence-chamber of a sovereign. For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes [Laying PARIS in the monument. Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain, r? For fear of that, I will still stay with thee; With worms that are thy chambermaids; O, here And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.-Eyes, look your last! 3 Here's to my love! [Drinks.]-O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. [Dies. The first quarto reads, "But how," &c. This idea very frequently occurs in our old dramas. 2 See note, p. 225. 3 Conduct for conductor. |