Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds, Enter Apothecary. Ap. Who calls so loud? Rom. Come hither, man.-I see, that thou art poor; Hold, there is forty ducats: Let me have A dram of poison; such soon-speeding geer Doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb. Ap. Such mortal drugs I have; but Mantua's law Rom. Art thou so bare, and full of wretchedness, The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law: 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 : To Juliet's grave, for there must I use thee. [Exeunt SCENE II, Friar LAURENCE's Cell. Enter Friar JOHN. John. Holy Franciscan friar! brother! ho! 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 bare-foot brother out, One of our order, to associate me,6 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. But I will write again to Mantua, And keep her at my cell till Romeo come ;' [Exit. Poor living corse, clos'd in a dead man's tomb! [Exit. SCENE III. A Churchyard; 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; [6] Each friar has always a companion assigned him by the superior when he asks leave to go out; and thus, says Baretti, they are a check upon each other. STEEVENS. [7] Was not written on a trivial or idle subject. STEEVENS. So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread, Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure. [Retires. Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain,8% [The Boy whistles [Retires. Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with a torch, mattock, &c. Rom. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching irom Hold, take this letter; early in the morning See thou deliver it to my lord and father. Give me the light: Upon thy life, I charge thee, Why I descend into this bed of death, But, chiefly, to take thence from her dead finger In dear employment:9 therefore hence, begone:- In what I further shall intend to do, By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint, And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs: More fierce, and more inexorable far [8] These four lines from the old edition. The folio has these lines: POPE. "Sweet flow'r, with flow'rs thy bridal bed I strew ; "O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones, "Which with sweet water nightly I will dew, "The obsequies that I for thee will keep, "Nightly shall be, to strew thy grave and weep." JOHNSON [9] That is, action of importance. Gems were supposed to have great powers and virtues. JOHNSON. 16* VOL. VIII Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea. Bal. I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you. Rom.Soshalt 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, Gorg'd 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 banish'd haughty Montague, That murder'd my love's cousin ;-with which grief, It is supposed, the fair creature dy'd, And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.- [Advances! Can vengeance be pursu'd further than death? 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, By urging me to fury :-O, be gone! By heaven, I love thee better than myself; Stay not, be gone ;—live, and hereafter say- 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. 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 ;- He told me, Paris should have marry'd Juliet: I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave, A grave? O, no; a lantern, slaughter'd youth, [Laying PARIS in the Monument; How oft, when men are at the point of death, Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain, With worms that are thy chambermaids; O, here And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.-Eyes, look your last! [Dies. Enter, at the other end of the Churchyard, Friar LAURENCE, with a lantern, crow, and spade. Fri. Saint Francis be my speed! how oft to-night [1] A presence means a publick room, which is at times the presence-chamber of the sovereign. M. MASON. |