Shall play the umpire;' arbitrating that
Which the commission of thy years and arto
Could to no issue of true honour bring.
Be not so long to speak ; I long to die,
If what thou speak’st speak not of remedy,

Fri. Hold, daughter; I do spy a kind of hope,
Which craves as desperate an execution
As that is desperate which we would prevent.
If, rather than to marry county Paris,
Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself ;
Then is it likely, thou wilt undertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That cop'st with death himself to scape from it;
And, if thou dar'st, I'll give thee remedy.

Jul. O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower ; Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk Where serpents are ; chain me with roaring bears ; Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house, O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's rattling bones, With reeky shanks, and yellow chapless sculls; Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud ; Things that, to hear them told, 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 consent To marry Paris : Wednesday is to-morrow; To-morrow night look that thou lie alone, Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy, chamber : Take thou this phial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off ;

5 Shall play the umpire;] That is, this knife shall decide the struggle between me and

my

distresses. commiss'on of thy years and art --] Commission is for authority or power.

6

When, presently, through all thy veins shall run
A cold and drowsy humour, which shall seize
Each vital spirit; for no pulse shall keep
His natural progress, but surcease to beat:
No warmth, no breath, shall satisfy thou liv'st ;
The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade
To paly ashes; thy eyes' windows fall,
Like death, when he shuts up the day of life;
Each part, depriv'd of supple government,
Shall stiff, and stark, and cold, appear like death :
And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death
Thou shalt remain full two and forty hours,
And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.
Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes
To rouse 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,
Thou shalt be borne to that same 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 shall he come; and he and I
Will watch thy waking, and that very night
Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua.
And this shall free thee from this present shame;
If no unconstant toy, nor womanish fear,
Abate thy valour in the acting it.

Jul. Give me, O give me! tell me not of fear.
Fri. Hold; get you gone, be strong and pros-

perous
In this resolve: I'll send a friar with speed
To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord.
Jul. Love, give me strength! and strength shall

help afford. Farewell, dear father!

[E.reunt. If no unconstant toy, &c.] If no fickle freak, no light caprice, no change of fancy, hinder the performance.

SCENE II.

A Room in Capulet's House.

Enter CAPULET, Lady CAPULET, Nurse, and

Servant. Cap. So many guests invite as here are writ.

[Exit Servant. Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks.*

2 Serv. You shall have none ill, sir ; for I'll try if they can lick their fingers.

Cap. How canst thou try them so?

2 Sero. Marry, sir, 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers: therefore he, that cannot lick his fingers, goes not with ine. Cap. Go, begone.

[Exit Servant. We shall be much unfurnish'd for this time. What, is my daughter gone to friar Laurence ?

Nurse. Ay, forsooth.
Cap. Well, he may chance to do some good on

her :
A peevish self-willd harlotry it is.

Enter JULIET. Nurse. See, where she comes from shrift with

merry look,

Cap. How now, my headstrong? where have you

been gadding?

9

8-go hire me twenty cunning cooks.] Twenty cooks for half a dozen guests! Either Capulet has altered his mind strangely, or our author forgot what he had just made him tell us. See p. 79.

from shrift --] i.e. from confession.

gadding?] The primitive sense of this word was to straggle from house to house, and collect money, under pretence of singing carols to the Blessed Virgin.

I

say,

Jul. Where I have learn'd me to repent the sin Of disobedient opposition To you,

and your behests; and am enjoin'd By holy Laurence to fall prostrate here, And beg your pardon :-Pardon, I beseech you! Henceforward I am ever ruld by you.

Cap. Send for the county ; go tell him of this I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow morning.

Jul. I met the youthful lord at Laurence' cell; And gave him what becomed love’ I might, Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty. Cap. Why, I am glad on't; this is well,---stand

up:
This is as't should be.—Let me see the county ;
Ay, marry, go,

I and fetch him hither.
Now, afore God, this reverend holy friar,
All our whole city is much bound to him.

Jul. Nurse, will you go with me into my closet,
To help me sort such needful ornaments
As you think fit to furnish me to-morrow?
La. Cap. No, not till Thursday; there is time

enough. Cap. Go, nurse, go with her :-we'll to church to-morrow.

[Exeunt Juliet and Nurse. La. Cap. We shall be short in our provision; 'Tis now near night. Сар.

Tush! I will stir about, And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife: Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up I'll not to bed to-night ;-let me alone; I'll play the housewife for this once.—What, ho!-They are all forth : Well, I will walk myself To county. Paris, to prepare

him

up

her;

2

- becomed love -] Becomed for becoming: one participle for the other ;. a frequent practice with our author.

Against to-morrow: my heart is wondrous light,
Since this same wayward girl is so reclaim'd.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Juliet's Chamber.

you need

Enter JULIET and NURSE, Jul. Ay, those attires are best:-But, gentle

nurse, I pray thee, leave me to myself to-night; For I have need of

many

orisons 3 To move the heavens to smile upon my state, Which, well thou know’st, is cross and full of sin.

Enter Lady CAPULET. La. Cap. What, are you busy? do

my
help?
Jul. No, madam ; we have culld such necessaries
As are behoveful for our state to-morrow :
So please you, let me now be left alone,
And let the nurse this night sit up with you ;
For, I am sure, you have your hands fuil all,
In this so sudden business.

Good night!
Get thee to bed, and rest; for thou hast need.

Exeunt Lady CAPULET and Nurse. Jul. Farewell!-God knows, when we shall meet

again.
I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins,
That almost freezes up the heat of life :
I'll call them back again to comfort me ;-

La. Cap.

3 For I have need, &c.] Juliet plays most of her pranks under the appearance of religion : perhaps Shakspeare meant to punish her hypocrisy. Johnson.