SCENE II. Friar Laurence's Cell. Enter Friar JOHN. John. Holy Franciscan friar! brother, ho! Enter Friar LAURENCE. Lau. This same should be the voice of friar John.- And finding him, the searchers of the town, Lau. Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood, John. Brother, I'll go and bring it thee. [Exit. Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake; She will beshrew me much, that Romeo And keep her at my cell till Romeo come; Poor living corse, clos'd in a dead man's tomb! [Exit. t One of our order, to associate me,] 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. MALONE. was not nice,] i. e. Was not written on a trivial or idle subject.-- SCENE III. A Churchyard; in it, a Monument belonging to the [aloof; Enter PARIS, and his Page, bearing Flowers and a Torch. Par. Give me thy torch, boy: Hence, and stand 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; So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread, (Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,) But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me, As signal that thou hear'st something approach. Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go. Page. I am almost afraid to stand alone Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure. [Retires. Par. Sweet flower, with flowers I strew thy bridal bed: Sweet tomb, that in thy circuit dost contain The perfect model of eternity; Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain, [The Boy whistles. The boy gives warning, something doth approach. To cross my obsequies, and true love's rites? What, with a torch!-muffle me, night, awhile. [Retires. Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with a Torch, Rom. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching-iron. * Par.] The lines spoken by Paris, in the folio, are "Sweet flow'r, with flow'rs thy bridal bed I strew; Which with sweet water nightly will I dew, The reading of the text is from the quarto of 1597. [The Boy whistles." Hold, take this letter; early in the morning But, chiefly, to take thence from her dead finger In dear employment: therefore hence, be gone:— In what I further shall intend to do, And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs : Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea. Bal. I will begone, sir; and not trouble you. Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow. [Retires. Rom. Thou détestable maw, thou womb of death, [Breaking open the Door of the Monument. And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food! And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.— [Advances. Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague; 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.— y dear employment:] That is, action of importance. Gems were supposed to have great powers and virtues.-JOHNSON. Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man, By urging me to fury;-O, be gone! Stay not, be gone :-live, and hereafter say,- Par. I do defy thy conjurations," 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 ;- a A grave? O, no; a lantern, slaughter'd youth, [Laying PARIS in the Monument. I do defy thy conjurations,] i. e. I refuse to depart as thou conjurest me to do. To defy, in our old authors, frequently means to disdain, refuse, or deny.-MALONE and STEEVENS. a a lantern,] i. e. A louvre, or 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. See the beautiful lantern at Ely minster.-STEEVENS. b C presence-] i. e. A publick room. by a dead man interr'd.] Romeo being now determined to put an end to his life, considers himself as already dead.-MALONE. How oft when men are at the point of death, Call this a lightning ?-O, my love! my wife! Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain, Forgive me, cousin!—Ah, dear Juliet, With worms that are thy chamber-maids; O, here And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.-Eyes, look your last! d O, how may I [Dies.f Call this a lightning?] Romeo had, just before, been in high spirits, a symptom, which he observes, was sometimes called a lightning before death: but how, says he, can I term this sad and gloomy prospect a lightning?— RITSON. conduct,] For conductor. Dies.] Shakspeare has been arraigned for departing from the Italian novel, in making Romeo die before Juliet awakes from her trance; and thus losing a happy opportunity of introducing an affecting scene between these unfortu |