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SCENE II.

Friar Laurence's Cell.

Enter Friar JOHN.

John. Holy Franciscan friar! brother, ho!

Enter Friar LAURENCE.

Lau. This fame 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 affociate me,

Here in this city vifiting the fick,

And finding him, the fearchers of the town,
Sufpecting, that we both were in a house
Where the infectious peftilence did reign,
Seal'd up the doors, and would not let us forth;
So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd.
Lau. Who bare my letter then to Romeo?
John. I could not fend it,-here it is again,-
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,

So fearful were they of infection.

Lau. Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood,
The letter was not nice, but full of charge,
Of dear import; and the neglecting it
May do much danger: Friar John, go hence;
Get me an iron crow, and bring it straight
Unto my cell.

John. Brother, I'll go and bring 't thee.
Lau. Now must I to the monument alone;
Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake;
She will befhrew me much, that Romeo

[Exk.

Hath

Hath had no notice of these accidents :
But I will write again to Mantua,

And keep her at my cell till Romeo come;

Poor living corfe, clos'd in a dead man's tomb!

SCENE III.

[Exit.

A Church yard; 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 feen.

Under yon yew-trees lay thee all along,
Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground;
So fhall no foot upon the churchyard tread,
(Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,)
But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me,
As fignal that thou hear'ft fomething approach.
Give me thofe 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 ftrew thy bridal bed :

Sweet tomb, that in thy circuit doft contain

The perfect model of eternity;

Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain,
Accept this latest favour at my hands;

That living honour'd thee, and, being dead,
With funeral praises do adorn thy tomb!

[The boy whistles.

The boy gives warning, fomething doth approach.
What curfed foot wanders this way to-night,

To cross my obfequies, and true love's rites?

What, with a torch!-muffle me, night, a while..[ Retires.

Enter

Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR with a torch, mattock, &c.

Rom. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching iron. 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,
Whate'er thou hear'ft or feeft, ftand all aloof,
And do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I defcend into this bed of death,
Is, partly, to behold my lady's face

:

But, chiefly, to take thence from her dead finger
A precious ring: a ring, that I must use

In dear employment: therefore hence, be gone :-
But if thou, jealous, doft return to pry
In what I further fhall intend to do,
By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint,
And ftrew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs:
The time and my intents are favage-wild;
More fierce, and more inexorable far,

Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea.

Bal. I will be gone, fir, and not trouble you.

Rom. So fhalt thou show me friendship.-Take thou that: Live, and be profperous; and farewell, good fellow. Bal. For all this fame, 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 morfel of the earth,

Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,

[breaking open the door of the monument. And, in defpite, I'll cram thee with more food!

Par. This is that banish'd haughty Montague, That murder'd my love's coufin ;-with which grief, It is fuppofed, the fair creature died,

And

And here is come to do fome villainous fhame
To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.—

Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague;
Can vengeance be purfu'd further than death?
Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee:
Obey, and go with me; for thou must die.

[Advances.

Rom. I muft, indeed; and therefore came I hither.-
Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man,
Fly hence and leave me ;-think upon thefe gone;

Let them affright thee.-I befeech thee, youth,
Heap not another fin upon my head,
By urging me to fury :-O, be gone!
By heaven, I love thee better than myself;
For I come hither arm'd against myself:

Stay not, be gone ;-live, and hereafter say→
A madman's mercy bade thee run away.

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 flain! [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 kinfman, noble county Paris :-
What faid my man, when my betoffed foul
Did not attend him as we rode ? I think,
He told me, Paris should have married Juliet:
Said he not fo? or did I dream it fo?

Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet,
To think it was fo?-O, give me thy hand,
One writ with me in four misfortune's book!

ΓΙ

I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave,

A grave? O, no; a lantern, flaughter'd youth,
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes
This vault a feasting presence full of light.
Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr'd.

[Laying PARIS in the monument.

How oft when men are at the point of death,
Have they been merry? which their keepers call
A lightning before death: O, how may I
Call this a lightning ?-O, my love! my
wife!
Death, that hath fuck'd the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty :
Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's enfign yet
Is crimson in thy lips, and in thy cheeks,
And death's pale flag is not advanced there.-
Tybalt, lieft thou there in thy bloody sheet?
O, what more favour can I do to thee,
Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain,
To funder his that was thine enemy?
Forgive me, coufin !-Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet fo fair! Shall I believe
That unfubftantial death is amorous;
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour?
For fear of that, I will still stay with thee;
And never from this palace of dim night
Depart again; here, here will I remain

With worms that are thy chamber-maids; O, here`

Will I fet up my everlasting reft;

And shake the yoke of inaufpicious stars

From this world-wearied flesh.-Eyes, look your last!

Arms, take your last embrace! and lips, O you
The doors of breath, feal with a righteous kifs

A dateless bargain to engroffing death!

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