Romeo and Juliet (Folio 1, 1623)
Not Peer Reviewed
The Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet.
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¶I married them; and their stolne marriage day
3110Banish'd the new-made Bridegroome from this Citie:
¶For whom (and not for Tybalt) Iuliet pinde.
¶You, to remoue that siege of Greefe from her,
¶Betroth'd, and would haue married her perforce
¶To Countie Paris. Then comes she to me,
¶To rid her from this second Marriage,
¶Then gaue I her (so Tutor'd by my Art)
3120As I intended, for it wrought on her
¶The forme of death. Meane time, I writ to Romeo,
¶That he should hither come, as this dyre night,
¶To helpe to take her from her borrowed graue,
3125But he which bore my Letter, Frier Iohn,
¶Return'd my Letter backe. Then all alone,
¶At the prefixed houre of her waking,
¶Came I to take her from her Kindreds vault,
3130Meaning to keepe her closely at my Cell,
¶Till I conueniently could send to Romeo.
¶But when I came (some Minute ere the time
¶Of her awaking) heere vntimely lay
¶The Noble Paris, and true Romeo dead.
3135Shee wakes, and I intreated her come foorth,
¶And beare this worke of Heauen, with patience:
3140All this I know, and to the Marriage her Nurse is priuy:
¶And if ought in this miscarried by my fault,
3145Where's Romeo's man? What can he say to this?
¶And then in poste he came from Mantua
¶This Letter he early bid me giue his Father,
3150And threatned me with death, going in the Vault,
¶If I departed not, and left him there.
¶Prin. Giue me the Letter, I will look on it.
¶Where is the Counties Page that rais'd the Watch?
¶Sirra, what made your Master in this place?
¶Anon comes one with light to ope the Tombe,
¶And by and by my Maister drew on him,
¶And then I ran away to call the Watch.
3160Prin. This Letter doth make good the Friers words,
¶Their course of Loue, the tydings of her death:
¶And heere he writes, that he did buy a poyson
¶Of a poore Pothecarie, and therewithall
¶Came to this Vault to dye, and lye with Iuliet.
3165Where be these Enemies? Capulet, Mountague,
¶See what a scourge is laide vpon your hate,
¶That Heauen finds meanes to kill your ioyes with Loue;
¶And I, for winking at your discords too,
3170Cap. O Brother Mountague, giue me thy hand,
¶This is my Daughters ioynture, for no more
¶Can I demand.
¶Moun. But I can giue thee more:
¶For I will raise her Statue in pure Gold,
3175That whiles Verona by that name is knowne,
¶As that of True and Faithfull Iuliet.
¶Poore sacrifices of our enmity.
3180Prin. A glooming peace this morning with it brings,
¶For neuer was a Storie of more Wo,
3185Then this of Iuliet, and her Romeo.
Exeunt omnes
¶
FINIS.
Gg
