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Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Not Peer Reviewed
Enter Countie Paris and his Page with flowers
2851.1
and sweete Water.
Par:Put out the torch, and lye thee all along
Vnder this Ew-tree, keeping thine eare close to the hollow
2855ground.
And if thou heare one tread within the Churchyard,
Staight giue me notice.
Boy:I will my Lord.
2861.1
Paris strewes the Tomb with flowers.
Par:Sweete Flower, with flowers I strew thy Bridale
2863.1bed:
Sweete Tombe that in thy circuite dost containe,
The perfect modell of eternitie:
Faire Iuliet that with Angells dost remaine,
.5Accept this latest fauour at my hands,
That liuing honourd thee, and being dead
With funerall praises doo adorne thy Tombe.
Boy whistles and calls.My Lord.
Enter Romeo and Balthasar, with a torch, a
2874.1
a mattocke, and a crow of yron.
Par:The boy giues warning, something doth approach.
rd What cursed foote wanders this was to night,
To stay my obsequies and true loues rites?
.5What with a torch, muffle me night a while.
2875Rom:Giue mee this mattooke, and this wrentching I-
2875.1ron.
And take these letters early in the morning,
See thou deliuer them to my Lord and Father.
So get thee gone and trouble me no more.
Why I descend into this bed of death,
Is partly to behold my Ladies face,
But chiefly to take from her dead finger,
A precious ring which I must vse
2885In deare imployment but if thou wilt stay,
Further to prie in what I vndertake,
By heauen Ile teare thee ioynt by ioynt,
And strewe thys hungry churchyard with thy lims.
2890The time and my intents are sauage, wilde.
Balt:Well, Ile be gone and not trouble you.
Rom:So shalt thou win my fauour, take thou this,
2895Commend me to my Father, farwell good fellow.
Balt:Yet for all this will I not part from hence.
2897.1
Romeo opens the tombe.
Rom:Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,
Gorde with the dearest morsell of the earth.
2900Thus I enforce thy rotten iawes to ope.
Par:This is that banisht naughtie Mountague,
That murderd my loues cosen, I will apprehend him.
Stop thy vnhallowed toyle vile Mountague.
Can vengeance be pursued further then death?
I doe attach thee as a fellon heere.
2910The Law condemnes thee, therefore thou must dye.
Rom:I must indeed, and therefore came I hither.
Good youth begone, tempt not a desperate man.
2915Heape not another sinne vpon my head
By sheding of thy bloud, I doe protest
I loue thee better then I loue my selfe:
For I come hyther armde against my selfe.
Par:I doe defie thy coniurations:
And doe attach thee as a fellon heere.
Rom:What dost thou tempt me, then haue at thee boy.
2923.1
They fight.
Boy:O Lord they fight, I will goe call the watch.
2925Par:Ah I am slaine, if thou be mercifull
Open the tombe, lay me with Iuliet.
Rom:Yfaith I will, let me peruse this face,
Mercutios kinsman, noble County Paris?
What said my man, when my betossed soule
2930Did no regard him as we past a long.
Did he not say Paris should haue maried
Iuliet? eyther he said so, or I dreamd it so.
2932.1But I will satisfie thy last request,
For thou hast prizd thy loue aboue thy life.
2940Death lye thou there, by a dead man interd,
How oft haue many at the houre of death
Beene blith and pleasant? which their keepers call
A lightning before death But how may I
Call this a lightning. Ah deare Iuliet,
2944.1How well thy beauty doth become this graue?
O I beleeue that vnsubstanciall death,
2956.1Is amorous, and doth court my loue.
Therefore will I, O heere, O euer heere,
Set vp my euerlasting rest
With wormes, that are thy chamber mayds.
Come desperate Pilot now at once runne on
2975The dashing rockes thy sea-sicke weary barge.
Heers to my loue. O true Apothecary:
Thy drugs are swift: thus with a kisse I dye.
Falls.
Enter Fryer with a Lanthorne.
How oft to night haue these my aged feete
2980Stumbled at graues as I did passe along.
2980.1Whose there?
Man.A frend and one that knowes you well.
Fr:Who is it that consorts so late the dead,
What light is yon? if I be not deceived,
2985Me thinkes it burnes in Capels monument?
ManIt doth so holy Sir, and there is one
That loues you dearely.
Fr.Who is it?
Man:Romeo.
2990Fr:How long hath he beene there?
Man:Full halfe an houre and more.
Fr:Goe with me thether.
Man:I dare not sir, he knowes not I am heere:
2995On paine of death he chargde me to be gone,
And not for to disturbe him in his enterprize.
Fr:Then must I goe: my minde presageth ill.
2997.1
Fryer stoops and lookes on the blood and weapons.
What blood is this that staines the entrance
Of this marble stony monument?
3005What meanes these maisterles and goory weapons?
Ah me I doubt, whose heere? what Romeo dead?
Who and Paris too? what vnluckie houre
Is accessary to so foule a sinne?
3009.1
Iuliet rises.
3010The Lady sturres.
Ah comfortable Fryer.
I doe remember well where I should be,
And what we talkt of: but yet I cannot see
3013.1Him for whose sake I vndertooke this hazard.
Fr:Lady come foorth. I heare some noise at hand,
We shall be taken, Paris, he is slaine,
3019.1And Romeo dead: and if we heere be tane
We shall be thought to be as accessarie.
3020I will prouide for you in some close Nunery.
Iul:Ah leaue me, leaue me, I will not from hence.
Fr:I heare some noise, I dare not stay, come, come.
Iul:Goe get thee gone.
Whats heere a cup closde in my louers hands?
Ah churle drinke all, and leaue no drop for me.
Enter Watch.
Watch:This way, this way.
Iul:I, noise? then must I be resolute.
O happy dagger thou shalt end my feare,
3035Rest in my bosome, thus I come to thee.
3035.1
She stabs herselfe and falles.
Enter Watch.
Cap:Come looke about, what weapons haue we heere?
See frends where Iuliet two daies buried,
New bleeding wounded, search and see who's neare.
3042.1Attach and bring them to vs presently.
Enter one with the Fryer.
1.Captaine heers a Fryer with tooles about him,
3055Fitte to ope a tombe.
Cap:A great suspition, keep him safe.
Enter one with Romets Man.
30501.Heeres Romeos Man.
Capt:Keepe him to be examinde.
Enter Prince with others.
Prin:What early mischiefe calls vs vp so soone.
Capt:O noble Prince, see here
Where Iuliet that hath lyen intoombed two dayes,
Warme and fresh bleeding, Romeo and Countie Paris
Likewise newly slaine.
Prin:Search seeke about to finde the murderers.
Enter olde Capolet and his Wife.
Capo:What rumor's this that is so early vp?
Moth:The people in the streetes crie Romeo,
And some on Iuliet: as if they alone
3065Had been the cause of such a mutinie.
Capo:See Wife, this dagger hath mistooke:
For (loe) the backe is emptie of yong Mountague,
And it is sheathed in our Daughters breast.
Enter olde Mountague.
Prin:Come Mountague, for thou art early vp,
To see thy Sonne and Heire more early downe.
3085Mount:Dread Souereigne, my Wife is dead to night,
And yong Benuolio is deceased too:
What further mischiefe can there yet be found?
Prin:First come and see, then speake.
Mount:O thou vntaught, what manners is in this
3090To presse before thy Father to a graue.
Prin:Come seale your mouthes of outrage for a while,
And let vs seeke to finde the Authors out
3092.1Of such a hainous and seld seene mischaunce.
Bring forth the parties in suspition.
Fr:I am the greatest able to doo least.
3098.1Most worthie Prince, heare me but speake the truth.
3100And Ile informe you how these things fell out.
Iuliet here slaine was married to that Romeo,
3106.1Without her Fathers or her Mothers grant:
3140The Nurse was priuie to the marriage.
The balefull day of this vnhappie marriage,
VVas Tybalts doomesday: for which Romeo
3110VVas banished from hence to Mantua.
He gone, her Father sought by soule constraint
To marrie her to Paris: but her Soule
(Loathing a second Contract) did refuse
3116.1To giue consent; and therefore did she vrge me
Hither to finde a meanes she might auoyd
What so her Father sought to force her too
Or els all desperately she threatned
3117.1Euen in my presence to dispatch of her selfe.
Then did I giue her, (tutord my mine arte)
A potion that should make her seeme as dead:
And told her that I would with all post speed
Send hence to Mantua for her Romeo,
That he might come and take her from the Toombe,
3125But he that had my Letters (Frier Iohn)
3125.1Seeking a Brother to associate him,
VVhereas the sicke infection remaind,
VVas stayed by the Searchers of the Towne.
But Romeo vnderstanding by his man,
That Iuliet was deceasde, returnde in post
Vnto Verona for to see his loue.
VVhat after happened touching Paris death,
3150Or Romeos is to me vnknowne at all.
But when I came to take the Lady hence,
I found them dead, and she awakt from sleep:
VVhom faine I would haue taken from the tombe,
VVhich she refused seeing Romeo dead.
3155Anone I heard the watch and then I fled,
VVhat after happened I am ignorant of.
And if in this ought haue miscaried
By me, or by my meanes let my old life
Be sacrificd some houre before his time.
3160To the most strickest rigor of the Law.
Pry:VVe still haue knowne thee for a holy man,
VVheres Romeos man, what can he say in this?
Balth:I brought my maister word that shee was dead,
And then he poasted straight from Mantua,
Vnto this Toombe. These Letters he deliuered me,
Charging me early giue them to his Father.
Prin:Lets see the Letters, I will read them ouer.
VVhere is the Counties Boy that calld the VVatch?
Boy:I brought my Master vnto Iuliets graue,
But one approaching, straight I calld my Master.
At last they fought, I ran to call the VVatch.
3158.1And this is all that I can say or know.
Prin:These letters doe make good the Fryers wordes,
3165Come Capolet, and come olde Mountagewe.
3165.1VVhere are these enemies? see what hate hath done.
3170Cap:Come brother Mountague giue me thy hand,
There is my daughters dowry: for now no more
Can I bestowe on her, thats all I haue.
Moun:But I will giue them more, I will erect
Her statue of pure golde:
3175That while Verona by that name is knowne.
There shall no statue of such price be set,
As that of Romeos loued Iuliet.
Cap:As rich shall Romeo by his Lady lie,
Poore Sacrifices to our Enmitie.
3180Prin:A gloomie peace this day doth with it bring.
Come, let vs hence,
To haue more talke of these sad things.
Some shall be pardoned and some punished:
Fore nere was heard a Storie of more woe,
3185Than this of Iuliet and her Romeo.