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Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
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Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed
Enter Frier and Countie Paris.
Fri. On Thursday sir: the time is very short.
2295Par. My Father Capulet will haue it so,
And I am nothing slow to slacke his haste.
Fri. You say you do not know the Ladies minde?
Vneuen is the course, I like it not.
Par. Immoderately she weepes for Tybalts death,
2300And therefore haue I little talke of loue,
For Venus smiles not in a house of teares.
Now sir, her father counts it daungerous
That she do giue her sorrow so much sway:
And in his wisedome hastes our marriage,
2305To stop the inundation of her teares.
Which too much minded by her selfe alone
May be put from her by societie.
Now do you know the reason of this haste.
Fri. I would I knew not why it should be slowed.
2310Looke sir, here comes the Lady toward my Cell.
Enter Iuliet.
Pa. Happily met my Lady and my wife.
Iu. That maybe sir, when I may be a wife.
Pa. That may be, must be loue, on Thursday next.
2315Iu. What must be shall be.
Fri. Thats a certaine text.
Par. Come you to make confession to this Father?
Iu. To aunswere that, I should confesse to you.
Pa. Do not denie to him, that you loue me.
2320Iu. I will confesse to you that I loue him.
Par. So will ye, I am sure that you loue me.
Iu. If I do so, it will be of more price,
Being spoke behind your backe, then to your face.
Par. Poor soule thy face is much abusde with tears.
2325Iu. The teares haue got small victorie by that,
For it was bad inough before their spight.
Pa. Thou wrongst it more then tears with that report.
Iu. That is no slaunder sir, which is a truth,
And what I spake, I spake it to my face.
2330Pa. Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandred it.
Iu. It may be so, for it is not mine owne.
Are you at leisure, holy Father now,
Or shall I come to you at euening Masse?
Fri. My leisure serues me pensiue daughter now,
2335My Lord we must entreate the time alone.
Par. Godshield, I should disturbe deuotion,
Iuliet, on Thursday early will I rowse yee,
Till then adue, and keepe this holy kisse.
2338.1
Exit.
Iu. O shut the doore, and when thou hast done so,
2340Come weepe with me, past hope, past care, past help.
Fri. O Iuliet I already know thy greefe,
It straines me past the compasse of my wits,
I heare thou must, and nothing may prorogue it,
On Thursday next be married to this Countie.
2345Iu. Tell me not Frier, that thou hearest of this,
Vnlesse thou tell me, how I may preuent it:
If in thy wisedome thou canst giue no helpe,
Do thou but call my resolution wise,
And with this knife ile helpe it presently.
2350God ioynd my heart, and Romeos thou our hands
And ere this hand by thee to Romeos seald:
Shall be the Labell to an other deed,
Or my true heart with trecherous reuolt,
Turne to an other, this shall sley them both:
2355Therefore out of thy long experienst time,
Giue me some present counsell, or behold
Twixt my extreames and me, this bloudie knife
Shall play the vmpeere, arbitrating that,
Which the commission of thy yeares and art,
2360Could to no issue of true honour bring:
Be not so long to speake, I long to die,
If what thou speakst, speake not of remedie.
Fri. Hold daughter, I do spie a kind of hope,
Which craues as desperate an execution,
2365As that is desperate which we would preuent.
If rather then to marrie Countie Paris
Thou hast the strength of will to slaythy selfe,
Then is it likely thou wilt vndertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
2370That coapst with death, himselfe to scape from it:
And if thou darest, Ile giue thee remedie.
Iu. Oh bid me leape, rather then marrie Paris,
From of the battlements of any Tower,
Or walke in theeuish wayes, or bid me lurke
2375Where Serpents are: chaine me with roaring Beares,
Or hide me nightly in a Charnel house,
Orecouerd quite with dead mens ratling bones,
With reekie shanks and yealow chaples sculls:
Or bid me go into a new made graue,
2380And hide me with a dead man in his,
Things that to heare them told, haue made me tremble,
And I will do it without feare or doubt,
To liue an vnstaind wife to my sweete loue.
Fri. Hold then, go home, be merrie, giue consent,
2385To marrie Paris: wendsday is to morrow,
To morrow night looke that thou lie alone,
Let not the Nurse lie with thee in thy Chamber:
Take thou this Violl being then in bed,
And this distilling liquor drinke thou off,
2390When presently through all thy veinesshall run,
A cold and drowzie humour: for no pulse
Shall keepe his natiue progresse but surcease,
No warmth, no breast shall testifie thou liuest,
The roses in thy lips and cheekes shall fade:
2395Too many ashes, thy eyes windowes fall:
Like death when he shuts vp the day of life.
Each part depriu'd of supple gouernment,
Shall stiffe and starke, and cold appeare like death,
And in this borrowed likenesse of shrunke death
2400Thou shalt continue two and fortie houres,
And then awake as from a pleasant sleepe.
Now when the Bridegroome in the morning comes,
To rowse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead:
Then as the manner of our countrie is,
2405Is thy best robes vncouered on the Beere,
Be borne to buriall in thy kindreds graue:
Thou shall be borne to that same auncient vault,
Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie,
In the meane time against thou shalt awake,
2410Shall Romeo by my Letters know our drift,
And hither shall he come, an he and I
2411.1Will watch thy walking, and that very night
Shall Romeo beare thee hence to Mantua.
And this shall free thee from this present shame,
If no inconstant toy nor womanish feare,
2415Abate thy valour in the acting it.
Iu. Giue me, giue me, O tell not me of feare
Fri. Hold get you gone, be strong and prosperous
In this resolue, ile send a Frier with speed
To Mantua, with my Letters to thy Lord.
2420Iu. Loue giue me strength, and strength shall helpe afford:
Farewell deare father.
(Exit.