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  • Title: Romeo and Juliet (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editor: Roger Apfelbaum

    • ISBN: 1-55058-299-2

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Romeo and Juliet (Folio 1, 1623)

    The Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet. 79
    I married them; and their stolne marriage day
    Was Tybalts Doomesday: whose vntimely death
    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,
    3115And (with wilde lookes) bid me deuise some meanes
    To rid her from this second Marriage,
    Or in my Cell there would she kill her selfe.
    Then gaue I her (so Tutor'd by my Art)
    A sleeping Potion, which so tooke effect
    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,
    Being the time the Potions force should cease.
    3125But he which bore my Letter, Frier Iohn,
    Was stay'd by accident; and yesternight
    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:
    But then, a noyse did scarre me from the Tombe,
    And she (too desperate) would not go with me,
    But (as it seemes) did violence on her selfe.
    3140All this I know, and to the Marriage her Nurse is priuy:
    And if ought in this miscarried by my fault,
    Let my old life be sacrific'd, some houre before the time,
    Vnto the rigour of seuerest Law.
    Prin. We still haue knowne thee for a Holy man.
    3145Where's Romeo's man? What can he say to this?
    Boy. I brought my Master newes of Iuliets death,
    And then in poste he came from Mantua
    To this same place, to this same Monument.
    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?
    3155Page. He came with flowres to strew his Ladies graue,
    And bid me stand aloofe, and so I did:
    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,
    Haue lost a brace of Kinsmen: All are punish'd.
    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,
    There shall no figure at that Rate be set,
    As that of True and Faithfull Iuliet.
    Cap. As rich shall Romeo by his Lady ly,
    Poore sacrifices of our enmity.
    3180Prin. A glooming peace this morning with it brings,
    The Sunne for sorrow will not shew his head;
    Go hence, to haue more talke of these sad things,
    Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished.
    For neuer was a Storie of more Wo,
    3185Then this of Iuliet, and her Romeo. Exeunt omnes

    FINIS.
    Gg
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