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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    Nur. Mistris, what Mistris? Iuliet? Fast I warrant her she.
    Why Lambe, why Lady? fie you sluggabed,
    Why Loue I say? Madam, sweet heart: why Bride?
    What not a word? You take your peniworths now.
    2580Sleepe for a weeke, for the next night I warrant
    The Countie Paris hath set vp his rest,
    That you shall rest but little, God forgiue me:
    Marrie and Amen: how sound is she a sleepe?
    I
    The Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet.73
    I must needs wake her: Madam, Madam, Madam,
    2585I, let the Countie take you in your bed,
    Heele fright you vp yfaith. Will it not be?
    What drest, and in your clothes, and downe againe?
    I must needs wake you: Lady, Lady, Lady?
    Alas, alas, helpe, helpe, my Ladyes dead,
    2590Oh weladay, that euer I was borne,
    Some Aqua-vitae ho, my Lord, my Lady?
    Mo. What noise is heere? Enter Mother.
    Nur. O lamentable day.
    Mo. What is the matter?
    2595Nur. Looke, looke, oh heauie day.
    Mo. O me, O me, my Child, my onely life:
    Reuiue, looke vp, or I will die with thee:
    Helpe, helpe, call helpe.
    Enter Father.
    2600Fa. For shame bring Iuliet forth, her Lord is come.
    Nur. Shee's dead: deceast, shee's dead: alacke the day.
    M. Alacke the day, shee's dead, shee's dead, shee's dead.
    Fa. Ha? Let me see her: out alas shee's cold,
    Her blood is setled and her ioynts are stiffe:
    2605Life and these lips haue long bene seperated:
    Death lies on her like an vntimely frost
    Vpon the swetest flower of all the field.
    Nur. O Lamentable day!
    Mo. O wofull time.
    2610Fa. Death that hath tane her hence to make me waile,
    Ties vp my tongue, and will not let me speake.
    Enter Frier and the Countie.
    Fri. Come, is the Bride ready to go to Church?
    Fa. Ready to go, but neuer to returne.
    2615O Sonne, the night before thy wedding day,
    Hath death laine with thy wife: there she lies,
    Flower as she was, deflowred by him.
    Death is my Sonne in law, death is my Heire,
    My Daughter he hath wedded. I will die,
    2620And leaue him all life liuing, all is deaths.
    Pa. Haue I thought long to see this mornings face,
    And doth it giue me such a sight as this?
    Mo. Accur'st, vnhappie, wretched hatefull day,
    Most miserable houre, that ere time saw
    2625In lasting labour of his Pilgrimage.
    But one, poore one, one poore and louing Child,
    But one thing to reioyce and solace in,
    And cruell death hath catcht it from my sight.
    Nur. O wo, O wofull, wofull, wofull day,
    2630Most lamentable day, most wofull day,
    That euer, euer, I did yet behold.
    O day, O day, O day, O hatefull day,
    Neuer was seene so blacke a day as this:
    O wofull day, O wofull day.
    2635Pa. Beguild, diuorced, wronged, spighted, slaine,
    Most detestable death, by thee beguil'd,
    By cruell, cruell thee, quite ouerthrowne:
    O loue, O life; not life, but loue in death.
    Fat. Despis'd, distressed, hated, martir'd, kil'd,
    2640Vncomfortable time, why cam'st thou now
    To murther, murther our solemnitie?
    O Child, O Child; my soule, and not my Child,
    Dead art thou, alacke my Child is dead,
    And with my Child, my ioyes are buried.
    2645Fri. Peace ho for shame, confusions: Care liues not
    In these confusions, heauen and your selfe
    Had part in this faire Maid, now heauen hath all,
    And all the better is it for the Maid:
    Your part in her, you could not keepe from death,
    2650But heauen keepes his part in eternall life:
    The most you sought was her promotion,
    For 'twas your heauen, she shouldst be aduan'st,
    And weepe ye now, seeing she is aduan'st
    Aboue the Cloudes, as high as Heauen it selfe?
    2655O in this loue, you loue your Child so ill,
    That you run mad, seeing that she is well:
    Shee's not well married, that liues married long,
    But shee's best married, that dies married yong.
    Drie vp your teares, and sticke your Rosemarie
    2660On this faire Coarse, and as the custome is,
    And in her best array beare her to Church:
    For though some Nature bids all vs lament,
    Yet Natures teares are Reasons merriment.
    Fa. All things that we ordained Festiuall,
    2665Turne from their office to blacke Funerall:
    Our instruments to melancholy Bells,
    Our wedding cheare, to a sad buriall Feast:
    Our solemne Hymnes, to sullen Dyrges change:
    Our Bridall flowers serue for a buried Coarse:
    2670And all things change them to the contrarie.
    Fri. Sir go you in; and Madam, go with him,
    And go sir Paris, euery one prepare
    To follow this faire Coarse vnto her graue:
    The heauens do lowre vpon you, for some ill:
    2675Moue them no more, by crossing their high will. Exeunt
    Mu. Faith we may put vp our Pipes and be gone.
    Nur. Honest goodfellowes: Ah put vp, put vp,
    For well you know, this is a pitifull case.
    Mu. I by my troth, the case may be amended.
    2680Enter Peter.
    Pet. Musitions, oh Musitions,
    Hearts ease, hearts ease,
    O, and you will haue me liue, play hearts ease.
    Mu. Why hearts ease;
    2685Pet. O Musitions,
    Because my heart it selfe plaies, my heart is full.
    Mu. Not a dump we, 'tis no time to play now.
    Pet. You will not then?
    Mu. No.
    2690Pet. I will then giue it you soundly.
    Mu. What will you giue vs?
    Pet. No money on my faith, but the gleeke.
    I will giue you the Minstrell.
    Mu. Then will I giue you the Seruing creature.
    2695Peter. Then will I lay the seruing Creatures Dagger
    on your pate. I will carie no Crochets, Ile Re you, Ile Fa
    you, do you note me?
    Mu. And you Re vs, and Fa vs, you Note vs.
    2. M. Pray you put vp your Dagger,
    2700And put out your wit.
    Then haue at you with my wit.
    Peter. I will drie-beate you with an yron wit,
    And put vp my yron Dagger.
    Answere me like men:
    2705When griping griefes the heart doth wound, then Mu-
    sicke with her siluer sound.
    Why siluer sound? why Musicke with her siluer sound?
    what say you Simon Catling?
    Mu. Mary sir, because siluer hath a sweet sound.
    2710Pet. Pratest, what say you Hugh Rebicke?
    2. M. I say siluer sound, because Musitions sound for sil- (uer
    Pet. Pratest to, what say you Iames Sound-Post?
    3. Mu. Faith I know not what to say.
    Pet. O I cry you mercy, you are the Singer.
    2715I will say for you; it is Musicke with her siluer sound,
    gg Be-
    74 The Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet.
    Because Musitions haue no gold for sounding:
    Then Musicke with her siluer sound, with speedy helpe
    doth lend redresse. Exit.
    Mu. What a pestilent knaue is this same?
    2720M.2. Hang him Iacke, come weele in here, tarrie for
    the Mourners, and stay dinner. Exit.
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