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Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
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Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

Enter Paris and his Page.
Par. Giue me thy Torch boy, hence and stand aloofe,
Yet put it out, for I would not be seene:
Vnder yond young Trees lay thee all along,
2855Holding thy eare close to the hollow ground,
So shall no foote vpon the Church-yard tread,
Being loose, vnfirme with digging vp of Graues,
But thou shalt heare it, whistle then to me
As signall that thou hearest some thing approach,
2860Giue me those flowers, do as I bid thee, go.
Pa. I am almost afraid to stand alone,
Here in the Church-yard, yet I will aduenture.
Par. Sweet flower, with flowers thy Bridall bed I strew
O woe, thy Canapie is dust and stones,
2865Which with sweete water nightly I will dewe,
Or wanting that, with teares distild by mones,
The obsequies that I for thee will keepe:
Nightly
of Romeo and Iuliet.
Nightly shall be, to strew thy graue and weepe.
Whistle Boy.
2870The Boy giues warning, something doth approach,
What cursed foote wanders this way to night,
To crosse my obsequies and true loues right?
What with a Torch? muffle me night a while.
Enter Romeo and Peter.
2875Ro. Giue me that mattocke and the wrenching Iron,
Hold take this Letter, early in the morning
See thou deliuer it to my Lord and Father,
Giue me the light vpon thy life I charge thee,
What ere thou hearest or seest, stand all aloofe,
2880And do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I descend into this bed of death,
Is partly to behold my Ladies face:
But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger,
A precious Ring: a Ring that I must vse,
2885In deare imployment, therefore hence be gone:
But if thou iealous dost returne to prie
In what I farther shall intend to doo,
By heauen I will teare thee Ioynt by Ioynt,
And strew this hungry Church-yard with thy lims:
2890The time and my intents are sauage wilde,
More fierce and more inexorable farre,
Then emptie Tygers, or the roaring sea.
Pet. I will be gone sir, and not trouble ye.
Ro. So shalt thou shew me friendshid, take thou that,
2895Liue and be prosperous, and farewell good fellow.
Pet. For all this same, ile hide me here about,
His lookes I feare, and his intents I doubt.
Ro. Thou detestable mawe, thou wombe of death,
Gorg'd with the dearest morsell of the earth:
2900Thus I enforce thy rotten Iawes to open,
And in despight ile cram thee with more foode.
Pa. This is that banisht haughtie Mountague,
That murdred my loues Cozin, with which greefe
L 2 It
The most lamentable Tragedie
It is supposed the faire creature died,
2905And here is come to do some villainous shame
To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him,
Stop thy vnhallowed toyle vile Mountague:
Can vengeance be pursued further then death?
Condemned villaine, I do apprehend thee,
2910Obey and go with me, for thou must die.
Rom. I must indeed, and therefore came I hither,
Good gentle youth tempt not a desprate man,
Flie hence and leaue me, thinke vpon these gone,
Let them affright thee. I beseech thee youth,
2915Put not an other sin vpon my head,
By vrging me to furie, ô be gone,
By heauen I loue thee better then my selfe,
For I come hither armde against myselfe:
Stay not, begone, liue, and hereafter say,
2920A mad mans mercie bid thee run away.
Par. I do defie thy commiration,
And apprehend thee for a Fellon here.
Ro. Wilt thou prouoke me? then haue at thee boy.
O Lord they fight, I will go call the Watch.
2925Par. O I am slaine, if thou be mercifull,
Open the Tombe, lay me with Iuliet.
Rom. In faith I will, let me peruse this face,
Mercutios kinsman, Noble Countie Paris,
What said my man, when my betossed soule
2930Did not attend him as we rode? I thinke
He told me Paris should haue married Iuliet,
Said he not so? or did I dreame it so?
Or am I mad, hearing him talke of Iuliet,
To thinke it was so? O giue me thy hand,
2935One writ with me in sowre misfortunes booke,
Ile burie thee in a triumphant graue.
A Graue, O no. A Lanthorne slaughtred youth:
For here lies Iuliet, and her bewtie makes
This Vault a feasting presence full of light.
Death
of Romeo and Iuliet.
2940Death lie thou there by a dead man interd,
How oft when men are at the point of death,
Haue they bene merie? which their keepers call
A lightning before death? Oh how may I
Call this a lightning? O my Loue, my wife,
2945Death that hath suckt the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet vpon thy bewtie:
Thou art not conquerd, bewties ensigne yet
Is crymson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,
And deaths pale flag is not aduanced there.
2950Tybalt lyest thou there in thy bloudie sheet?
O what more fauour can I do to thee,
Then with that hand that cut thy youth in twaine,
To sunder his that was thine enemie?
Forgiue me Couzen. Ah deare Iuliet
2955Why art thou yet so faire? I will beleeue,
Shall I beleeue that vnsubstantiall death is amorous,
And that the leane abhorred monster keepes
Thee here in darke to be his parramour?
For feare of that I still will staie with thee,
2960And neuer from this pallat of dym night.
Depart againe, come lye thou in my arme,
Heer's to thy health, where ere thou tumblest in.
O true Appothecarie!
Thy drugs are quicke. Thus with a kisse I die.
2965Depart againe, here, here, will I remaine,
With wormes that are thy Chamber-maides: O here
Will I set vp my euerlasting rest:
And shake the yoke of inauspicious starres,
From this world wearied flesh, eyes looke your last:
2970Armes take your last embrace: And lips, O you
The doores of breath, seale with a righteous kisse
A datelesse bargaine to ingrossing death:
Come bitter conduct, come vnsauoury guide,
Thou desperate Pilot, now at once run on
2975The dashing Rocks, thy seasick weary barke:
Heeres to my Loue. O true Appothecary:
Thy drugs are quicke. Thus with a kisse I die.
L 3 Enter
The most lamentable Tragedie
Entrer Frier with Lanthorne, Crowe,
and Spade.
Frier. S. Frances be my speede, how oft to night
2980Haue my old feet stumbled at graues? Whoes there?
Man. Heeres one, a friend, and one that knowes you well.
Frier. Blisse be vpon you. Tell me good my friend
What torch is yond that vainly lends his light
To grubs and eyelesse sculles: as I discerne,
2985It burneth in the Capels monument.
Man. It doth so holy sir, and theres my maister, one that you (loue.
Frier. Who is it?
Man. Romeo.
2990Frier. How long hath he bin there?
Man. Full halfe an houre.
Frier. Go with me to the Vault.
Man. I dare not sir.
My Master knowes not but I am gone hence,
2995And fearefully did menace me with death
If I did stay to looke on his entents.
Frier. Stay then ile go alone, feare comes vpon me.
O much I feare some ill vnthriftie thing.
Man. As I did sleepe vnder this yong tree heere,
3000I dreampt my maister and another fought,
And that my maister slew him.
Frier. Romeo.
Alack alack, what bloud is this which staines
The stony entrance of the Sepulchre?
3005What meane these maisterlesse and goarie swords
To lie discolour'd by this place of peace?
Romeo, oh pale! who else, what Paris too?
And steept in bloud? ah what an vnkind hower
Is guiltie of this lamentable chance?
3010The Lady stirres.
Iuli. O comfortable Frier, where is my Lord?
I do remember well where I should be:
And there I am, where is my Romeo?
Frier. I heare some noyse Lady, come from that nest
Of
of Romeo and Iuliet.
3015Of death, contagion, and vnnaturall sleepe,
A greater power then we can contradict
Hath thwarted our intents, come, come away,
Thy husband in thy bosome there lies dead:
And Paris too, come ile dispose of thee,
3020Among a Sisterhood of holy Nunnes:
Stay not to question, for the watch is comming,
Come go good Iuliet, I dare no longer stay.
Exit.
Iuli. Go get thee hence, for I will not away.
Whats heere? a cup closd in my true loues hand?
3025Poison I see hath bin his timelesse end:
O churle, drunke all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after, I will kisse thy lips,
Happlie some poyson yet doth hang on them,
To make me dye with a restoratiue.
3030Thy lips are warme.
Enter Boy and Watch.
Watch. Leade boy, which way.
Iuli. Yea noise? then ile be briefe. O happy dagger
3035This is thy sheath, there rust and let me dye.
Watch boy. This is the place there where the torch doth burne.
Watch. The ground is bloudie, search about the Churchyard.
3040Go some of you, who ere you find attach.
Pittifull sight, heere lies the Countie slaine,
And Iuliet bleeding, warme, and newlie dead:
Who heere hath laine this two daies buried.
Go tell the Prince, runne to the Capulets,
3045Raise vp the Mountagues, some others search,
We see the ground whereon these woes do lye,
But the true ground of all these piteous woes
We cannot without circumstance descry.
Enter Romeos man.
3050 Watch. Heres Romeos man, we found him in the Churchyard.
Chief. watch. Hold him in safetie till the Prince come hither.
Enter Frier, and another Watchman.
3. Watch. Here is a Frier that trembles, sighes, and weepes,
We
The most lamentable Tragedie
3055We tooke this Mattocke and this Spade from him,
As he was comming from this Church-yards side.
Chief watch. A great suspition, stay the Frier too too.
Enter the Prince.
Prin. What misaduenture is so early vp,
3060That calls our person from our morning rest?
Enter Capels.
Ca. What should it be that is so shrike abroad?
Wife. O the people in the street crie Romeo,
Some Iuliet, and some Paris, and all runne
3065With open outcry toward our Monument.
Pr. What feare is this which startles in your eares?
Watch. Soueraine, here lies the County Paris slain,
And Romeo dead, and Iuliet dead before,
Warme and new kild.
3070 Prin. Search, seeke & know how this foule murder (comes.
Wat. Here is a Frier, and Slaughter Romeos man,
With Instruments vpon them, fit to open
These dead mens Tombes.
3075 Enter Capulet and his wife.
Ca. O heauens! O wife looke how our daughter (bleeds!
This dagger hath mistane, for loe his house
Is emptie on the back of Mountague,
And it missheathd in my daughters bosome.
3080Wife. O me, this sight of death, is as a Bell
That warnes my old age to a sepulcher.
Enter Mountague.
Prin. Come Mountague, for thou art early vp
To see thy sonne and heire, now earling downe.
3085Moun. Alas my liege, my wife is dead to night,
Griefe of my sonnes exile hath stopt her breath.
What further woe conspires against mine age?
Prin. Looke and thou shalt see.
Moun. O thou vntaught, what maners is in this,
3090To presse before thy father to a graue?
Prin. Seale vp the mouth of outrage for a while,
Till we can cleare these ambiguities,
And
of Romeo and Iuliet.
And know their spring, their head, their true discent,
And then will I be generall of your woes,
3095And leade you euen to death, meane time forbeare,
And let mischance be slaue to patience,
Bring foorth the parties of suspition.
Frier. I am the greatest able to do least,
Yet most suspected as the time and place
3100Doth make against me of this direfull murther:
And heere I stand both to impeach and purge
My selfe condemned, and my selfe excusde.
Prin. Then say at once what thou dost know in this?
Frier. I will be briefe, for my short date of breath
3105Is not so long as is a tedious tale.
Romeo there dead, was husband to that Iuliet,
And she there dead, thats Romeos faithfull wife:
I married them, and their stolne marriage day
Was Tibalts doomesday, whose vntimely death
3110Banisht the new-made Bridegroome from this Citie,
For whome, and not for Tibalt, Iuliet pinde.
You to remoue that siege of griefe from her
Betrothd and would haue married her perforce
To Countie Paris. Then comes she to me,
3115And with wild lookes bid me deuise some meane
To rid her from this second mariage:
Or in my Cell there would she kill her selfe.
Then gaue I her (so tuterd 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 dire night
To help to take her from her borrowed graue,
Being the time the potions force should cease.
3125But he which bore my letter, Frier Iohn,
Was stayed by accident, and yesternight
Returnd my letter back, then all alone
At the prefixed hower of her waking,
M Came
The most lamentable Tragedie
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 awakening, here vntimely lay,
The Noble Paris, and true Romeo dead.
3135She wakes, and I entreated her come forth
And beare this worke of heauen with patience:
But then a noyse did scare me from the Tombe,
And she too desperate would not go with me:
But as it seemes, did violence on her selfe.
3140Al this I know, & to the marriage her Nurse is priuie:
And if ought in this miscaried by my fault,
Let my old life be sacrific'd some houre before his time,
Vnto the rigour of seuerest law.
Prin. We still haue knowne thee for a holy man,
3145Wheres Romeos man? what can he say to this?
Balth. I brought my maister 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 looke on it.
Where is the Counties Page that raisd the Watch?
Sirrah, what made your maister in this place?
3155 Boy. He came with flowers 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.
3160 Prin. This Letter doth make good the Friers words,
Their course of Loue, the tidings of her death,
And here he writes, that he did buy a poyson
Of a poore Pothecarie, and therewithall,
Came to this Vault, to die and lye with Iuliet.
3165Where be these enemies? Capulet, Mountague?
See
of Romeo and Iuliet.
See what a scourge is laide vpon your hate?
That heauen finds means to kil your ioyes with loue,
And I for winking at your discords too,
Haue lost a brace of kinsmen, all are punisht.
3170Cap. O brother Mountague, giue me thy hand,
This is my daughters ioynture, for no more
Can I demaund.
Moun. But I can giue thee more,
For I will raie her statue in pure gold,
3175That whiles Verona by that name is knowne,
There shall no figure at such rate be set,
As that of true and faithfull Iuliet.
Capel. As rich shall Romeos by his Ladies lie,
Poore sacrifices of our enmitie.
3180Prin. A glooming peace this morning with it brings,
The Sun for sorrow will not shew his head:
Go hence to haue more talke of these sad things,
Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.
For neuer was a Storie of more wo,
3185Then this of Iuliet and her Romeo.
FINIS.
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