Can vengeance be purfu'd further than death? Rom. I muft, indeed, and therefore came I hither. By urging me to fury. Oh be gone! Rom. Wilt thou provoke me? then have at thee, boy, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet. Rom. In faith, I will: let me perufe this face. [Dyes. A Grave? O, no; a Lanthorn, flaughter'd Youth; [Laying Paris in the Monument. A Lightning before Death. O, how may I Oh my love, my wife! Death, 1 Death, that ath fuckt the honey of thy breath, And shake the yoke of inaufpicious stars (30) From this world-weary'd fleth. Eyes, look your laft ! Come, bitter conduct! come, unfavoury guide! (30) And never from this Palace of dim Night Depart again. (Come, lye Thou in my Arms; Here's to thy Health. O true Apothecary! Thy Drugs are quick.)] Mr. Pope's, and fome other of the worfer, Editions acknowledge abfurdly the Lines which I have put into Parenthefis here; and which I have expung'd from the Text, for this Reafon: Romeo is made to confefs the Effect of the Poison, before ever he has tafted it. I fuppofe, it hardly was fo favoury that the Patient should chuse to make two Draughts of it. And, eight Lines after thefe, we find him taking the Poison in his hand, and making an Apostrophe to it; inviting it to perform its Office at once; and then, and not till then, does he clap it to his Lips, or can with any Probability speak of its inftant Force and Effects. Befides, Shakespeare would hardly have made Romeo drink to the Health of his dead Miftrefs. Here's Here's to my love! oh, true apothecary! [Drinks the poifon. Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. [Dies. Enter Friar Lawrence with lanthorn, crow, and spade. Fri. St. Francis be my Speed! how oft to night Have my old feet ftuinbled at Graves? who's there? Enter Balthazar, Balth. Here's one, a friend, and one that knows you well. Fri. Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend, And there's my mafter, one you dearly love. Balth. Romeo. Fri. How long hath he been there? Balth. Full half an hour. Fri. Go with me to the Vault. Balth. I dare not, Sir. My master knows not, but I am gone hence; And fearfully did menace me with death, If I did ftay to look on his intents. Fri. Stay then, I'll go alone; fear comes upon me; Ö, much I fear fome ill unlucky thing. Balth. As I did fleep under this yew-tree here, I dreamt, my mafter and another fought, And that my mafter flew him. Fri. Romeo! Alack, alack, what blood is this, which ftains The lady ftirs. Jul. Jul. [awaking] Oh comfortable Friar, where is my lord? I do remember well, where I fhould be; And there I am; but where is Romeo? Fri. I hear fome noife! Lady, come from that Neft Of death, contagion, and unnatural fleep; A greater Power, than we can contradict, Hath thwarted our intents; come, come away ; And Paris too Come, I'll difpofe of thee Among a fifterhood of holy Nuns: Stay not to queftion, for the Watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet; I dare no longer stay. [Exit. Oh churl, drink all, and leave no friendly drop Enter Boy and Watch. Watch. Lead, boy, w which way? Jul. Yea, noife? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! [Finding a dagger, This is thy fheath, there ruft and let me die. [Kills berfelf Boy. This is the place; there, where the torch doth church-yard; Search about the Go, fome of you, whom e'er you find, attach, But the true ground of all these piteous Woes - Enter fome of the Watch, with Balthazar. 2 Watch. Here's Romeo's inan, we found him in the church-yard. I Watch. Hold him in fafety, 'till the Prince comes hither. 3 Enter another Watchman, with Friar Lawrence. Watch. Here is a Friar that trembles, fighs and We took this mattock and this fpade from him, Enter the Prince, and attendants. Prince. What mifadventure is fo early up, That calls our person from our morning's Rest? Enter Capulet and lady Capulet. Cap. What fhould it be, that they so fhriek abroad? La. Cap. The people in the ftreet cry, Romeo; Some, Juliet; and fome, Paris; and all run With open out-cry tow'rd our Monument. Prince. What fear is this, which startles in your ears? Watch. Sovereign, here lyes the County Paris flain, And Romeo dead, and Juliet (dead before) Warm and new kill'd. Prince. Search, feek, and know, how this foul mur ther comes. Watch. Here is a Friar, and flaughter'd Romeo's man, With inftruments upon them, fit to open These dead mens tombs. Cap. Oh, heav'n! oh, wife! look how our daughter bleeds! This dagger hath mifta'en; for, loe! the fheath The point mif-fheathed in my daughter's bofom. La. Cap. |