The Complete Tragedies of William Shakespeare - All 12 Books in One Edition. William Shakespeare

[Enter Friar Lawrence.]

       Friar Lawrence.

       This same should be the voice of Friar John.

       Welcome from Mantua: what says Romeo?

       Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter.

       Friar John.

       Going to find a barefoot brother out,

       One of our order, to associate me,

       Here in this city visiting the sick,

       And finding him, the searchers of the town,

       Suspecting that we both were in a house

       Where the infectious pestilence did reign,

       Seal’d up the doors, and would not let us forth;

       So that my speed to Mantua there was stay’d.

       Friar Lawrence.

       Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?

       Friar John.

       I could not send it,—here it is again,—

       Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,

       So fearful were they of infection.

       Friar Lawrence.

       Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood,

       The letter was not nice, but full of charge

       Of dear import; and the neglecting it

       May do much danger. Friar John, go hence;

       Get me an iron crow and bring it straight

       Unto my cell.

       Friar John.

       Brother, I’ll go and bring it thee.

       [Exit.]

       Friar Lawrence.

       Now must I to the monument alone;

       Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake:

       She will beshrew me much that Romeo

       Hath had no notice of these accidents;

       But I will write again to Mantua,

       And keep her at my cell till Romeo come;—

       Poor living corse, clos’d in a dead man’s tomb!

       [Exit.]

       SCENE III. A churchyard; in it a Monument belonging to the Capulets.

       [Enter Paris, and his Page bearing flowers and a torch.]

       Paris.

       Give me thy torch, boy: hence, and stand aloof;—

       Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.

       Under yond yew tree lay thee all along,

       Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground;

       So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,—

       Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,—

       But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me,

       As signal that thou hear’st something approach.

       Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.

       Page.

       [Aside.] I am almost afraid to stand alone

       Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.

       [Retires.]

       Paris.

       Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew:

       O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones!

       Which with sweet water nightly I will dew;

       Or, wanting that, with tears distill’d by moans:

       The obsequies that I for thee will keep,

       Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.

       [The Page whistles.]

       The boy gives warning something doth approach.

       What cursed foot wanders this way tonight,

       To cross my obsequies and true love’s rite?

       What, with a torch! muffle me, night, awhile.

       [Retires.]

       [Enter Romeo and Balthasar with a torch, mattock, &c.]

       Romeo.

       Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.

       Hold, take this letter; early in the morning

       See thou deliver it to my lord and father.

       Give me the light; upon thy life I charge thee,

       Whate’er thou hear’st or seest, stand all aloof

       And do not interrupt me in my course.

       Why I descend into this bed of death

       Is partly to behold my lady’s face,

       But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger

       A precious ring,—a ring that I must use

       In dear employment: therefore hence, be gone:—

       But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry

       In what I further shall intend to do,

       By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint,

       And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs:

       The time and my intents are savage-wild;

       More fierce and more inexorable far

       Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.

       Balthasar.

       I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.

       Romeo.

       So shalt thou show me friendship.—Take thou that:

       Live, and be prosperous: and farewell, good fellow.

       Balthasar.

       For all this same, I’ll hide me hereabout:

       His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.

       [Retires.]

       Romeo.

       Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,

       Gorg’d with the dearest morsel of the earth,

       Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,

       [Breaking open the door of the monument.]

       And, in despite, I’ll cram thee with more food!

       Paris.

       This is that banish’d haughty Montague

       That murder’d my love’s cousin,—with which grief,

       It is supposed, the fair creature died,—

       And here is come to do some villanous shame

       To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.—

       [Advances.]

       Stop thy unhallow’d toil, vile Montague!

       Can vengeance be pursu’d further than death?

       Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee;

       Obey, and go with me; for thou must die.

       Romeo.

       I must indeed; and therefore came I hither.—

       Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man;

       Fly hence and leave me:—think upon these gone;

       Let them affright thee.—I beseech thee, youth,

       Put not another sin upon my head

       By urging me to fury: O, be gone!

       By heaven, I love thee better than myself;

       For I come hither arm’d against myself:

       Stay not, be gone;—live,