ACT V. ROMEO AND JULIET. I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave,- 79 [Laying PARIS in the Monument. Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain, With worms that are thy chambermaids; O, here And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.-Eyes, look your last! [Dies. Enter, at the other end of the Churchyard, Friar LAURENCE, with a lantern, crow, and spade. Fri. Saint Francis be my speed! how oft to-night [1] A presence means a publick room, which is at times the presence-chamber of the sovereign, M. MASON. Have my old feet stumbled at graves?2-Who's there? Who is it that consorts, so late, the dead? Bal. Here's one, a friend, and one that knows you well. Fri. Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend, What torch is yond', that vainly lends his light To grubs and eyeless sculls ? as I discern, It burneth in the Capels' monument. Bal. It doth so, holy sir; and there's my master, One that you love. Fri. Who is it? Bal. Romeo. Fri. How long hath he been there? Bal. Full half an hour. Fri. Go with me to the vault. Bal. I dare not, sir: My master knows not, but I am gone hence; If I did stay to look on his intents. Fri. Stay then, I'll go alone :-Fear comes upon me; O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing. Bal. As I did sleep under this yew-tree here, I dreamt my master and another fought, And that my master slew him.3 Fri. Romeo ? [Advances. Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stains [Enters the Monument. [JULIET wakes and stirs. Jul. O, comfortable friar! where is my lord? I do remember well where I should be, And there I am :-Where is my Romeo? [Noise within. [2] This accident was reckoned ominous. So in King Henry VI. part 3: "For many men that stumble at the threshold, Are well foretold that danger lurks within." Again, in Richard III. Hastings, going to execution, says; "Three times to-day my footcloth horse did stumble." STEEVENS. [3] This is one of the touches of nature that would have escaped the hand of any painter less attentive to it than Shakspeare. What happens to a person while he is under the manifest influence of fear, will seem to him, when he is recovered from it, like a dream. Homer, Book 8th, represents Rhesus" dying fast asleep. and as it were beholding his enemy in a dream plunging a sword into his bosom. Eustathius and Dacier both applaud this image as very natural; for a man in such a condition, says Mr. Pope, awakes no further than to see confusedly what environs him, and to think it not a reality but a vision. STEEVENS. So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread, Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure. [Retires, Par. Sweet flower, with flowers I strew thy bridal bed: Sweet tomb, that in thy circuit dost contain The perfect model of eternity; Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain, 8 [The Boy whistles. [Retires. Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with a torch, mattock, Sc. Rom. 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, Why I descend into this bed of death, But, chiefly, to take thence from her dead finger In dear employment:9 therefore hence, begone:- 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 : More fierce, and more inexorable far [8] These four lines from the old edition. The folio has these lines: РОРЕ. "Sweet flow'r, with flow'rs thy bridal bed I strew; "Which with sweet water nightly I will dew, "The obsequies that I for thee will keep, "Nightly shall be, to strew thy grave and weep." JOHNSON. [9] That is, action of importance. Gems were supposed to have great powers and virtues. JOHNSON. 16* VOL. VIII. Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea. Bal. I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you. Rom.Soshalt thou show me friendship.-Take thou that: Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow. Bal. For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout; His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt. [Retires. Rom. Thou détestable 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! Par. This is that banish'd haughty Montague, That murder'd my love's cousin ;-with which grief, It is supposed, the fair creature dy'd, And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.- [Advances. Can vengeance be pursu'd further than death? Obey, and go with me, for thou must die. Rom. 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 ; By urging me to fury :-0, be gone! By heaven, I love thee better than myself; Stay not, be gone ;-live, and hereafter say— And do attach thee as a felon here. Rom. Wilt thou provoke me? then have at thee, boy. [They fight. Page.O lord, they fight: I will go call the watch. [Exit. Par. O, I am slain! [Falls.]-If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet. [Dies. Rom. In faith, I will :-Let me peruse this faceMercutio's kinsman, noble county Paris :What said my man, when my betossed soul Did not attend him as we rode ? I think, He told me, Paris should have marry'd Juliet: Said he not so ? or did I dream it so ? Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, To think it was so? O, give me thy hand, One writ with me in sour misfortune's book! Fri. I hear some noise.-Lady, come from that nest Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep; A greater Power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents; come, come away: Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead; Stay not to question, for the watch is coming; Come, go, good Juliet,―[Noise again.] I dare stay no longer. [Exit. Jul. Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.What's here? a cup, clos'd in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end :Ochurl drink all; and leave no friendly drop, To help me after ?-I will kiss thy lips; Haply, some poison yet doth hang on them, To make me die with a restorative. Thy lips are warm! [Kisses him. 1 Watch. [Within.] Lead, boy :-Which way? Jul. Yea, noise?-then I'll be brief.-O happy dagger! [Snatching ROMEO's dagger. This is thy sheath; [Stabs herself.] there rust, and let me die. [Falls on ROMEO's body, and dies. Enter Watch, with the Page of PARIS. Page. This is the place; there, where the torch doth burn. 1 Watch. The ground is bloody; Search about the churchyard: Go, some of you, whoe'er you find, attach. [Exe. some. [Exe. other Watchmen, Enter some of the Watch, with BALTHASAR. 2 Watch. Here's Romeo's man, we found him in the churchyard. 1 Watch Hold him in safety, till the prince come hither. |