Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back.- To an impatient child, that hath new robes, Enter Nurse, with cords. And she brings news; and every tongue, that speaks But Romeo's name, speaks heavenly eloquence.-Now, nurse, what news? What hast thou there? the cords That Romeo bade thee fetch? Nurse. Ay, ay, the cords. Jul. Ah me! what news? why dost thou wring thy hands? Nurse. Ah, well-a-day! he's dead, he's dead, he's dead! We are undone, lady, we are undone ! Alack the day!--he's gone, he's killed, he's dead! Though Heaven cannot. O Romeo! Romeo can, Romeo! Who ever would have thought it? Romeo! Jul. What devil art thou, that dost torment me thus? This torture should be roared in dismal hell. Hath Romeo slain himself? say thou but I,1 And that bare vowel I shall poison more 1 1 In Shakspeare's time, the affirmative particle ay was usually written I; and here it is necessary to retain the old spelling. Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice : Or those eyes shut, that make thee answer, I. Brief sounds determine of my weal, or woe. Nurse. I saw the wound, I saw it with mine eyes,- Pale, pale as ashes, all bedaubed in blood, Jul. O, break, my heart!--poor bankrupt, break at once! To prison, eyes! ne'er look on liberty! Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here; Nurse. O Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I had! That ever I should live to see thee dead! Jul. What storm is this, that blows so contrary? Nurse. Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banished; Jul. O God!-did Romeo's hand shed Tybalt's blood? Nurse. It did, it did; alas the day! it did. Jul. O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feathered raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! 1 See Othello, Act i. Sc. 1. In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh? Nurse. There's no trust, No faith, no honesty in men; all perjured, All forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers. Ah, where's my man? Give me some aqua vitæ. These griefs, these woes, these sorrows make me old. Shame come to Romeo! Jul. Blistered be thy tongue, For such a wish! he was not born to shame. Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit; For 'tis a throne where honor may be crowned O, what a beast was I to chide at him! Nurse. Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin? Jul. Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth' thy name, When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it?But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband. Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring; Your tributary drops belong to woe, Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy. My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; All this is comfort. Wherefore weep I, then? Some word there was, worser than Tybalt's death, That murdered me; I would forget it fain; But, O! it presses to my memory, Like damned, guilty deeds to sinners' minds. 2 Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt's death 1 To smooth is to flatter, to speak fair; it is here metaphorically used for to mitigate or assuage the asperity of censure with which Romeo's name would be now mentioned. 2 i. e. is worse than the loss of ten thousand Tybalts. Was woe enough, if it had ended there; In that word's death; no words can that woe sound. Nurse. Weeping and wailing over Tybalt's corse. When theirs are dry, for Romeo's banishment. He made you for a highway to my bed; Come, cords; come, nurse; I'll to my wedding bed; Nurse. Hie to your chamber. I'll find Romeo I'll to him; he is hid at Laurence' cell. Jul. O, find him! give this ring to my true knight, SCENE III. Friar Laurence's Cell. Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and ROMEO. Fri. Romeo, come forth; come forth, thou fearful Rom. Father, what news? What is the prince's doom? What sorrow craves acquaintance at my hand, That I yet know not? Fri. Too familiar Is my dear son with such sour company. I bring thee tidings of the prince's doom. Rom. What less than doomsday is the prince's Fri. A gentler judgment vanished from his lips, Rom. Ha! banishment? be merciful, say--death; For exile hath more terror in his look, Much more than death: do not say-banishment. Rom. There is no world without Verona walls, Hence-banished is banish'd from the world, Fri. O deadly sin! O rude unthankfulness! Rom. 'Tis torture, and not mercy. Heaven is here, 2 1 The quarto, 1597, reads "This is mere mercy," i. e. absolute mercy. 2 Validity is again employed to signify worth, value, as in the first scene of King Lear. By courtship, is meant that freedom with which a lover is indulged. |