Have my old feet stumbled at graves?-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, Fri. Romeo? [Advances. Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stains [Enters the Monument. The lady stirs. [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. 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: 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 : O churl drink all; and leave no friendly drop, [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 Enter another Watchman, with Friar LAURENCE.. 3 Watch.Hereis a friar,that trembles,sighs,and weeps: We took this mattock and this spade from him, As he was coming from this churchyard side. 1 Watch. A great suspicion; Stay the friar too. Enter the Prince and Attendants. Prince. What misadventure is so early up, That calls our person from our morning's rest! Enter CAPULET, Lady CAPULET, and others. Cap. What should it be, that they so shriek abroad? La. Cap. The people in the street cry-Romeo, Some-Juliet, and some-Paris; and all run, With open outcry, toward our monument. Prince. What fear is this, which startles in our ears? 1 Watch. Sovereign, here lies the county Paris slain; And Romeo dead; and Juliet, dead before, Warm and new kill'd. Prince. Search, seek, and know how this foul murder comes. 1 Watch. Here is a friar,and slaughter'd Romeo's man; With instruments upon them, fit to open These dead men's tombs. Cap. O, heavens !-O, wife! look how our daughter bleeds! This dagger hath mista’en,-for, lo! his house Is empty on the back of Montague, And is mis-sheathed in my daughter's bosom. Enter MONTAGUE and others. Prince. Come, Montague; for thou art early up To see thy son and heir more early down. Mon. Alas, my liege, my wife is dead to-night; Grief of my son's exíle hath stopp'd her breath : What further woe conspires against mine age? Prince. Look, and thou shalt see. Mon. O thou untaught! what manners is in this, To press before thy father to a gravé ? Prince. Seal up the mouth of outrage for a while, Till we can clear these ambiguities, And know their spring, their head, their true descent; And then will I be general of your woes, And lead you even to death: Mean time forbear, And let mischance be slave to patience. Bring forth the parties of suspicion. Fri. I am the greatest, able to do least, Myself condemned, and myself excus'd. Prince. Then say at once what thou dost know in this. Fri. I will be brief, for my short date of breath Is not so long as is a tedious tale. Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet ; The form of death: meantime I writ to Romeo, Came I to take her from her kindred's vault ; Be sacrific'd, some hour before his time, Prince. We still have known thee for a holy man.Where's Romeo's man? what can he say in this? Bal. I brought my master news of Juliet's death; And then in post he came from Mantua, To this same place, to this same monument. This letter he early bid me give his father; And threaten'd me with death, going in the vault, If I departed not, and left him there. Prince. Give me the letter, I will look on it.— Where is the county's page, that rais'd the watch?--Sirrah, what made your master in this place? Page. He came with flowers to strew his lady's grave; And bid me stand aloof, and so I did: Anon, comes one with light to ope the tomb ; Prince. This letter doth make good the friar's words, Came to this vault to die, and lie with Juliet.- That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love! Have lost a brace of kinsmen :-all are punish'd. Mon. But I can give thee more: For I will raise her statue in pure gold ; Cap. As rich shall Romeo by his lady lie; Prince. A glooming peace this morning with it brings; For never was a story of more woe, [Exeunt. |