Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stains [Enters the Monument. Romeo! O, pale!-Who else? what, Paris too? And steep'd in blood?-Ah, what an unkind hour Is guilty of this lamentable chance!— 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. Fri. I hear some noise.-Lady, come from that nest Stay not to question, for the watch is coming; Come, go, good Juliet,-[Noise again.] I dare stay no longer. Jul. Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.- Thy lips are warm! [Exit. [Kisses him. i 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 [Falls on ROMEO's Body, and dies. die. 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. [Exeunt some. Pitiful sight! here lies the county slain; [Exeunt other Watchmen. We see the ground whereon these woes do lie; 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. Here is 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 it 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 grave? 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 lead you even to death: Mean time forbear, Bring forth the parties of suspicion. Fri. I am the greatest, able to do least, Prince. Then say at once what thou dost know in this. This dagger hath mistu'en,-for, lo! his house Is empty on the back of Montague,— And it mis-sheathed in my daughter's bosom.] Shakspeare quaintly represents the dagger as having mistaken its place, and "it mis-sheathed," i. e. "missheathed itself" in the bosom of Juliet. It appears that the dagger was anciently worn behind the back.-STEEVENS. I will be brief.] It is much to be lamented, that the poet did not conclude the dialogue with the action, and avoid a narrative of events which the audience already knew.-JOHNSON. VOL. VIII. Is not so long as is a tedious tale. Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet; Or, in my cell there would she kill herself. The form of death: meantime I writ to Romeo, Came I to take her from her kindred's vault; Prince. We still have known thee for a holy man. Bal. I brought my master news of Juliet's death; 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; And then I ran away to call the watch. Prince. This letter doth make good the friar's words, Came to this vault to die, and lie with Juliet.- Can I demand. Mon. But I can give thee more: For I will raise her statue in pure gold; That, while Verona by that name is known, There shall no figure at such rate be set, Cap. As rich shall Romeo by his lady lie; m Have lost a brace of kinsmen:] Mercutio and Paris: Mercutio is expressly called the prince's kinsman in act III. sc. iv.; and that Paris also was the prince's kinsman, may be inferred from other passages.-MALOne. |