Rom. Wilt thou provoke me? then have at thee, boy. Rom. In faith, I will let me perufe this face- [Dies. A grave? O, no; a lanthorn, flaughter'd youth; [Laying Paris in the Monument. And never from this palace of dim night (16) With worms that are thy chamber-maids; oh here And shake the yoke of inaufpicious stars From this world-weary'd flesh. Eyes, look your last! [Drinks the poifon. Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kifs I die. [Dies. (16) And never from this Palace of dim Night Depart again. (Come, lie thou in my Arms; Thy Drugs are quick)] Mr. Pope's, and fome other of the worfer Editions, acknowledge abfurdly the Lines which I have put into Parenthesis here; and which I have expunged from the Text, for this Reafon : Romeo is made to confefs the Effect of the Poifon, before ever he has tafted it. I fuppofe, it hardly was fo favoury that the Patient fhould chufe to make two Draughts of it. And, eight Lines after thefe, we find him taking the Poifon in his Hands and making an Apoftrophe to it; inviting it to perform its Office at once; and then, and not till then, does he clap it to his Lips, or can with any Probability fpeak of its inftant Force and Effects. fides, Shakespeare would hardly have made Romeo drink to the Health of his dead Miftrefs. Tho' the first Quarto in 1599, and the two old Folio's acknowledge this abfurd Stuff, I find it left out in feveral latter Quarto to Impreffions. I ought to take notice, that tho' Mr. Pope has thought fit to flick to the old Copies in this Addition, yet he is no fair Tranfcriber; for he has funk upon us an Hemiftich of moft profound Abfurdity, which poffeffes all thofe Copies. -Come, lie thou in my Arms; Here's to thy Health, where-e'er thou tumbleft in. Be Enter Friar Lawrence with lanthorn, crow, and Spade. Fri. St. Francis be my fpeed! how oft to-night Have my old feet ftumbled at graves ? `who's there? Enter Balthafar. Bal. Here's one, a friend, and one that knows you well. Fri. Blifs be upon you! Tell me, good my friend, What torch is yond, that vainly lends his light To grubs and eyelefs fculls? as I difcern, It burneth in the Capulets' monument. Balth. It doth fo, holy Sir, And there's my mafter, one you dearly love. Balth. Romeo. Fri. How long hath he been there? Balth. Full half an hour. Fri. Go with me to the vault. Balth. I dare not, Sir.. My mafter knows not, but I am gone hence; If I did ftay to look on his intents. Fri. Stay then, I'll go alone; fear comes upon me; O, much I fear fome ill unlucky thing. Balth. As I did fleep under this yew-tree here, I dreamt, my mafter and another fought, And that my mafter flew him. Fri. Romeo! Alack, alack, what blood is this, which ftains What mean thefe mafterlefs and goary fwords, The lady ftirs. Jul. [awaking.] Oh comfortable Friar, where is my Lord? I do remember well, where I should be; And there I am; but where is Romeo? Fri. I hear fome noife! Lady, come from that neft Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep; A greater power, than we can contradict, Stay not to question, for the Watch is coming. Thy lips are warm. Enter Boy and Watch. Watch. Lead, boy, which way? Jul. Yea, noife? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! [Finding a dagger. This is thy fheath, there ruft and let me die. [Kills herself. Boy. This is the place; there, where the torch doth burn. Watch. The ground is bloody. Search about the church-yard; Go, fome of you, whom e'er you find, attach. Enter Enter fome of the Watch, with Balthafar. 2 Watch. Here's Romeo's man, we found him in the church-yard. 1 Watch. Hold him in fafety, 'till the Prince comes hither. Enter another Watchman, with Friar Lawrence. 3 Watch. Here is a Friar that trembles, fighs and weeps: We took this mattock and this fpade from hin, As he was coming from this church-yard fide. I Watch. A great fufpicion: ftay the Friar too. Enter the Prince, and Attendants. Prince. What misadventure is fo early up, That calls our perfon from our morning's reft ? Enter Capulet and Lady Capulet. Cap. What should it be, that they fo fhriek abroad? La. Cap. The people in the street cry, Romeo ; Some, Juliet; and fome, Paris; and all run With open out-cry tow'rd our monument. Prince. What fear is this, which startles in your ears? Watch. Sovereign, here lies the Comtè Paris flain, And Romeo dead, and Juliet (dead before) Warm and new kill'd. Prince. Search, seek, and know, how this foul murder comes. Watch. Here is a Friar, and flaughter'd Romeo's man, With inftruments upon them, fit to open Thefe dead men's tombs. Cap. Oh,heav'n! oh, wife! look how our daughter bleeds! The point mif- fheathed in my daughter's bofom. Enter |