Come, night!-Come, Romeo! come, thou day in night! For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back. Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-brow'd night, To an impatient child, that hath new robes And she brings news; and every tongue, that speaks That Romeo bade thee fetch? Nurse. Ay, ay, the cords. [Throws them down. 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 !— We Alack the day!-he 's gone, he 's kill'd, he 's dead!— Jul. Can heaven be so envious? Nurse. Romeo can, Though heaven cannot:-O Romeo, Romeo!— Whoever would have thought it ?-Romeo! Jul. What devil art thou, that dost torment me thus? This torture should be roar'd in dismal hell. į Hath Romeo slain himself? say thou but I, And that bare vowel I shall poison more 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 bedaub'd in blood, Jul. O break, my heart!-poor bankrout, 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! Jul. What storm is this, that blows so contrary? Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the general doom! 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. In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh ?— Nurse. There's no trust, No faith, no honesty in men; all perjur'd, All forsworn, all nought, all dissemblers. Ah, where 's my man? give me some aqua vita:→ Jul. Blister'd be thy tongue, For such a wish! he was not born to shame : Upon his brow shame is asham'd to sit; For 't is a throne where honour may be crown'd O, what a beast was I to chide at him! Nurse. Will you speak well of him that kill'd 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 kill'd 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 murder'd me: I would forget it fain; But, O! it presses to my memory, Like damned guilty deeds to sinners' minds. Or, if sour woe delights in fellowship, And needly will be rank'd with other griefs,- Which modern lamentation might have mov'd? In that word 's death; no words can that woe sound.- Nurse. Weeping and wailing over Tybalt's corse : Will you go to them? I will bring you thither. Jul. Wash they his wounds with tears? mine shall be spent, When theirs are dry, for Romeo's banishment. He made you for a highway to my bed; Come, cord; come, nurse; I'll to my wedding bed; Nurse. Hie to your chamber: I'll find Romeo To comfort you:-I wot well where he is. I'll to him; he is hid at Laurence' cell. Jul. O find him! give this ring to my true knight, And bid him come to take his last farewell. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Friar Laurence's Cell. Enter Friar LAURENCE and ROMEO. Fri. Romeo, come forth; come forth, thou fearful man; Affliction is enamour'd of thy parts, Rom. Father, what news? what is the prince's doom? What sorrow craves acquaintance at my hand, That I yet know not? Is my dear son with such sour company: I bring thee tidings of the prince's doom. Rom. What less than dooms-day is the prince's doom? Fri. A gentler judgment vanish'd from his lips, Not body's death, but body's banishment. Rom. Ha! banishment? be merciful, say-death. For exile hath more terror in his look, Much more than death: do not say-banishment. Hence-banished is banish'd from the world, And turn'd that black word death to banishment. Rom. T is torture, and not mercy heaven is here, VOL. VII. |