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Par. That may be, muft be, Love, on Thursday next. Jul. What must be, fhall be.

Fri. That's a certain text.

Par. Come you to make confeffion to this father? Jul. To answer That, were to confess to you. Par. Do not deny to him, that you love me. ful. I will confefs to you, that I love him. Par. So will ye, I am fure, that you love me. Jul. If I do fo, it will be of more price Being spoke behind your back, than to your face. Par. Poor foul, thy face is much abus'd with tears. Jul. The tears have got fmall victory by that: For it was bad enough before their spight.

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Par. Thou wrong'st it, more than tears, with that

report.

Jul. That is no flander, Sir, which is but truth,
And what I fpeak, I fpeak it to my face.

Par. Thy face is mine, and thou haft flander'd it.
Jul. It may be fo, for it is not mine own.
Are you at leifure, holy father, now,
Or fhall I come to you at evening mafs?

Fri. My leifure ferves me, penfive daughter, now.
My lord, I muft intreat the time alone.

Par. God fhield, I fhould disturb devotion: Juliet, on Thursday early will I rowze you: 'Till then, adieu! and keep this holy kifs.

[Exit Paris.

Jul. Go, fhut the door, and when thou haft done fo, Come weep with me, paft hope, paft cure, past help. Fri. O Juliet, I already know thy grief,

It strains me paft the Compafs of my Wits.
I hear, you must, and nothing may prorogue it,
On Thursday next be married to this Count.

Jul. Tell me not, Friar, that thou hear'ft of this,
Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it.
If in thy wisdom thou canft give no help,
Do thou but call my refolution wise,
And with this knife I'll help it presently.
God join'd my heart and Romeo's; thou, our hands
And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo feal'd,

Shall

Shall be the label to another deed,
Or my true heart with treacherous revolt
Turn to another, this fhall flay them both :
Therefore out of thy long-experienc'd time,
Give me some prefent counfel; or, behold,
'Twixt my extreams and me this bloody knife
Shall play the umpire; arbitrating that,
Which the commiffion of thy years and art
Could to no iffue of true honour bring:
Be not fo long to fpeak; I long to die,
If what thou speak'ft fpeak not of remedy.
Fri. Hold, daughter, I do 'fpy a kind of hope,
Which craves as desperate an execution,

As That is defp'rate which we would prevent.
If, rather than to marry County Paris,
Thou haft the strength of will to flay thy felf,
Then it is likely, thou wilt undertake

A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That cop'ft with death himself, to 'fcape from it:
And if thou dar'ft, I'll give thee remedy.

Jul. O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of yonder tower:
Or chain me to fome steepy mountain's top,
Where roaring bears and favage lions roam;
Or fhut me nightly in a charnel house,
O'er-cover'd quite with dead mens' ratling bones,
With reeky thanks, and yellow chaplefs skulls;
Or bid me go into a new-made Grave,

And hide me with a dead man in his fhroud; (Things, that to hear them nam'd, have made me tremble;)

And I will do it without fear or doubt,

To live an unstain'd wife to my fweet love.

Fri. Hold, then, go home, be merry, give confent To marry Paris; Wednesday is to morrow; To morrow Night, look, that thou lye alone. (Let not thy Nurfe lye with thee in thy chamber :) Take thou this vial, being then in Bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off;

When presently through all thy veins shall run

D 2

A cold

A cold and drowfie humour, which fhall feize
Each vital fpirit; for no Pulfe fhall keep
His nat' ral progrefs, but furceafe to beat.
No warmth, no breath, fhall teftify thou liveft;
The roses in thy lips and cheeks fhall fade
To paly afhes; thy eyes' windows fall,
Like death, when he fhuts up the day of life;
Each Part, depriv'd of fupple Government,
Shall stiff, and stark, and cold appear like Death:
And in this borrowed likeness of fhrunk death
Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,
And then awake, as from a pleasant fleep.
Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes
To rowse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead :
Then, as the manner of our Country is,

In thy best robes uncover'd on the bier,
Be borne to burial in thy kindred's Grave:
Thou shalt be borne to that fame antient vault,
Where all the kindred of the Capulets lye.
In the mean time, against thou fhalt awake,
Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,
And hither fhall he come; and he and I
Will watch thy Waking, and that very night
Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua;
And This fhall free thee from this prefent Shame,
If no unconftant toy, nor womanish fear,
Abate thy valour in the acting it.

Jul. Give me, oh give me, tell me not of fear.

[Taking the vial. Fri. Hold, get you gone, be ftrong and profperous In this Refolve; I'll fend a Friar with speed

To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord.

Jul. Love, give me strength, and strength shall help afford.

Farewel, dear father!

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to Capulet's House.

Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet, Nurfe, and two or three Servants.

Cap. So many Guefts invite, as here are writ ;

Si

Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks. Ser. You fhall have none ill, Sir, for I'll try if they can lick their fingers.

Cap. How canft thou try them fo?

Ser. Marry, Sir, 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers therefore he that cannot lick his fingers, goes not with me.

Cap. Go, be gone.

We fhall be much unfurnish'd for this time:
What, is my daughter gone to Friar Lawrence?
Nurfe. Ay, forfooth.

Cap. Well, he may chance to do some good on her: A peevish felf-will'd harlotry it is.

Enter Juliet.

Nurfe. See, where fhe comes from Shrift with merry Look.

Cap. How now, my head-ftrong? where have you been gadding?

Jul. Where I have learnt me to repent the fin
Of difobedient oppofition

To You and your Behefts; and am enjoin'd
By holy Lawrence to fall proftrate here,

And beg your pardon: Pardon, I beseech you!
Henceforward I am ever rul'd by you.

Cap. Send for the County, go, tell him of this,
I'll have this knot knit up to morrow morning.
Jul. I met the youthful lord at Lawrence' cell,
And gave him what becoming love I might,
Not stepping o'er the bounds of Modefty.

Cap. Why, I am glad on't, this is well, stand up;
This is as't fhould be; let me fee the County :
Ay, marry, go, I fay, and fetch him hither.

D 3

Now,

Now, afore God, this reverend holy Friar,
All our whole city is much bound to him.

Jul. Nurfe, will you go with me into my closet,
To help me fort fuch needful ornaments

As you think fit to furnish me to morrow?

La. Cap. No, not 'till Thursday, there is time enough. Cap. Go, nurfe, go with her; we'll to Church to [Exeunt Juliet and Nurse. La. Cap. We fhall be short in our provifion; 'Tis now near night.

morrow.

Cap. Tufh, I will ftir about,

What, ho!

And all things fhall be well, I warrant thee, wife:
Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her,
I'll not to bed to night, let me alone:
I'll play the housewife for this once.
They are all forth; well, I will walk
To County Paris, to prepare him up
Againft to morrow. My heart's wondrous light,
Since this fame way-ward girl is so reclaim'd.

my felf

[Exeunt Capulet and lady Capulet.

SCENE changes to Juliet's Chamber.

Jul.

Enter Juliet and Nurse.

Y, thofe attires are beft; but, gentle nurse, I pray thee, leave me to my felf to night: For I have need of many Orifons

To move the heav'ns to fmile upon my State,
Which, well thou know'it, is crofs, and full of Sin.

Enter lady Capulet.

La. Cap. What, are you bufie, do you need my help? Jul. No, Madam, we have cull'd fuch neceffaries As are behoveful for our ftate to morrow:

So please you, let me now be left alone,

And let the nurse this night fit up with you:
For, I am fure, you have your hands full all,
In this fo fudden bufinefs.

La. Cap. Good night,

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