How fares my Juliet? That I ask again;
For nothing can be ill if she be well.

Bal. Then she is well, and nothing can be ill; Her body sleeps in Capels' monument, And her immortal part with angels lives: I saw her laid low in her kindred's vault, And presently took post to tell it you. O, pardon me for bringing these ill news, Since you did leave it for my office, sir.

Ro. Is it even so? then I defy you, stars!— Thou know'st my lodging: get me ink and paper, And hire post-horses; I will hence to-night.

Bal. Pardon me, sir; I will not leave you thus: Your looks are pale and wild, and do import Some misadventure.

Ro.

Tush, thou art deceived:

Leave me, and do the thing I bid thee do.
Hast thou no letters to me from the friar?
Bal. No, my good lord.

Ro.

No matter: get thee gone,

And hire those horses: I'll be with thee straight.

[Exit Balthasar.

Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee to-night:
Let's see for means.—O, mischief! thou art swift
To enter in the thoughts of desperate men!
I do remember an apothecary,-

And hereabouts he dwells,-whom late I noted
In tatter'd weeds, with overwhelming brows,
Culling of simples: meagre were his looks;
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones;
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,

An alligator stuff'd, and other skins

Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelves
A beggarly account of empty boxes,

Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds,
Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of roses,
Were thinly scatter'd, to make up a show.
Noting this penury, to myself I said,-

.

An if a man did need a poison now,
Whose sale is present death in Mantua,
Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him.
O, this same thought did but forerun my need;
And this same needy man must sell it me.
As I remember, this should be the house:
Being holyday, the beggar's shop is shut.-
What, ho! apothecary!

Apo.

Enter APOTHECARY.

Who calls so loud?

Ro. Come hither, man.-I see that thou art

poor ;

Hold, there is forty ducats: let me have

A dram of poison; such soon-speeding geer,1
As will disperse itself through all the veins,

That the life-weary taker may fall dead;

And that the trunk may be discharged of breath

As violently, as hasty powder fired

Doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb.

1 Stuff.

Apo. Such mortal drugs I have; but Mantua's

law

Is death to any he that utters them.

Ro. Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness,
And fear'st to die? famine is in thy cheeks,
Need and oppression starveth in thy eyes,
Upon thy back hangs ragged misery:

The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law:
The world affords no law to make thee rich;
Then be not poor; but break it, and take this.
Apo. My poverty, but not my will consents.
Ro. I pay thy poverty, and not thy will.
Apo. Put this in any liquid thing you will,
And drink it off; and, if you had the strength
Of twenty men, it would despatch you straight.

Ro. There is thy gold; worse poison to men's souls,

Doing more murders in this loathsome world,
Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not

sell :

I sell thee poison, thou hast sold me none.

Farewell; buy food, and get thyself in flesh.-
Come, cordial, and not poison; go with me
To Juliet's grave, for there must I use thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Friar Laurence's cell.

Enter FRIAR JOHN.

F. John. Holy Franciscan friar! brother, ho!

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE.

F. Lau. This same should be the voice of friar
John.-

Welcome from Mantua. What says Romeo?
Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter.

F. John. Going to find a barefoot brother out,
One of our order, to associate me,

Here in this city visiting the sick,

And finding him, the searchers of the town,
Suspecting that we both were in a house
Where the infectious pestilence did reign,
Seal'd up
the doors, and would not let us forth;
So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd.
F. Lau. Who bare my letter then to Romeo?
F. John. I could not send it;-here it is again ;-
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee;

So fearful were they of infection.

F. Lau. Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood, The letter was not nice,1 but full of charge, Of dear import; and the neglecting it May do much danger. Friar John, go hence; Get me an iron crow, and bring it straight Unto my cell.

F. John. Brother, I'll go and bring it thee.

[Exit. F. Lau. Now must I to the monument alone; Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake:

1 On a trivial or idle subject.

She will beshrew me much, that Romeo
Hath had no notice of these accidents:
But I will write again to Mantua,

And keep her at my cell till Romeo come;
Poor living corse, closed in a dead man's tomb!

SCENE III.

[Exit.

A churchyard; in it a monument belonging to the

Capulets.

Enter PARIS; and his PAGE, bearing flowers and a

torch.

Pa. Give me thy torch, boy: hence, and stand

Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.
Under yon yew-trees lay thee all along,
Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground;
So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,
(Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves)
But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me,
As signal that thou hear'st something approach.
Give me those flowers: do as I bid thee; go.
Page. I am almost afraid to stand alone

Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.

[retires.

Pa. Sweet flower, with flowers I strew thy bridal

bed:

Sweet tomb, that in thy circuit dost contain

The perfect model of eternity;

Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain,