On the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand, And say'st thou yet, that exile is not death? O friar, the damned use that word in hell; A sin-absolver, and my friend profess'd, To mangle me with that word-banishment? Fri. Thou fond mad man, hear me but speak a word. Rom. O, thou wilt speak again of banishment. Fri. I'll give thee armour to keep off that word; Adversity's sweet milk, philosophy, To comfort thee, though thou art banished. Fri. O, then I see that madmen have no ears. Rom. How should they, when that wise men have no eyes? Fri. Let me dispute with thee of thy estate.3 Rom. Thou canst not speak of what thou dost not feel: Wert thou as young as I, Juliet thy love, state of a lover; that dalliance, in which he who courts or wooes a lady is sometimes indulged. 3 Let me dispute with thee of thy estate.] i. e. talk over thy affairs. An hour but married, Tybalt murdered, Then might'st thou speak, then might'st thou tear thy hair, And fall upon the ground, as I do now, Fri. Arise; one knocks; good Romeo, hide thyself, [Knocking within. Rom. Not I; unless the breath of heart-sick groans, Mist-like, infold me from the search of eyes. [Knocking. Fri. Hark, how they knock!-Who's there?Romeo, arise; Thou wilt be taken:-Stay a while:-stand up; [Knocking. Run to my study:-By and by :-God's will! [Knocking. Who knocks so hard? whence come you? what's your will? Nurse. [Within.] Let me come in, and know my errand; I come from lady Juliet. you shall Fri. Welcome then. Enter Nurse. Nurse. O holy friar, O, tell me, holy friar, Where is my lady's lord, where's Romeo? Fri. There on the ground, with his own tears made drunk. Nurse. O, he is even in my mistress' case, Just in her case! O woeful sympathy! Even so lies she, Fri. Blubbering and weeping, weeping and blubbering :— Rom. Nurse! Nurse. Ah sir! ah sir!-Well, death's the end of all. Rom. Spak'st thou of Juliet? how is it with her? Doth she not think me an old murderer, Now I have stain'd the childhood of our joy Nurse. O, she says nothing, sir, but weeps and weeps; And now falls on her bed; and then starts up, Rom. As if that name, Shot from the deadly level of a gun, Did murder her; as that name's cursed hand Murder'd her kinsman.-O tell me, friar, tell me, In what vile part of this anatomy Doth my name lodge? tell me, that I may sack The hateful mansion. Fri. [Drawing his Sword. Hold thy desperate hand: Art thou a man? thy form cries out, thou art; Why rail'st thou on thy birth, the heaven, and earth? Since birth, and heaven, and earth, all three do meet In thee at once; which thou at once would'st lose. Fye, fye! thou sham'st thy shape, thy love, thy wit; Which, like an usurer, abound'st in all, And usest none in that true use indeed Which should bedeck thy shape, thy love, thy wit. And thou dismember'd with thine own defence.5 Like powder in a skill-less soldier's flask, &c.] To understand the force of this allusion, it should be remembered that the ancient English soldiers, using match-locks, instead of locks with flints as at present, were obliged to carry a lighted match hanging at their belts, very near to the wooden flask in which they kept their powder. 5 And thou dismember'd with thine own defence.] And thou torn to pieces with thine own weapons. Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time Nurse. O Lord, I could have staid here all the night, To hear good counsel: O, what learning is!- Rom. Do so, and bid my sweet prepare to chide. Nurse. Here, sir, a ring she bid me give you, sir: Hie you, make haste, for it grows very late. [Exit Nurse. Rom. How well my comfort is reviv'd by this! Fri. Go hence: Good night; and here stands all your state;" Either be gone before the watch be set, Farewell. [Exeunt. 6 here stands all your state;] The whole of your fortune depends on this. |