The Dramatic Works of William Shakspeare, with Explanatory Notes

Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence [Edmund is borne off.

awhile.

Enter Lear, with Cordelia dead in his arms.
Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl!-O, you are 20
men of stones;

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so
That heaven's vault should crack:-O, she is
gone for ever!-

I know when one is dead, and when one lives;
She's dead as earth:-Lend me a looking-glass;
If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,
Why, then she lives.

Kent. Is this the promis'd end?
Edg. Or image of that horror?
Alb. Fall, and cease!

Lear. This feather stirs; she lives! if it be so,
It is a chance that does redeem all sorrows
That ever I have felt.

Kent. O my good master!

Leur. Pr'ythee, away.

Enter a Messenger.

Mes. Edmund is dead, my lord.
Alb. That's but a trifle here.-

You lords, and noble friends, know our intent.
What comfort to this great decay may come,
Shall be apply'd: For us, we will resign,
During the life of this old majesty,

To him our absolute power :-You, to your
rights;
[To Edgar.
25 With boot, and such addition as your honours
Have more than merited.-All friends shall taste
The wages of their virtue, and all foes
The cup of their deservings.-O, see, see! [life.

Lear. And my poor fool is hang'd'! No, no, no 30 Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, [more, And thou no breath at all? O, thou wilt come no Never, never, never, never, never!

[Kneeling. 35 Look there, look there!

Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend.
Leur. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors
all! I might have sav'd her; now she's gone for
ever!-Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha!
What is 't thou say'st?-Her voice was ever soft,
Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman:-
I kill'd the slave that was a hanging thee.
Gent. 'Tis true, my lords, he did.
Lear. Did I not, fellow?

[chion 45

I have seen the day, with my good biting faul-
I would have made them skip: I am old now,
And these same crosses spoil ine.-Who are you?
Mine eyes are none o' the best:-I'll tell
you

Pray you, undo this button: Thank you, sir.—
Do you see this? Look on her, look on her lips,
[He dies.
Edg. He faints;-My lord, my lord,-
Kent. Break, heart; I pr'ythee, break!
Edg. Look up, my lord.

[hates him,

Kent. Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass! he That would upon the rack of this tough world Stretch him out longer.

Edg. O, he is gone, indeed.

Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so long: He but usurp'd his life.

[siness
Alb. Bear them from hence.-Our present bu-
Is general woe. Friends of my soul, you twain
[To Kent and Edgar.
Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain.
Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go;
My master calls, and I must not say, no.

Alb. The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest hath borne most: we that are young,
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
[Exeunt, with a dead march.

To fordo signifies to destroy. * Mr. Steevens affixes the following meaning to this exclamation of Albany: "He is looking with attention on the pains employed by Lear to recover his child, and knows to what miseries he must survive, when he finds them to be ineffectual. Having these images present to his eyes and imagination, he cries out, Rather fall, and cease to be, at once, than continue in existence only to be wretched." Decay for misfortunes. 4 That is, have anticipated their own doom. i. e. to this piece of decay'd royalty, this ruin'd majesty. With advantage, with increase. 'Mr. Steevens remarks, that this is an expression of tenderness for his dead Cordelia, (not his fool, as some have thought,) on whose lips he is still intent, and dies away while he is searching for life there. The Rev. Dr. J. Warton judiciously observes, that the swelling and heaving of the heart is described by this most expressive circumstance. ? i. e. this obdurate, rigid world.

3 Q3

ROMEO

ROMEO AND JULIET'.

PERSONS

ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.

PARIS, Kinsman to the Prince.

REPRESENTED.

MONTAGUE, Heads of two Houses, at varianc‹

CAPULET, 5 with each other.

ROMEO, Son to Montague.

MERCUTIO,Friends of Romeo.

BENVOLIO,

TYBALT, Kinsman to Capulet.

An old Man, his Cousin.

Friar LAWRENCE, a Franciscan,

Friar JOHN, of the same Order.

Lady MONTAGUE, Wife to Montague.

Lady CAPULET, Wife to Capulet.

JULIET, Daughter to Capulet; in love with Romeo.
Nurse to Juliet.

CHORUS,-Page, Boy to Paris, an Officer, an Apothecary.

Citizens of Verona, several Men and Women, Relations to both Houses; Maskers, Guards, Watch, and other Attendants.

The SCENE, in the beginning of the fifth Act, is in Mantua; during all the rest of the Play, at Verona

2 Dr. Warburton

'The story on which this play is founded, is related as a true one in Girolamo de la Corte's History of Verona, and was well known to the English poets before the time of Shakespeare. observes, that this was a phrase formerly in use to signify the bearing injuries.

3Q4

Greg.

Greg. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men.

Sam. 'Tis all one, I will shew myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads.

Greg. The heads of the maids?

Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt.

[Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!

Enter old Capulet, in his gown; and Lady Capulet. Cap. What noise is this?-Give me my long 5 sword, ho!

Gr.g. They must take it in sense, that feel it. Sam. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand: 10 and, 'tis known, I am a pretty piece of flesh.

Greg. 'Tis well, thou art not fish; if thou hadst,
thou hadst been Poor John.-Draw thy tool;
here comes of the house of the Montagues.
Enter Abram, and Balthasar.
Sam. My naked weapon is out; quarrel, I will
back thee.

Greg. How? turn thy back and run?
Sam. Fear me not.

Greg. No, marry; I fear thee!

Sam. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

Greg. I will frown, as I pass by; and let them take it as they list.

Sam. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at
them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sam. I do bite my thumb, sir.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sam. Is the law on our side, if I say—ay?
Greg. No.

Sam. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you,
sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.
Greg. Do you quarrel, sir?
Abr. Quarrel, sir? no, sir.

Sam. If you do, sir, I am for you; I serve as

good a man as you.

Abr. No better.

Sam. Well, sir.

Enter Benvolio.

Abr. You lye.

La. Cap. A crutch, a crutch!—Why call you for a sword?

Cap. My sword, I say!-old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

Enter old Montague, and Lady Montague. Mon. Thou villain, Capulet,Hold me not, let me go.

La. Mon. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.

Enter Prince, with Attendants.
Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stain'd steel,—
Will they not hear?-What ho! you men, you
beasts,-

20 That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,-
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mis-temper'd' weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.-
Three ciyil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets;
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
30 To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Cankred with peace, to part your cankred hate:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:

35 You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgement-place.
Cnce more, on pain of death, all men depart.
[Exeunt Prince, Capulet, &c.
Mon.Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach--
Speak, nephew, were you by, when it began?
Ben. Here were the servants of your adversary,
And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:

Sam. Draw, if you be men.-Gregory, re- 451 drew to part them; in the instant came member thy swashing' blow.

[They fight.

Ben. Part, fools; put up your swords;
You know not what you do.
Enter Tybalt.

Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these heart-50
less hinds?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Ben. I do but keep the peace; put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me,
Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate 55
the word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thée, coward.

Enter three or four Citizens, with clubs.

The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar'd;
Which, as he breath'd defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head, and cut the winds,
Who nothing hurt withal, hiss'd him in scorn:
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came more and more, and fought on part and part,
Till the prince came, who parted either part.

La. Mon. O, where is Romeo!-saw you him
to-day?

Right glad I am, he was not at this fray.

Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun
Peer'd forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;
Where-underneath the grove of sycamour,

Cit. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat 60 That westward rooteth from the city' side-
them down!
So early walking did I see your son:

1 To swash seems to have meant to be a bully, to be noisily valiant. was the sword used in war, which was sometimes wielded with both hands. are weapons used in anger.

The long sword 'Mis-temper'd weapons

Towards

Towards him I made; but he was 'ware of me,
And stole into the covert of the wood:
1, measuring his affections by my own,-
That most are busied when they are most alone,—
Pursu'd my humour, not pursuing his,-
And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me.
Mon. Many a morning hath he there been seen
With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew,
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs :
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the furthest east begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself;
Shuts up his windows, locks fair day-light out,
And makes himself an artificial night:
Black and portentous must his humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

Feather of lead, bright smoak,cold fire, sick health!
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!-
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

Ben. No, coz, I rather weep.
Rom. Good heart, at what?

Ben. At thy good heart's oppression.
Rom. Why, such is love's transgression.
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast;
10 Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest
With more of thine: this love that thou hast shown,
Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
Love is a smoke rais'd with the fume of sighs;
Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lover's eyes;
15 Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears:
What is it else? a madness most discreet,
A choaking gall, and a preserving sweet.
Farewell, my coz.

Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
Mon. I neither know it, nor can learn it of him. 20
Ben. Have you importun'd him by any means?
Mon. Both by myself, and many other friends:
But he, his own affections' counsellor,
Is to himself-I will not say, how true-

Ben. Soft, I will go along;

[Going.

An if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
Rom. Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here;
This is not Romeo, he's some other where.
Ben. Tell me in sadness', who she is you love?
Rom. What, shall I groan, and tell thee?
Ben. Groan? why, no;

But sadly tell me, who.

With Cupid's arrow, she hath Dian's wit; And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd, From love's weak childish bow she lives unharm’d. She will not stay the siege of loving terms, 40 Nor bid the encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold: O, she is rich in beauty; only poor, That, when she dies, with beauty dies her store?. Ben. Then she hath sworn, that she will still sh live chaste? [waste; Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge For beauty, stary'd with her severity, Cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair, 50 To merit bliss by making me despair: She hath forsworn to love; and, in that vow, Do I live dead, that live to tell it now.

Ben. But new struck nine.
Rom. Ay me! sad hours seem long.
Was that my father that went hence so fast?
Ben. It was:-What sadness lengthens Romeo's
hours?
[them short. 45
Rom. Not having that, which, having, makes
Ben. In love?
Rom. Out

Ben. Of love?

Rom. Out of her favour where I am in love. Ben. Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!

Rom. Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see path-ways to his will! Where shall we dine?-Ome!-What fray was 55 here?

Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.

Here's much to do with hate, but more with love:--
Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O any thing, of nothing first created!"
O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

That is, tell me in seriousness.

To call hers, exquisite, in question more: These happy masks', that kiss fair ladies' brows, 60 Being black, put us in mind they hide the fair; He, that is strucken blind, cannot forget The precious treasure of his eye-sight lost.

? Mr. Theobald reads, "With her dies beauty's store."

i, e. the masks worn by female spectators of the play.

Shew

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