Jul.
Gallop apace, you fiery footed steeds,
To Phœbus' mansion; such a waggoner† ^note
As Phaeton, would whip you to the west,
And bring in cloudy night immediately.
Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,
That run-aways eyes may wink; and Romeo
Leap to these arms, untalkt of, and unseen.
Come night, come Romeo! come thou day in night!
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night,
Whiter than snow upon the raven's back.
Give me my Romeo, Night, and when he dies,
Take him, and cut him out in little stars,* ^note

And he will make the face of Heav'n so fine,
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.—
Oh, I have bought the mansion of a love,
But not possess'd it; so tedious is this day,
As is the night, before some festival,
To an impatient child that hath new robes,* ^note
And may not wear them. Oh, here comes my nurse! Enter Nurse.
And she brings news, and every tongue that speaks
But Romeo's name, speaks heav'nly eloquence.
Now nurse, what news?
Why dost thou wring thy hands?

Nurse.
Ah, welladay, he's dead, he's dead, he's dead!
We are undone, lady, we are undone—

Jul.
Can Heav'n be so envious?

Nurse.
Romeo can.
Though Heav'n cannot. Oh, Romeo! Romeo!

Jul.
What devil art thou that does torment me thus?
This torture should be roar'd in dismal hell.
Hath Romeo slain himself? Say thou but ay,
And that bare little word shall poison more,
Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice.

Nurse.
I saw the wound, I saw it with mine eyes,
Here on his manly breast.—A piteous coarse,
A bloody piteous coarse, pale, pale as ashes,
I swooned at the sight.

Jul.
Oh break my heart—poor bankrupt, break at once!
To prison, eyes! ne'er look on liberty;
Vile earth to earth resign, end motion here,
And thou, and Romeo press one heavy bier!† ^note

Nurse.
Oh, Tibalt, Tibalt, the best friend I had;
That ever I should live to see thee dead?

Jul.
What storm is this, that blows so contrary?
Is Romeo slaughter'd? and is Tibalt dead?

Nurse.
Tibalt is dead, and Romeo banished.

Jul.
Banish'd! is Romeo banish'd!

Nurse.
Romeo that kill'd him, he is banished.

Jul.
Oh Heav'n! Did Romeo's hand shed Tibalt's blood?

Nurse.
It did, it did, alas the day! it did.

Jul.
Oh nature! what hadst thou to do in hell,
When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend,
In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh? Oh, that deceit should dwell
In such a gorgeous palace.* ^note

Nurse.
There is no trust,
No faith, no honesty in men; all perjur'd:
Shame come to Romeo!

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 'tis a throne where honour may be crown'd,
Sole monarch of the universal earth.
Oh, what a wretch was I to chide him so?

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?
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 Tibalt would have slain,
And Tibalt's dead, that would have kill'd my husband.
All this is comfort. Wherefore weep I, then?
Some word there was far worse than Tibalt's death,
That murder'd me. I would forget it fain,
But oh, it presses to my memory,
Like damned guilty deeds to sinners' minds.

Tibalt is dead, and Romeo banished,
That banished, that one word, banished,
Hath slain ten thousand Tibalts. In that word,
Is father, mother, Tibalt, Romeo, Juliet,
All slain, all dead!—Romeo is banished!
Where are my father, and my mother, nurse?

Nurse.
Weeping and wailing over Tibalt's coarse.
Will you go to them? I will bring you thither.

Jul.
Wash they his wounds with tears! my eyes shall flow,
When theirs are dry, for Romeo's banishment.

Nurse.
Hie to your chamber, I'll find Romeo,
To comfort you. I wot well where he is.
Hark ye, your Romeo will be here, at night;
I'll to him, he is hid at Lawrence' cell.

Jul.
Oh, find him, give this ring to my true lord,
And bid him come to take his last farewel. [Exeunt.

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