Welcome to PhiloLogic  
   home |  the ARTFL project |  download |  documentation |  sample databases |   
Theophilus Cibber [1748], Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy, Revis'd, and Alter'd from Shakespear, By Mr. Theophilus Cibber. First Reviv'd (in September, 1744,) at the Theatre in the Hay-Market: Now Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane... To which is added, A Serio-Comic Apology, For Part of the Life of Mr. Theophilus Cibber, Comedian. Written by Himself... Interspersed with Memoirs and Anecdotes, relating to Stage-Management, Theatrical Revolutions, &c. Also, Cursory Observations on some principal Players... Concluding with a Copy of Verses, call'd, The Contrite Comedian's Confession (Printed for C. Corbett... and G. Woodfall [etc.], London) [word count] [S37400].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

Next section

Scene 2 SCENE, the Monastry Friar Laurence, and Paris.

Fri.
On Thursday, Sir! the Time is very short.

Paris.
My Father Capulet will have it so.

Fri.
You say, you do not know the Lady's Mind.
Uneven is this Course, I like it not.

Paris.
Immoderately she weeps for Tibalt's Death,
And therefore have I little talk'd of Love.

-- 48 --


For Venus smiles not in a House of Tears.
Now, Sir, her Father counts it dangerous,
That we shou'd give her Sorrow so much Sway;
And in his Wisdom hastes our Marriage,
To stop the Inundation of her Tears;
Which, too much minded by herself alone,
May be put from her by Society.
Now, you do know the Reason of this Haste?

Fri.
I wou'd I knew not why it shou'd be slack'd. [Aside.
Look, Sir, here comes the Lady t'wards my Cell.
Enter Juliet.

Paris.
Welcome, my Love, my Lady, and my Wife.

Jul.
That may be, Sir, when I may be a Wife.

Paris.
That may be, must be, Love, on Thursday next.

Jul.
What must be, shall be.

Paris.
Come you to make Confession to this Father?

Jul.
To answer that, were to confess to you.

Paris.
Do not deny to him that you love me?

Jul.
I will confess to you, that I love him.

Paris.
So will you, I am sure, that you love me.

Jul.
If I do so, it will be of more Price,
Being spoke behind your back, than to your Face.

Paris.
Poor soul, thy Face is much abus'd with Tears.

Jul.
The Tears have got small Victory by that:
For it was bad enough before their Spite.

Paris.
Thou wrong'st it more than Tears with that Report.

Jul.
That is no Slander, Sir, which is but Truth,
And what I speak, I speak it to my Face.

Paris.
Thy Face is mine, and thou hath slander'd it.

Jul.
It may be so, for it is not my own.
Are you at leisure, holy Father, now,
Or shall I come at Evening Mass?

Fri.
My Leisure serves me, pensive Daughter, now
My Lord, I must entreat the Time alone.

-- 49 --

Paris.
Heaven shield I shou'd disturb Devotion:
Juliet, farewell, and keep this holy Kiss. [Exit Paris.

Jul.
Go shut the Door, and when thou hast done so
Come weep with me, past Hope, past Cure, past Help.

Fri.
O, Juliet I already know your Grief,
I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it,
On Thursdry next be married to the Count.

Jul.
Tell me not Friar that thou hear'st of this,
Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it:
If in thy Wisdom thou can'st give no Help,
Do thou but call my Resolution wise,
And with this Dagger I'll help it presently.
Heaven join'd my Heart and Romeo's, thou our Hands;
And ere this Hand, by thee to Romeo seal'd,
Shall be the Label to another Deed,
Or my true Heart with treacherous Revolt
Turn to another, this shall slay them both:
Therefore out of thy long-experienced Time,
Give me some present Council, or behold
'Twixt my Extreams and me, this bloody Dagger
Shall play the Umpire: Arbitrating that,
Which the Commission of thy Years and Art
Cou'd to no Issue of true Honour bring:
Speak, and be brief; for I desire to die.
If what thou speak'st, speak't not of Remedy.

Fri.
Hold Daughter, I do spy a kind of Hope,
Which craves as desperate an Execution,
As that is desperate which we wou'd prevent.
If rather than to marry with Count Paris
Thou hast the Strength or Will, to slay thyself;
Then it is likely thou wilt undertake
A Thing like Death to chide away this Shame,
That cop'st with Death itself, to scape from it,
And if thou dar'st I'll give the Remedy

Jul.
O bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the Battlements of yonder Tower:
Or chain me to some steepy Mountain's Top
Where roaring Bears, and savage Lions roam;
Or shut me nightly in a Charnel House,

-- 50 --


O'er-cover'd quite with dead Men's ratling Sculls,
Or bid me go into a new made Grave,
And hide me with a dead Man in his Shroud;
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 sweet Love.

Fri.
Mind Juliet, hie thee Home, get thee to Bed:
(Let not thy Nurse lie with thee in thy Chamber:)
And when thou art alone, take thou this Phial,
And this distilled Liquor drink thou off,
When presently thro' all thy Veins shall run
A cold and drowsy Humour, which shall seize
Each vital Spirit; for no Pulse shall keep
His natural Progress, but surcease to beat;
No Warmth, no Breath shall testify thou livest;
And in this borrow'd Likeness of shrunk Death
Thou shalt continue two and forty Hours,
And then awake as from a pleasant Sleep,
Now when the Bridegroom in the Morning comes
To rouse 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 same ancient Vault
Where all the Kindred of the Capulet's lie;
In the mean time against thou shalt awake
Shall Romeo by my Letters know our Drift,
And hither shall he come; and he and I
Will watch thy waking, and that very Night
Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua;
If no unconstant Toy nor womanish Fear
Abate thy Valour in the acting it.

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

Fri.
Now get you gone, be strong and prosperous
In this Resolve, I'll send a Friar with Speed
To Mantua, with my Letters to thy Lord.

Jul.
Love give me Strength, and Strength shall Help afford.
Farewell, dear Father.

-- 51 --

Previous section

Next section


Theophilus Cibber [1748], Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy, Revis'd, and Alter'd from Shakespear, By Mr. Theophilus Cibber. First Reviv'd (in September, 1744,) at the Theatre in the Hay-Market: Now Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane... To which is added, A Serio-Comic Apology, For Part of the Life of Mr. Theophilus Cibber, Comedian. Written by Himself... Interspersed with Memoirs and Anecdotes, relating to Stage-Management, Theatrical Revolutions, &c. Also, Cursory Observations on some principal Players... Concluding with a Copy of Verses, call'd, The Contrite Comedian's Confession (Printed for C. Corbett... and G. Woodfall [etc.], London) [word count] [S37400].
Powered by PhiloLogic