hidden mynd vnfolde That as I see your pleasant face your heart I may beholde For if you doe intende my honor to defile In error shall you wander still as you haue done this whyle But if your thought be chaste and haue on vertue ground If wedlocke be the ende and marke which your desire hath found Obedience set aside vnto my parentes dewe The quarell eke that long agoe betwene our housholdes grewe Both me and myne I will all whole to you betake And following you where so you goe my fathers house forsake But if by wanton loue and by vnlawfull sute You thinke in ripest yeres to plucke my maydenhods dainty frute You are begylde and now your Iuliet you be seekes To cease your sute and suffer her to liue emong her likes Then Romeus whose thought was free from fowle desyre And to the top of vertues haight did worthely aspyre Was fild with greater ioy then can my pen expresse Or till they haue enioyd the like the hearers hart can gesse And then with ioyned hands heaud vp into the skies He thankes the Gods and from the heauens for vengeance downe he cries If he haue other thought but as his lady spake And then his looke he toornd to her and thus did aunswer make Since Lady that you like to honor me so much As to accept me for your spouse I yeld my selfe for such In true witnes wherof because I must depart Till that my deede do proue my woord I leaue in pawne my hart To morow eke betimes before the sunne arise To fryer Lawrence will I wende to learne his sage aduise He is my gostly syre and oft he hath me taught What I should doe in things of wayght when I his ayde haue sought And at this selfe same houre I plyte you here my fayth I wil be here if you thinke good to tell you what he sayth She was contented well els fauour found he none That night at lady Iuliets hand saue pleasant woordes alone This barefoote fryer gyrt with cord his grayish weede For he of Frauncis order was a fryer as I reede Not as the most was he a grosse vnlearned foole But doctor of diuinitie proceded he in schoole The secretes eke he knew in natures woorkes that loorke By magiks arte most men supposd that he could wonders woorke Ne doth it ill beseeme deuines those skils to know If on no harmefull deede they do such skilfulnes bestow For iustly of no arte can men condemne the vse But right and reasons lore crye out agaynst the lewd abuse The bounty of the fryer and wisdom hath so wonne The townes folks herts that welnigh all to fryer Lawrence tonne To shriue them selfe the olde the yong the great and small Of all he is beloued well and honord much of all And for he did the rest in wisdome farre exceede The prince by him his counsell craude was holpe at time of neede Betwixt the Capilets and him great frendship grew A secret and assured frend vnto the Montegue Loued of this yong man more then any other gest The frier eke of Verone youth aye liked Romeus best For whom he euer hath in time of his distres As erst you heard by skilfull lore found out his harmes redresse To him is Romeus gonne ne stayth he till the morowe To him he paynteth all his case his passed ioy and sorow How he hath her espyde with other dames in daunce And how that first to talke with her himselfe he did aduaunce Their talke and change of lookes he gan to him declare And how so fast by fayth and troth they both ycoupled are That neither hope of lyfe nor dreed of cruel death Shall make him false his fayth to her while lyfe shall lend him breath And then with weping eyes he prayes his gostly syre To further and accomplish all theyr honest hartes desire A thousand doutes and moe in thold mans hed arose A thousand daungers like to come the olde man doth disclose And from the spousall rites he readeth him refrayne Perhaps he shalbe bet aduisde within a weeke or twayne Aduise is banishd quite from those that followe loue Except aduise to what they like theyr bending mynde do moue As well the father might haue counseld him to stay That from a mountaines top thrown downe is falling halfe the way As warne his frend to stop amyd his race begonne Whom Cupid with his smarting whip enforceth foorth to ronne Part wonne by earnest sute the fryer doth graunt at last And part because he thinkes the stormes so lately ouerpast Of both the housholdes wrath this mariage might apease So that they should not rage agayne but quite for euer cease The respite of a day he asketh to deuyse What way were best vnknowne to ende so great an enterprise The wounded man that now doth dedly paines endure Scarce pacient tarieth whilst his leeche doth make the salue to cure So Romeus hardly graunts a short day and a night Yet nedes he must els must he want his onely hearts delight You see that Romeus no time or payne doth spare Thinke that the whilst fayre Iuliet is not deuoyde of care Yong Romeus powreth foorth his hap and his mishap Into the friers brest but where shall Iuliet vnwrap The secretes of her hart to whom shall she vnfolde Her hidden burning loue and eke her thought and cares so colde The nurce of whom I spake within her chaumber laye Vpon the mayde she wayteth still to her she doth bewray Her new receiued wound and then her ayde doth craue In her she saith it lyes to spill in her her life to saue Not easely she made the froward nurce to bowe But wonne at length with promest hyre she made a solemne vowe To do what she commaundes as handmayd of her hest Her mistres secrets hide she will within her couert brest To Romeus she goes of him she doth desyre To know the meane of mariage by councell of the fryre On Saterday quod he if Iuliet come to shrift She shalbe shriued and maried how lyke you noorse this drist Now by my truth quod she gods blessing haue your hart For yet in all my life I haue not heard of such a part Lord how you yong men can such crafty wiles deuise If that you loue the daughter well to bleare the mothers eyes An easy thing it is with cloke of holines To mocke the sely mother that suspecteth nothing lesse But that it pleased you to tell me of the case For all my many yeres perhaps I should haue found it scarse Now for the rest let me and Iuliet alone To get her leaue some feate excuse I will deuise anone For that her golden lockes by sloth haue been vnkempt Or for vnwares some wanton dreame the youthfull damsell drempt Or for in thoughts of loue her ydel time she spent Or otherwise within her hart deserued to be shent I know her mother will in no case say her nay I warrant you she shall not fayle
last From whence thou art now falne that raysed vp agayne With greater ioy a greater while in pleasure mayst thou raygne Compare the present while with times ypast before And thinke that Fortune hath for thee great pleasure yet in store The whilst this little wrong receiue thou paciently And what of force must nedes be done that doe thou willingly Foly it is to feare that thou canst not auoyde And madnes to desire it much that can not be enioyde To geue to Fortune place not ay deserueth blame But skill it is according to the times thy selfe to frame Whilst to this skilfull lore he lent his listning eares His sighes are stopt and stopped are the conduits of his teares As blackest cloudes are chaced by winters nimble winde So haue his reasons chaced care out of his carefull mynde As of a morning fowle ensues an euening fayre So banisht hope returneth home to banish his despayre Now is affections veale remoued from his eyes He seeth the path that he must walke and reson makes him wise For very shame the blood doth flashe in both his cheekes He thankes the father for his lore and farther ayde he seekes He sayth that skilles youth for counsell is vnfitte And anger oft with hastines are ioind to want of witte But sound aduise aboundes in heddes with horishe heares For wisdom is by practise wonne and perfect made by yeares But aye from this time forth his ready bending will Shalbe in awe and gouerned by fryer Lawrence skill The gouernor is nowe right carefull of his charge To whom he doth wisely discoorse of his affaires at large He telles him how he shall depart the towne vnknowne Both mindfull of his frendes safetie and carefull of his owne How he shall gyde him selfe how he shall seeke to winne The frendship of the better sort how warely to crepe in The fauour of the Mantuan prince and how he may Appease the wrath of Escalus and wipe the fault away The choller of his foes by gentle meanes tasswage Or els by force and practises to bridle quite theyr rage And last he chargeth him at his appointed howre To goe with manly mery cheere vnto his ladies bowre And there with hole some woordes to salue her sorowes smart And to reuiue if nede require her faint and dying hart The old mans woords haue fild with ioy our Romeus brest And eke the olde wiues talke hath set our Iuliets hart at rest Whereto may I compare O louers this your day Like dayes the painefull mariners are woonted to assay For beat with tempest great when they at length espye Some little beame of Phoebus light that perceth through the skie To cleare the shadowde earth by clearenes of his face They hope that dreadles they shall ronne the remnant of their race Yea they assure them selfe and quite behynd theyr backe They cast all doute and thanke the Gods for scraping of the wracke But straight the boysterous windes with greater fury blowe And ouer boord the broken mast the stormy blastes doe throwe The heauens large are clad with cloudes as darke as hell And twise as hye the striuing waues begin to roare and swell With greater daungers dred the men are vexed more In greater perill of their lyfe then they had been before The golden sonne was gonne to lodge him in the west The full moone eke in yonder South had sent most men to rest When restles Romeus and restles Iuliet In woonted sort by woonted meane in Iuliets chaumber met And from the windowes top downe had he leaped scarce When she with armes outstretched wide so hard did him embrace That welnigh had the sprite not forced by dedly force Flowne vnto death before the time abandoning the corce Thus muet stoode they both the eight part of an howre And both would speake but neither had of speaking any powre But on his brest her hed doth ioylesse Iuliet lay And on her slender necke his chyn doth ruthfull Romeus stay Their scalding sighes ascende and by their cheekes dowue fall Their trickling teares as christall cleare but bitterer farre then gall Then he to end the greefe which both they liued in Did kysse his loue and wisely thus hys tale he dyd begin My Iuliet my loue my onely hope and care To you I purpose not as now with length of woords declare The diuersenes and eke the accidents so straunge Of frayle vnconstant Fortune that delyteth still in chaunge Who in a moment heaues her frendes vp to the height Of her swift turning slippery wheele then fleetes her frendship straight O wondrous chaunge euen with the twinkling of an eye Whom erst her selfe had rashly set in pleasant place so hye The same in great despyte downe hedlong doth she throwe And while she treades and spurneth at the lofty state laid lowe More sorow doth she shape within an howers space Then pleasure in an hundred yeres so geyson is her grace The proofe wherof in me alas too plaine apperes Whom tenderly my carefull frendes haue fostered with my feers In prosperous high degree mayntayned so by fate That as your selfe did see my foes enuyde my noble state One thing there was I did aboue the rest desire To which as to the soueraigne good by hope I would aspyre Thol by our mariage meane we might within a while To woorke our perfect happines our parentes reconsile That safely so we might not stopt by sturdy strife Vnto the boundes that God hath set gyde forth our pleasant lyfe But now alacke too soone my blisse is ouerblowne And vpside downe my purpose and my enterprise are throwne And driuen from my frendes of straungers must I craue O graunt it God from daungers dread that I may suertie haue For loe henceforth I must wander in landes vnknowne So hard I finde the princes doome exyled from mine owne Which thing I haue thought good to set before your eyes And to exhort you now to proue your selfe a woman wise That paciently you beare my absent long abod For what aboue by fatall doomes decreed is that God And more then this to say it seemed he was bent But Iuliet in dedly greefe with brackish teares besprent Brake of his tale begonne and whilst his speche he stayde These selfe same wordes or like to these with dreery chere she sayde Why Romeus can it be thou hast so hard a hart So farre remoued from ruth so farre from thinking on my smart To leaue me thus alone thou cause of my distresse Beseged with so great a campe of mortall wretchednesse That euery hower now and moment in a day A thousand times death bragges as he would reaue my life away Yet such is my mishap O cruell destenye That still I liue and wish for death but yet can neuer dye So that iust cause I haue to thinke as seemeth me That froward Fortune did of late with cruell death agree To lengthen lothed life to pleasure in my payne And tryumph in my harme as in the greatest hoped
the hurt you feele And with this new vprore confounde all this our common wele But they so busy are in fight so egar and feerce That through theyr eares his sage aduise no leysure had to pearce Then lept he in the throng to part and barre the blowes As well of those that were his frendes as of his dedly foes As soone as Tybalt had our Romeus espyde He threw a thrust at him that would haue past from side to side But Romeus euer went douting his foes well armde So that the swerd kept out by mayle hath nothing Romeus harmde Thou doest me wrong quoth he for I but part the fraye Not dread but other waighty cause my hasty hand doth stay Thou art the cheefe of thine the noblest eke thou art Wherfore leaue of thy malice now and helpe these folke to parte Many are hurt some slayne and some are like to dye No coward traytor boy ê™ he straight way I mynd to trye Whether thy sugred talke and tong so smootely fylde Against the force of this my swerd shall serue thee for a shylde And then at Romeus hed a blow he strake so hard That might haue cloue him to the brayne but for his cunning ward It was but lent to him that could repay agayne And geue him death for interest a well forborne gayne Right as a forest bore that lodged in the thicke Pinched with dog or els with speare ypricked to the quicke His bristles stiffe vpright vpon his backe doth set And in his fomy mouth his sharp and crooked tuskes doth whet Or as a Lyon wylde that rampeth in his rage His whelpes bereft whose fury can no weaker beast asswage Such seemed Romeus in euery others sight When he him shope of wrong receaude tauenge himselfe by fight Euen as two thunderboltes throwne downe out of the skye That through the ayre the massy earth and seas haue power to flye So met these two and while they chaunge a blowe or twayne Our Romeus thrust him through the throte and so is Tybalt slayne Loe here the ende of those that styrre a dedly stryfe Who thyrsteth after others death himselfe hath lost his life The Capilets are quaylde by Tybalts ouerthrowe The courage of the Mountagewes by Romeus sight doth growe The townes men waren strong the prince doth send his force The fray hath end the Capilets do bring the brethles corce Before the prince and craue that cruell dedly payne May be the guerdon of his falt that hath their kinsman slaine The Montagewes do pleade theyr Romeus voyde of falt The lookers on do say the fight begonne was by Tybalt The prince doth pawse and then geues sentence in a while That Romeus for sleying him should gone into exyle His foes would haue him hangde or sterue in prison strong His frendes do think but dare not say that Romeus hath wrong Both housholds straight are charged on payne of losing lyfe Theyr bloudy weapons layd aside to cease the styrred stryfe This common plage is spred through all the towne anon From side to syde the towne is fild with murmour and with mone For Tybalts hasty death bewayled was of somme Both for his skill in frates of armes and for in time to comme He should had this not chaunced been riche and of great powre To helpe his frendes and serue the state which hope within an howre Was wasted quite and he thus yelding vp his breath More then he holpe the towne in lyfe hath harmde it by his death And other somme bewayle but ladies most of all The lookeles lot by Fortunes gylt that is so late befall Without his falt vnto the seely Romeus For whilst that he from natife land shall liue exyled thus From heauenly bewties light and his welshaped parts The sight of which was wont faire dames to glad your youthfull harts Shall you be banishd quite and tyll he do retoorne What hope haue you to ioy what hope to cease to moorne This Romeus was borne so much in heauens grace Of Fortune and of nature so beloued that in his face Beside the heauenly bewty glistring ay so bright And seemely grace that wontes so to glad the seers sight A certain charme was graued by natures secret arte That vertue had to draw to it the loue of many a hart So euery one doth wish to beare a part of payne That he released of exyle might straight retorne agayne But how doth moorne emong the moorners Iuliet How doth she bathe her brest in teares what depe sighes doth she fet How doth she tear her heare her weede how doth she rent How fares the louer hearing of her louers banishment How wayles she Libalts death whom she had loued so well Her hearty greefe and piteous plaint cunning I want to tell For deluing depely now in depth of depe dispayre With wretched sorowes cruell sound she fils the empty ayre And to the lowest hell downe falles her heauy crye And vp vnto the heauens haight her piteous plaint doth flye The waters and the woods of sighes and sobs resounde And from the hard resounding rockes her sorowes do rebounde Eke from her teary eyne downe rayned many a showre That in the garden where she walkd might water herbe and flowre But when at length she saw her selfe outraged so Vnto her chaumber straight she hide there ouercharged with wo. Vpon her stately bed her painfull parts she threw And in so wondrous wise began her sorowes to renewe That sure no hart so hard but it of flint had byn But would haue rude the pitious plaint that she did languishe in Then rapt out of her selfe whilst she on euery side Did cast her restles eye at length the windowe she espide Through which she had with ioy seene Romeus many a time Which oft the ventrous knight was wont For Iuliets sake to clyme She cryde O cursed windowe a curst be euery pane Through which alas to one I raught the cause of life and bane If by thy meane I haue some slight delight receaued Or els such fading pleasure as by Fortune straight was reaued Hast thou not made me pay a tribute rigorous Of heaped greefe and lasting care and sorowes dolorous That these my tender partes which nedefull strength do lacke To beare so great vnweldy lode vpon so weake a backe Opprest with waight of cares and with these sorowes rife At length must open wide to death the gates of lothed lyfe That so my wery sprite may somme where els vnlode His dedly lode and free from thrall may seeke els where abrode For pleasant quiet ease and for assured rest Which I as yet could neuer finde but for my more vnrest O Romeus when first we both acquainted were When to thy paynted promises I lent my listning eare Which to the brinkes you fild with many a solemne othe And I them iudgde empty of gyle and fraughted full of troth I thought you rather would continue our good will And seeke tappease our fathers strife which daily
groweth still I little wend you would haue sought occasion how By such an heynous act to breake the peace and eke your vowe Wherby your bright renoune all whole yelipsed is And I vnhappy husbandles of cumfort robde and blisse But if you did so much the blood of Capels thyrst Why haue you often spared mine myne might haue quencht it first Since that so many times and in so secret place Where you were wont with vele of loue to hyde your hatreds face My doutfull lyfe hath hapt by fatall dome to stand In mercy of your cruell hart and of your bloudy hand What seemd the conquest which you got of me so small What seemd it not enough that I poore wretch was made your thrall But that you must increase it with that kinsmans blood Which for his woorth and loue to me most in my fauour stood Well goe hencefoorth els where and seeke another whyle Some other as vnhappy as I by flattry to begyle And where I comme see that you shonne to shew your face For your excuse within my hart shall finde no resting place And I that now too late my former fault repent Will so the rest of wery life with many teares lament That soone my ioyceles corps shall yeld vp banishd breath And where on earth it restles liued in earth seeke rest by death These sayde her tender hart by payne oppressed sore Restraynd her teares and forced her tong to keepe her talke in store And then as still she was as if in sownd she lay And then agayne wroth with her selfe with feble voyce gan say Ah cruell murthering tong murthrer of others fame How durst thou once attempt to tooch the honor of his name Whose dedly foes doe yelde him dewe and earned prayse For though his fredome be bereft his honor not decayes Why blamst thou Romeus for sleying of Tybalt Since he is gyltles guite of all and Tybalt beares the falt Whether shall he alas poore banishd man now flye What place of succor shall he seeke beneth the starry skye Synce she pursueth him and him defames by wrong That in distres should be his fort and onely rampier strong Receiue the recompence O Romeus of thy wife Who for she was vnkind her selfe doth offer vp her lyfe In flames of yre in sighes in sorow and in ruth So to reuenge the crime she did commit against thy truth These said she could no more her senses all gan fayle And dedly panges began straight way her tender hart assayle Her limmes she stretched forth she drew no more her breath Who had been there might well haue seene the signes of present death The nurce that knew no cause why she absented her Did doute lest that some sodain greefe too much tormented her Eche where but where she was the carefull Beldam sought Last of the chamber where she lay she haply her bethought Where she with piteous eye her nurce childe did beholde Her limmes stretched out her vtward parts as any marble colde The nurce supposde that she had payde to death her det And then as she had lost her wittes she cryed to Iuliet Ah my dere hart quoth she how greeueth me thy death Alas what cause hast thou thus soone to yelde vp liuing breath But while she handled her and chafed euery part She knew there was some sparke of life by beating of her hart So that a thousand times she cald vpon her name There is no way to helpe a traunce but she hath tryde the same She openeth wide her mouth she stoppeth close her nose She bendeth downe her brest she wringes her fingers and her toes And on her bosome colde she layeth clothes hot A warmed and a holesome iuyce she powreth downe her throte At length doth Iuliet heaue fayntly vp her eyes And then she stretcheth forth her arme and then her nurce she spyes But when she was awakde from her vnkindly traunce Why dost thou trouble me quoth she what draue thee with mischaunce To come to see my sprite forsake my brethles corce Goe hence and let me dye if thou haue on my smart remorse For who would see her frend to liue in dedly payne Alas I see my greefe begoone for euer will remayne Or who would seeke to liue all pleasure being past My myrth is donne my moorning mone for ay is like to last Wherfore since that there is none other remedy Comme gentle death and ryue my hart at once and let my dye The nurce with tricling teares to witnes inward smart With helow sigh fetchd from the depth of her appauled hart Thus spake to Iuliet yelad with eugly care Good lady myne I do not know what makes you thus to fare Ne yet the cause of your vnmeasurde heauines But of this one I you assure for care and sorowes stresse This hower large and more I thought so god me saue That my dead corps should wayte on yours to your vntimely graue Alas my tender nurce and trusty frend quoth she Art thou so blinde that with thine eye thou canst not easely see The lawfull cause I haue to sorow and to moorne Since those the which I hyld most deere I haue at once forlorne Her nurce then aunswerd thus Me thinkes it sits you yll To fall in these extremities that may you gyltles spill For when the stormes of care and troubles do aryse Then is the time for men to know the foolish from the wise You are accounted wise a foole am I your nurce But I see not how in like case I could be haue me wurse Tibalt your frend is ded what weene you by your teares To call him backe againe thinke you that he your crying heares You shall perceue the falt if it be iustly tryde Of his so sodayn death was in his rashnes and his pryde Would you that Romeus him selfe had wronged so To suffer himselfe causeles to be outraged of his foe To whom in no respect he ought a place to geue Let it suffise to thee fayre dame that Romeus doth liue And that there is good hope that he within a while With greater glory shalbe calde home from his hard exile How wel yborne he is thy selfe I know canst tell By kindred strong and well alyed of all beloued well With patience arme thy selfe for though that Fortunes cryme Without your falt to both your greefes depart you for a time I dare say for amendes of all your present payne She will restore your owne to you within a month or twayne With such contented ease as neuer erst you had Wherfore reioyce a while in hope and be ne more so sad And that I may discharge your hart of heauy care A certaine way I haue found out my paynes ne will I spare To learne his present state and what in time to comme He mindes to doe which knowne by me you shall know all and somme But that I dread the whilst your sorowes will you quell Straight would I hye where he doth lurke
to frier Lawrence cell But if you gyn eftsones as erst you did to moorre Wherto goe I you will be ded before I thence retoorne So I shall spend in wast my time and busy payne So vnto you your life once lost good aunswere commes in vayne So shall I ridde my selfe with this sharpe pointed knife So shall you cause your parents derre wax wery of theyr life So shall your Romeus despysing liuely breath With hasty foote before his tyme ronne to vntimely death Where if you can a while by reason rage suppresse I hope at my retorne to bring the salue of your distresse Now choose to haue me here a partner of your payne Or promosse me to feede on hope till I retorne agayne Her mistres sendes her forth and makes a graue behest With reasons rayne to rule the thoughts that rage within her brest When hugy beapes of harmes are heapd before her eyes Then vanish they by hope of scape and thus the lady lyes Twixt well assured trust and doutfull lewd dispayre Now blacke and ougly be her thoughts now seeme they white and fayre As oft in summer tide blacke cloudes do dimme the sonne And straight againe in clearest skye his restles steedes do ronne So Iuliets wandring mynd yclowded is with woe And by and by her hasty thought the woes doth ouergoe But now is time to tell whilst she was tossed thus What windes did driue or hauen did hold her louer louer Romeus When he had slayne his foe that gan this dedly strife And saw the furious fray had ende by ending Tybalts life He fled the sharpe reuenge of those that yet did liue And douting much what penall doome the troubled prince myght gyue He sought some where vnseene to lurke a little space And trusty Lawrence secret cell he thought the surest place In doutfull happe ay best a trusty frend is tride The frendly fryer in this distresse doth graunt his frend to hyde A secret place he hath well seeled round about The mouth of which so close is shut that none may finde it out Both roome there is to walke and place to sitte and rest Beside a bed to sleape vpon full soft and trimly drest The flowre is planked so with mattes it is so warme That neither wind nor smoky damps haue powre him ought to harme Where he was wont in youth his fayre frendes to bestowe There now he hydeth Romeus whilst forth he goeth to knowe Both what is sayd and donne and what appoynted payne Is published by trumpets sound then home he hyes agayne By this vnto his cell the nurce with spedy pace Was coâ—â—â—e the nerest way she sought no ydel resting place The fryer sent home the newes of Romeus certain helth And promesse made what so befell he should that night by stelth Comme to his wonted place that they in nedefull wise Of theyr affayres in time to comme might thorowly deuyse Those ioyfull newes the nurce brought home with mery ioy And now our Iuliet ioyes to thinke she shall her loue enioye The fryer shuts fast his doore and then to him beneth That waytes to heare the doutefull newes of lyfe orels of death Thy hap quoth he is good daunger of death is none But thou shalt liue and doe full well in spite of spitefull fone This onely payne for thee was erst proclaymde aloude A banishd man thou mayst thee not within Verona shroude These heauy tydinges heard his golden lockes he tare And like a frantike man hath torne the garmentes that he ware And as the smitten deere in brakes is waltring found So waltreth he and with his brest doth beate the troden grounde He riseth eft and strikes his head against the wals He falleth downe againe and lowde for hasty death be cals Come spedy death quoth he the readiest leache in loue Since nought can els beneth the sunne the ground of griefe remoue Of lothsome life breake downe the hated staggering stayes Destroy destroy at once the lyfe that faintly yet decayes But you fayre dame in whome dame nature dyd deuise With cunning hand to woorke that might seeme wondrous in our eyes For you I pray the Gods your pleasures to increase And all mishap with this my death for euermore to cease And mighty Ioue with speede of iustice bring them lowe Whose lofty pryde without our gylt our blisse doth ouerblowe And Cupide graunt to those theyr spedy wrongs redresse That shall bewayle my cruell death and pity her distresse Therewith a cloude of sighes he breathd into the skies And two great streames of bitter teares ran from his swollen eyes These thinges the auncient fryre with sorow saw and heard Of such begynning eke the ende the wise man greatly feard But loe he was so weake by reason of his age That he ne could by force represse the rigour of his rage His wise and frendly woordes he speaketh to the ayre For Romeus so vexed is with care and with dispayre That no aduise can perce his close forstopped eares So now the fryer doth take his part in shedding ruthfull teares With colour pale and wan with armes full hard yfold With wofull cheere his wayling frend he standeth to beholde And then our Romeus with tender handes ywrong With voyce with plaint made horce w t sobs and with a foltring tong Renewd with nouel mone the dolours of his hart His outward dreery cheere bewrayde his store of inward smart Fyrst nature did he blame the author of his lyfe In which his ioyes had been so scant and sorowes aye so ryfe The time and place of byrth he fiersly did reproue He cryed out with open mouth against the starres aboue The â—â—tall sisters three he said had done hun wrong The threed that should not haue been sponne they had drawne foorth too long He wished that he had before this time been borne Or that as soone as he wan light his life he had forlorne His nurce he cursed and the hand that gaue him pappe The midwife eke with tender grype that held him in her lappe And then did he complaine on Venus cruel sonne Who led him first vnto the rockes which he should warely shonne By meane wherof he lost both lyfe and libertie And dyed a hundred times a day and yet could neuer dye Loues troubles lasten long the ioyes he geues are short He forceth not a louers payne theyr ernest is his sport A thousand thinges and more I here let passe to write Which vnto loue this wofull man dyd speake in great despite On Fortune eke he raylde he calde her deafe and blynde Vinconstant fond deceitfull rashe vnruthfull and vnkynd And to him self he layd a great part of the falt For that he slewe and was not slayne in fighting with Tibalt He blamed all the world and all he did defye But Iuliet for whom he liued for whom eke would he dye When after raging fits appeased was his rage And when his passions powred forth gan partly to asswage So wisely did the
sobs her fearefull talke haue broken The syre whose swelling worth her teares could not asswage With fiery eyen and skarlet cheekes thus spake her in his rage Whilst ruthfully stood by the maydens mother mylde Listen quoth he vnthankfull and thou disobedient childe Hast thou so soone let slip out of thy mynde the woord That thou so often times hast heard rehearsed at my boord How much the Romayne youth of parentes stood in awe And eke what powre vpon theyr seede the fathers had by lawe Whom they not onely might pledge alienate and sell When so they stoode in neede but more if children did rebell The parentes had the power of lyfe and sodayn death What if those goodmen should agayne receaue the liuyng breth In how straight bondes would they thy stubberne body bynde What weapons would they seeke for thee what tormentes would they fynde To chasten if they saw the lewdnes of thy lyfe Thy great vnthankfulnes to me and shamefull sturdy strife Such care thy mother had so deere then wert to me That I with long and earnest â—ute prouided haue for thee One of the greatest lordes that wonnes about this towne And for his many vertues sake a man of great renowne Of whom both thou and I vnworthy are too much So riche ere long he shalbe left his fathers welth is such Such is the noblenes and honor of the race From whence his father came and yet thou playest in this case The dainty foole and stubberne gyrle for want of skill Thou dost refuse thy offred weale and disobay my will Euen by his strength I sweare that fyrst did geue me lyfe And gaue me in my youth the strength to get thee on my wyfe On lesse by wensday next thou bende as I am bent And at our castle cald free towne thou freely doe assent To Counte Paris sute and promise to agree To whatsoeuer then shall passe twixt him my wife and me Not onely will I geue all that I haue away From thee to those that shall me loue me honor and obay But also too so close and to so hard a gayle I shall thee wed for all thy life that sure thou shalt not fayle A thousand times a day to wishe for sodayn death And curse the day and howre when first thy lunges did geue thee breath Aduise thee well and say that thou art warned now And thinke not that I speake in sport or mynd to breake my vowe For were it not that I to Counte Paris gaue My fayth which I must kepe vnfalst my honor so to saue Ere thou goe hence my selfe would see thee chastned so That thou shouldst once for all be taught thy duetie how to knowe And what reuenge of olde the angry syres did finde Against theyr children that rebeld and shewd them selfe vnkinde These sayd the olde man straight is gone in hast a way Ne for his daughters imswere â–ª would the testy father stay And after him his wife doth follow out of doore And there they leaue theyr chidden chylde kneeling vpon the floore Then she that oft had seene the fury of her syre Dreading what might come of his rage nould farther styrre his yre Vnto her chamber she withdrew her selfe aparte Where she was wonted to vnlode the sorowes of her hart There did she not so much busy her eyes in sleping As ouerprest with restles thoughts in piteous booteles weping The fast falling of teares make not her teares decrease Ne by the powring forth of plaint the cause of plaint doth cease So that to thend the mone and sorow may decaye The best is that she seeke some meane to take the cause away Her wery bed betime the wofull wight forsakes And to sainct Frauncis church to masse her way deuoutly takes The fryer forth is calde she prayes him heare her shrift Deuocion is in so yong yeres a rare and precious gyft When in her tender knees the dainty lady kneeles In minde to powre forth all the greefe that inwardly she feeles With sighes and salted teares her shryuing doth beginne Forshe of heaped sorowes hath to speake and not of sinne Her voyce with piteous plaint was made already horce And hasty sobs when she would speake brake of her woordes parforce But as she may peece meale she powreth in his lappe The mariage newes a mischief newe prepared by mishappe Her parentes promisse erst to Counte Paris past Her fathers threats she telleth him and thus concludes at last Once was I wedded well ne will I wed agayne For since I know I may not be the wedded wyfe of twayne For I am bound to haue one God ene fayth one make My purpose is as soone as I shall hence my iorney take With these two handes which ioynde vnto the heauens I stretch The hasty death which I desire vnto my selfe to reache This day O Romeus this day thy wofull wife Will 〈◊〉 the end of all her eares by ending carefull lyfe So my departed sprite shall witnes to the skye And eke my blood vnto the earth beare record how that I Haue kept my fayth vnbroke stedfast vnto my frende When this her heauy tale was tolde her vowe eke at an ende Her gasing here and there her feerce and staring looke Did witnes that some lewd attempt her hart had vndertooke Whereat the fryer affonde and gaftfully afrayde Lest she by dede perfourme her woord thus much to her he sayde Ah lady Iuliet what nede the wordes you spake â–ª I pray you graunt me one request for blessed Maries sake Measure somewhat your greefe holde here a while your peace Whilst I bethinke me of your case your plaint and sorowes cease Such comfort will I geue you ere you part from hence And for thassaltes of Fortunes pre prepare so sure defence So holesome salue will I for your afflictions finde That you shall hence depart agayne with well contented mynde His wordes haue chased straight out of her hart despayre Her blacke and ougly dredfull thoughts by hope are waxen fayre So fryer Lawrence now hath left her there alone And he out of the church in hast is to his chaumber gone Where sundry thoughtes within his carefull head arise The old mans foresight diuers doutes hath set before his eyes His conscience one while condems it for a sinne To let her take Paris to spouse since he himselfe had byn The chefest cause that she vnknowne to father or mother Not fiue monthes past in that selfe place was wedded to another An other while an hugy heape of daungers dred His restles thought hath heaped vp within his troubled hed Euen of it selfe that tempt he iudgeth pertious The execucion eke he demes so much more daungerous That to a womans grace he must himselfe commit That yong is simple and vnware for waighty affaires vnfit For if the fayle in ought the matter published Both she and Romeus were vndonne himselfe eke punished When too and fro in mynde he dyuers thoughts had cast With tender pity and with ruth
had Romeus praysde before Paris shall dwell there still Romeus shall not retourne What shall it boote her life to languish still and mourne The pleasures past before she must account as gayne But if he doe reforne what then for one she shall haue twayne The one shall vse her as his lawfull wedded wyse In wanton loue with equall ioy the other leade his lyfe And best shall she be sped of any townish dame Of husband and of paramour to fynde her chaunge of game These wordes and like the nurce did speake in hope to please But greatly did those wicked wordes the ladies mynde disease But ay she hid her wrath and seemed well content When dayly dyd the naughty nurce new argumentes inuent But when the bryde perceued her howre opproched nere She sought the best she could to fayne and tempted so her cheere That by her outward looke no liuing wight could gesse Her inward woe and yet a new renewde is her distresse Vnto her chaumber doth the pensiue wight repayre And in her hand a percher light the nurce beares vp the stayre In Iuliets chamber was her wonted vse to lye Wherfore her mistres dreading that she should her work descrye As sone as she began her pallet to vnfold Thinking to lye that night where she was wont to lye of olde Doth gently pray her seeke her lodgeing some where els And lest the crafty should suspect a ready reason telles Derefrend quoth she you knowe to morow is the day Of new contract wherfore this night my purpose is to pray Vnto the heauenly myndes that dwell aboue the skyes And order all the course of thinges as they can best deuyse That they so smyle vpon the doynges of To morow That all the remnant of my lyfe may be exempt from sorow Wherfore I pray you leaue me here alone this night But see that you to morow comme before the dawning light For you must coorle my heare and set on my attyre And eastly the louing nurse dyd yelde to her desire For she within he hed dyd cast before no doute She little knew the close attempt her nurce childe went about The nurce departed once the chamber doore shut close Assured that no liuing wight her doing myght disclose She powred forth into the vyole of the fryer Water out of a siluer ewer that on the boord stoode by her The slepy mixture made fayre Iuliet doth it hyde Vnder her bolster soft and so vnto her bed she hyed Where diuers nouel thoughts arise within her hed And she is so inuironed about with deadly dred That what before she had resolued vndoutedly That same she calleth into doute and lying doutfully Whilst honest loue did striue with dred of dedly payne With handes ywrong and weping eyes thus gan she to complaine What is there any one beneth the heauens hye So much vnfortunate as I so much past hope as I What am not I my selfe of all that yet were borne The depest drenched in dispayre and most in Fortunes skorne For loe the world for me hath nothing els to finde Beside mishap and wretchednes and anguish of the mynde Since that the cruel cause of my vnhappines Hath put me to this sodaine plonge and brought to such distres As to the end I may my name and conscience saue I must deuowre the mixed drinke that by me here I haue Whose woorking and whose force as yet I doe not know And of this piteous plaint began another doute to growe What doe I knowe quoth she if that this powder shall Sooner or later then it should or els not woorke at all And then my craft descride as open as the day The peoples tale and laughing stocke shall I remayne for aye And what know I quoth she if serpentes odious And other beastes and wormes that are of nature venemous That wonted are to lurke in darke caues vnder grounde And commonly as I haue heard in dead mens tombes are found Shall harme me yea or nay where I shall lye as ded Or how shall I that alway haue in so freshe ayre been bred Endure the lothsome stinke of such an heaped store Of carkases not yet consumde and bones that long before Intombed were where I my sleping place shall haue Where all my auncesters doe rest my kindreds common graue Shall not the fryer and my Romeus when they come Fynd me if I awake before ystified in the tombe And whtlst she in these thoughtes doth dwell somwhat to long The force of her ymagining anon dyd ware so strong That she surmysde she saw out of the hollow vaulte A griefly thing to looke vpon the carkas of Tybalt Right in the selfe same sort that she few dayes before Had seene him in his blood embrewde to death eke wounded sore And then when she agayne within her selfe had wayde That quicke she should be buried there and by his side be layde All comfortles for she shall liuing feere haue none But many a rotten carkas and full many a naked bone Her dainty tender partes gan sheuer all for dred Her golden heares did stand vpright vpon her chillish hed Then pressed with the feare that she there liued in A sweat as colde as mountaine yse pearst through her tender skin That with the moysture hath wet euery part of hers And more besides she vainely thinkes whilst vainely thus she feares A thousand bodies dead haue compast her about And lest they will dismember her she greatly standes in dout But when she felt her strength began to weare away By little and little and in her hart her feare increased ay Dreading that weakenes might or foolish cowardise Hinder the execution of the purposde enterprise As she had frantike been in hast the glasse she cought And vp she dranke the mixture quite withouten farther thought Then on her brest she crost her armes long and small And so her senses fayling her into a traunce did fall And when that Phoebus bright heaued vp his seemely hed And from the East in open skies his glistring rayes dispred The nurce vnshut the doore for she the key did keepe And douting she had slept to long she thought to breake her slepe Fyrst softly dyd she call then lowder thus did crye Lady you slepe to long the Earle will rayse you by and by But wele away in vayne vnto the deafe she calles She thinkes to speake to Iuliet but speaketh to the walles If all the dredfull noyse that might on earth be found Or on the roaring seas or if the dredfull thunders sound Had blowne into her eares I thinke they could not make The sleping wight before the time by any meanes awake So were the sprites of lyfe shut vp and senses thrald Wherwith the seely carefull nurce was wondrously apalde She thought to daw her now as she had donne of olde But loe she found her parts were stiffe and more then marble colde Neither at mouth nor nose found she recourse of breth Two certaine argumentes were these of
her vntimely death Wherfore as one distraught she to her mother ranne With scratched face and heare betorne but no woord speake she can At last with much a doe dead quoth she is my childe Now out alas the mother cryde and as a Tyger wilde Whose whelpes whilst she is gonne out of her denne to pray The hunter gredy of his game doth kill or cary away So rageing forth she ranne vnto her Iuliets bed And there she found her derling and her onely comfort ded Then shriked she out as lowde as serue her would her breth And then that pity was to heare thus cryde she out on death Ah cruell death quoth she that thus against all right Hast ended my felicitie and robde my hartes delight Do now thy worst to me once wreake thy wrath for all Euen in despite I crye to thee thy vengeance let thou fall Wherto stay I alas since Iuliet is gone Wherto liue I since she is dead except to wayle and mone Alacke dere chyld my teares for thee shaâ—l neuer cease Euen as my dayes of life increase so shall my plaint increase Such store of sorow shall afflict my tender hart That dedly panges when they assayle shall not augment my smart Then gan she so to sobbe it seemde her hart would brast And while she crieth thus behold the father at the last The County Paris and of gentilmen a route And ladies of Verona towne and country round about Both kindreds and alies thet her a pace haue preast For by theyr presence there they sought to honor so the feast But when the heauy newes the hydden geastes did heare So much they mournd that who had seene theyr countnance and theyr cheere Might easely haue indgde by that that they had seene That day the day of wrath and eke of pity haue beene But more then all the rest the fathers hart was so Smit with the heauy newes and so shut vp with sodain woe That he ne had the powre his daughter to bewepe Ne yet to speake but long is forsd his teares and plaint to kepe In all the hast he hath for skilfull leaches sent And hearyng of her passed life they iudge with one assent The cause of this her death was inward care and thought And then with double force againe the doubled sorowes wrought If euer there hath been a lamentable day A day ruthfull vnfortunate and fatall then I say The same was it in which through Veron towne was spred The wofull newes how Iuliet was sterued in her bed For so she was bemonde both of the yong and olde That it might seeme to him that would the commen plaint behold That all the commen welth did stand in ieopardy So vniuerfall was the plaint so piteous was the crye For lo beside her shape and natiue bewties hewe With which like as she grew in age her vertues prayses grewe She was also so wise so lowly and so mydle That euen from the hory head vnto the witles childe She wan the hartes of all so that there was not one Ne great ne small but dyd that day her wretched state bemone Whilst Iuliet slept and whilst the other wepen thus Our fryer Lawrence hath by this sent one to Romeus A frier of his house there neuer was a better He trusted him euen as himselfe to whom he gaue a letter In which he written had of euery thing at length That past twixt Iuliet and him and of the powders strength The next night after that he willeth him to comme To helpe to take his Iuliet out of the hollow toombe For by that time the drinke he saith will cease to woorke And for one night his wife and he within his cell shall loorke Then shall he cary her to Mantua away Till sickell Fortune fauour him disguisde in mans aray Thys letter closde he sendes to Romeus by his brother He chargeth him that in no case he geue it any other Apace our frier Iohn to Mantua him hyes And for because in Italy it is a wonted gyse That friers in the towne should seeldome walke alone But of theyr couent ay should be accompanide with one Of his profession straight a house he fyndeth out In mynde to take some frier with him to walke the towne about But entred once he might not issue out agayne For that a brother of the house a day before or twayne Dyed of the plague a sickenes which they greatly feare and hate So were the brethren charged to kepe within theyr couent gate Bard of theyr felowship that in the towne do wonne The towne folke eke commaunded are the fryers house to shonne Tyll they that had the care of health theyr fredome should renew Wherof as you shall shortly heare a mischeefe great there grewe The fryer by this restraint beset with dred and sorow Not knowing what the letters held differd vntill the morowe And then he thought in tyme to send to Romeus But whilst at Mantua where he was these dooinges framed thus The towne of Iuliets byrth was wholy busied About her obsequies to see theyr darlyng buried Now is the parentes myrth quite chaunged into mone And now to sorow is retornde the ioy of euery one And now the wedding weedes for mourning weedes they chaunge And Hymene into a Dyrge alas it seemeth straunge In steade of mariage gloues now funerall gloues they haue And whom they should see maried they follow to the graue The feast that should haue been of pleasure and of ioy Hath euery dish and cup fild full of sorow and annoye Now throughout Italy this commen vse they haue That all the best of euery stocke are earthed in one graue For euery houshold if it be of any fame Doth bylde a tombe or digge a vault that beares the housholdes name Wherein if any of that kindred hap to dye They are bestowde els in the same no other corps may lye The Capilets her corps in such a one dyd lay Where Tybalt slayne of Romeus was layde the other day An other vse there is that whosoeuer dyes Borne to their church with open face vpon the beere he lyes In wonted weede attyrde not wrapt in winding sheete So as by chaunce he walked abrode our Romeus man dyd meete His maisters wyse the sight with sorow straight dyd wounde His honest hart with teares he sawe her lodged vnder ground And for he had been sent to Verone for a spye The doynges of the Capilets by wisdome to descrye And for he knew her death dyd tooch his maister most Alas too soone with heauy newes he byed away in post And in his house he found his maister Romeus Where he besprent with many feares began to speake him thus Syr vnto you of late is chaunced so great a harme That sure except with constancy you seeke your selfe to arme I feare that strayght you will brethe out your latter breath And I most wretched wight shalbe thoccasion of your death Know syr that yesterday my lady and your wyfe I wot
deuyse But God I prayse I feele no worme that gnaweth me And from remorses pricking sting I ioy that I am free I meane as touching this wherwith you troubled are Wherwith you should be troubled still if I my speche should spare But to the end I may set all your hartes at rest And plucke out all the scrupuls that are rooted in your brest Which might perhappes henceforth increasing more and more Within your conscience also increase your curelesse sore I sweare by yonder heauens whither I hope to clym And for a witnes of my woordes my hart attesteth him Whose mighty hand doth welde them in their vyolent sway And on the rolling stormy seas the heauy earth doth stay That I will make a short and eke a true dyscourse Of this most wofull Tragedy and shew both thend and sourse Of theyr vnhappy death which you perchaunce no lesse Will wonder at then they alas poore louers in distresse Tormented much in mynd not forcing liuely breath With strong and patient hart dyd yelde themselfe to cruell death Such was the mutuall loue wherin the burned both And of their promyst frendshippes fayth so stedy was the troth And then the auncient frier began to make dyscourse Euen from the first of Romeus and Iuliets amours How first by sodayn sight the one the other chose And twirt them selfe dyd knitte the knotte â–ª which onely death might lose And how within a while with hotter loue opprest Vnder confessions cloke to him them selfe they haue adrest And how with solemne othes they haue protested both That they in hart are maried by promise and by othe And that except he graunt the rytes of church to geue They shalbe forst by earnest loue in sinnefull state to liue Which thing when he had wayde and when he vnderstoode That the agreement twixt them twaynt was lawfull honest good And all thinges peysed well it seemed meete to bee For lyke they were of noblenesse age riches and degree Hoping that so at length ended myght be the stryfe Of Montagewes and Capelets that led in hate theyr lyfe Thinking to woorke a woorke well pleasing in Gods sight In secret shrift he wedded them and they the selfe same night Made vp the mariage in house of Capelet As well doth know if she be askt the nurce of Iuliet He told how Romeus fled for reuing Tybalts lyfe And how the whilst Paris the Earle was offred to hys wyfe And how the lady dyd so great a wrong dysdayne And how to shrift vnto his church she came to him agayne And how she fell flat downe before his feete aground And how she sware her hand and blody knife should wound Her harmeles hart except that he some meane dyd fynde To dysappoynt the Earles attempt and spotles saue her mynde Wherfore he doth conclude although that long before By thought of death and age he had refusde for euermore The hidden artes which he delighted in in youth Yet wonne by her importunenes and by his inward ruth And fearing lest she would her cruell vowe dyscharge His closed conscience he had opened and set at large And rather did he choose to suffer for one tyme His soule to be spotted somdeale with small and easy cryme Then that the lady should wery of liuyng breath Murther her selfe and daunger much her seely soule by death Wherfore his auncient artes agayne he putres in vre A certayne powder gaue he her 〈◊〉 made her slepe so sure That they her held for dead and how that frier Iohn With letters sent to Romeus to Mantua is gone Of whom he knoweth not as yet what is becomme And how that dead he found his frend within her kindreds tombe He thinkes with poyson strong for care the yong man sterued Supposing Iuliet dead and how that Iuliet hath carued With Romeus dagger drawne her hart and yelded breath Desyrous to accompany her louer after death And how they could not saue her so they were afeard And hidde them selfe dreding the noyse of watchmen that they heard And for the proofe of thys his tale he doth desyer The Iudge to send forthwith to â—â—ntus for the fryer To learne his cause of stay and eke to reade his letter And more beside to thend that they might iudge his cause the better He prayeth them depose the nurce of Iuliet And Romeus man whom at vnwares besyde the tombe he met Then Peter not so much as erst he was dysmayd My lordes quoth he too true is all that fryer Laurence sayd And when my maister went into my mystres graue This letter that I offer you vnto me then he gaue Which he himselfe dyd write as I do vnderstand And charged me to offer them vnto his fathers hand The opened packet doth conteyne in it the same That erst the skilfull frier said and eke the wretches name That had at his request the dedly poyson sold The price of it and why he bought his letters playne haue tolde The case vnfolded so and open now it lyes That they could wish no better proofe â–ª saue seeing it with theyr eyes So orderly all thinges were tolde and tryed out That in the prease there was not one â–ª that stoode at all in doute The wyser sort to councell called by Escalus Haue geuen aduyse and Escalus sagely decreeth thus The nurse of Iuliet is banisht in her age Because that from the parentes she dyd hyde the mariage Which might haue wrought much good hau it in time been knowne Where now by her concealing it a mischeefe great is growne And Peter for he dyd obey his masters hest In woonted freedome had good leaue to leade his lyfe in rest Thapothecary high is hanged by the throte And for the paynes he tooke with him the hangman had his cote But now what shall betyde of this gray bearded syre Of fryer Lawrence thus araynde that good barefooted fryre Because that many times he woorthely did serue The commen welth and in his lyfe was neuer found to swerue He was discharged quyte and no marke of defame Did seeme to blot or touch at all the honor of his name But of him selfe he went into an Hermitage Two myles from Veron towne where he in prayers past forth his age Tyll that from earth to heauen his heauenly sprite dyd flye Fyue yeres he liued an Hermite and an Hermite dyd he dye The stranngenes of the chaunce when tryed was the truth The Montagewes and Capelets hath moued so to ruth That with their emptyed teares theyr choler and theyr rage Was emptied quite and they whose wrath no wisdom could asswage Nor threatning of the prince ne mynd of murthers donne At length so mighty Ioue it would by pitye they are wonne And lest that length of time might from our myndes remoue The memory of so perfect sound and so approued loue The bodies dead remoued from vaulte where they did dye In stately tombe on pillers great of marble rayse they hye On euery syde aboue were set and eke beneath Great store of cunning Epitaphes in honor of theyr death And euen at this day the tombe is to be seene So that among the monumentes that in Verona been There is no monument more worthy of the sight Then is the tombe of Iuliet and Romeus her knight ¶ Imprinted at London in Flete strete within Temble barre at the signe of the hand and starre by Richard Tottill the .xix. day of Nouember An. do 1562. ⸫