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
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
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
his hart was wonne at last He thought he rather would in hasard set his fame Then suffer such adultery resoluing on the same Out of his closet straight he tooke a litele glasse And then with double hast retornde where wofull Iuliet was Whom he hath found welnigh in traunce scarce drawing breath Attending still to heare the newes of lyfe or els of death Of whom he did enquire of the appointed day On wensday next quod Iuliet so doth my father say I must geue my consent but as I do remember The solemne day of mariage is the tenth day of September Deere daughter quoth the fryer of good chere see thou be For loe sainct Frauncis of his grace hath shewde a way to me By which I may both thee and Romeus together Out of the bondage which you feare assured deliuer Euen from the holy font thy husband haue I knowne And since he grew in yeres haue kept his counsels as myne owne For from his youth he would vnfold to me his hart And often haue I cured him of anguish and of smart I know that by desert his frendship I haue wonne And I him holde as dere as if he were my propre sonne Wherfore my frendly hart can not abyde that he Should wrongfully in ought be harmde if that it lay in me To right or to reuenge the wrong by my aduise Or timely to preuent the same in any other wise And sith thou art his wife thee am I bound to loue For Romeus frindships sake and seeke thy anguishe to remoue And dreadfull torments which thy hart besegen rounde Wherfore my daughter geue good care vnto my counsels sounde Forget not what I say ne tell it any wight Not to the nurce thou trustest so as Romeus is thy knight For on this threed doth hang thy death and eke thy lyfe My fame or shame his weale or woe that chose thee to his wyfe Thou art not ignorant because of such renowne As euery where is spred of me but chefely in this towne That in my youthfull dayes abrode I trauayled Through euery land found out by men by men inhabited So twenty yeres from home in landes vnknowne a gest I neuer gaue my weary limmes long time of quiet rest But in the desert woodes to beaste of cruell kinde Or on the seas to drenching waues at pleasure of the winde I haue committed them to ruth of rouers hand And to a thousand daungers more by water and by lande But not in vayne my childe hath all my wandring byn Beside the great contentednes my sprete abydeth in That by the pleasant thought of passed thinges doth grow One priuate frute more haue I pluchd which thou shalt shortly know What force the stones the plants and metals haue to woorke And diuers other things that in the bowels of earth do loorke With care I haue sought out with payne I did them proue With them eke can I helpe my selfe at times of my behoue Although the science be against the lawes of men When sodain daunger forceth me but yet most cheefly when The worke to doe is least displeasing vnto God Not helping to do any sinne that wrekefull Ioue forbode For since in lyfe no hope of long abode I haue But now am comme vnto the drinke of my appointed graue And that my death drawes nere whose stripe I may not shonne But shalbe calde to make account of all that I haue donne Now ought I from hence forth more depely print in mynde The iudgement of the lord then when youthes folly made me blynde When loue and fond desyre were boyling in my brest Whence hope and dred by striuing thoughts had banished frendly rest Knowe therfore daughter that with other gyftes which I Haue well attained to by grace and fauour of the skye Long since I did finde out and yet the way I knowe Of certain rootes and sauory herbes to make a kinde of dowe Which baked hard and bet into a powder fine And dronke with conduite water or with any kynd of wine It doth in halfe an howre astonne the taker so And mastreth all his sences that he feeleth weale nor woe And so it burieth vp the sprite and liuing breath That euen the skilfull leche would say that he is slayne by death One vertue more it hath as meruelous as this The taker by receiuing it at all not greeued is But painlesse as a man that thinketh nought at all Into a swete and quiet slepe immediately doth fall From which according to the quantitie he taketh Longer or shorter is the time before the sleper waketh And thence theffect once wrought agayne it doth restore Him that receaued vnto the state wherin he was before Wherfore marke well the ende of this my tale begonne And therby learne what is by thee hereafter to be donne Cast of from thee at once the weede of womannish dread With manly courage arme thy selfe from heele vnto the head For onely on the feare or boldnes of thy brest The happy happe or yll mishappe of thy affayre doth rest Receiue this vyoll small and keepe it as thine eye And on thy mariage day before the sunne doe cleare the skye Fill it with water full vp to the very brim Then drinke it of and thou shalt feele throughout eche vayne and lim A pleasant slumber slide and quite dispred at length On all thy partes from euery part reue all thy kindly strength Withouten mouing thus thy â—dle parts shall rest No pulse shall goe ne hart once beate within thy hollow brest But thou shalt lye as she that dyeth in a traunce Thy kinsmen and thy trusty frendes shall wayle the sodain chaunce Thy corps then will they bring to graue in this church yarde Where thy forefathers long agoe a costly tombe preparde Both for himselfe and eke for those that should come after Both deepe it is and long and large where thou shalt rest my daughter Till I to Mantua sende for Romeus thy knight Out of the tombe both he and I will take thee forth that night And when out of thy slepe thou shalt awake agayne Then mayst thou goe with him from hence and healed of thy payne In Mantua lead with him vnknowne a pleasant life And yet perhaps in time to comme when câ—ase shall all the strife And that the peace is made twixt Romeus and his foes My selfe may finde so fit a time these secretes to dysclose Both to my prayse and to thy tender parentes ioy That daungerles without reproche thou shalt thy loue enioy When of his skilfull tale the fryer had made an ende To which our Iuliet so well her eare and wits dyd bend That she hath heard it all and hath forgotten nought Her fainting hart was comforted with hope and pleasant thought And then to him she said doubte not but that I will With stoute and vnappauled hart your happy hest fulfill Yea if I wist it were a venemous dedly drinke Rather would I that through my throte the
certaine bane should sinke Then I not drinking it into his handes should fall That hath no part of me as yet ne ought to haue at all Much more I ought with bold and with a willing hert To greatest daunger yelde my selfe and to the dedly smart To comme to him on whome my life doth wholy stay That is my onely hartes delight and so he shalbe aye Then goe quoth he my childe I pray that God on hye Direct thy foote and by thy hand vpon the way thee gye God graunt he so confirme in thee thy present will That no inconstant toy thee let thy promesse to fulfill A thousand thankes and more our Iuliet gaue the fryer And homeward to her fathers house ioyfull she doth retyre And as with stately gate she passed through the streete She saw her mother in the doore that with her there would meete In mynd to aske if she her purpose yet did holde In mynd also a part twixt them her duety to haue tolde Wherfore with pleasant face and with vnwonted chere As soone as she was vnto her approched sumwhat nere Before the mother spake thus did she fyrst begin Madame at sainct Frauncis churche haue I this morning byn Where I did make abode alonger while percase Then dewty would yet haue I not been absent from this place So long a while whithout a great and iust cause why This frute haue I receaued there my hart erst lyke to dye Is now reuiued agayne and my afflicted brest Released from affliction restored is to rest For lo my tronbled gost alas too sore diseasde By gostly counsell and aduise hath fryer Lawrence easde To whome I did at large discourse my former lyfe And in confession did I tell of all our passed strife Of Counte Paris sute and how my lord my syre By my vngrate and stubborne stryft I styrred vnto yre But lo the holy fryer hath by his gostly lore Made me another woman now then I had been before By strength of argumentes he charged so my mynde That though I sought no sure defence my serching thought could finde So forced I was at length to yelde vp witles will And promist to be orderd by the friers praysed skill Wherfore albeit I had rashely long before The bed and rytes of mariage for many yeres forswore Yet mother now behold your daughter at your will Ready if you commaunde her ought your pleasure to fulfill Wherfore in humble wise dere madam I you pray To goe vnto my lord and syre withouten long delay Of him fyrst pardon craue of faultes already past And shew him if it pleaseth you his child is now at last Obedient to his iust and to his skilfull hest And that I will god lending life on wensday next be prest â–ª To wayte on him and you vnto thappoynted place Where I will in your hearing and before my fathers face Vnto the Counte geue my fayth and whole assent To take him for my lord and spouse thus fully am I bent And that out of your mynde I may remoue all doute Vnto my closet fare I now to searche and to choose out The brauest garmentes and the richest iewels there Which better him to please I mynd on wensday next to weare For if I did excell the famous Gretian rape Yet might attyre helpe to amende my bewty and my shape The simple mother was rapt in to great delight Not halfe a word could she bring forth but in this ioyfull plight With nimble foote she ran and with vnwonted pace Vnto her pensiue husband and to him with pleasant face She tolde what she had heard and prayseth much the fryer And ioyfull teares ranne downe the cheekes of this gray berded fyer With handes and eyes heaued vp he thankes God in his hart And then he sayth this is not wife the friers first desart Oft hath he shewde to vs great frendship heretofore By helping vs at nedefull times with wisdomes pretious lore In all our common weale scarce one is to be founde But is for somme good torne vnto this holy father bounde Oh that the thyrd part of my goods I doe not fayne But twenty of his passed yeres might purchase him agayne So much in recompence of frendship would I geue So much in faith his extreme age my frendly hart doth greue These said the glad old man from home goeth straight abrode And to the stately palace hyeth where Paris made abode Whom he desyres to be on wensday next his geast At Freetowne where he myndes to make for him a costly feast But loe the Earle saith such feasting were but lost And counsels him till mariage time to spare so great a cost For then he knoweth well the charges wilbe great The whilst his hart desyreth still her sight and not his meate He craues of Capilet that he may straight go see Fayre Iuliet wher to he doth right willingly agree The mother warnde before her daughter doth prepare She warneth and she chargeth her that in no wyse she spare Her curteous speche her pleasant lookes and commely grace But liberally to geue them forth when Paris commes in place Which she as cunningly could set forth to the shewe As cunning craftesmen to the sale do set theie wares on rew That ere the County did out of her sight depart So secretly vnwares to him she stale away his hart That of his lyfe and death the wyly wench hath powre And now his longing hart thinkes long for theyr appoynted howre And with importune sute the parentes doth he pray The wedlocke knot to knit soone vp and hast the mariage day The woer hath past forth the first day in this sort And many other more then this in pleasure and disport At length the wished time of long hoped delight As Paris thought drew nere but nere approched heauy plight Against the bridall day the parentes did prepare Such rich attyre such furniture such store of dainty fare That they which did behold the same the night before Did thinke and say a man could scarcely wishe for any more Nothing did seeme to deere the deerest thinges were bought And as the written story saith in dede there wanted nought That longd to his degree and honor of his stocke But Iuliet the whilst her thoughts within her brest did locke Euen from the trusty nurce whose secretries was tryde The secret counsell of her hart the nurce childe seekes to hide For sith to mocke her dame she dyd not sticke to lye She thought no sinne with shew of truth to bleare her nurces eye In chamber-secretly the tale she gan renew That at the doore she tolde her dame as though it had been trew The flattring nurce did prayse the fryer for his skill And said that she had done right well by wit to order will She setteth foorth at large the fathers furious rage And eke she prayseth much to her the second mariage And County Paris now she praiseth ten times more By wrong then she her selfe by right
parting sprite out of this carkas fled At ease shall finde my Romeus sprite emong so many ded And thou my louing lord Romeus my trusty feer If knowledge yet doe rest in thee if thou these woordes dost heer Receue thou her whom thou didst loue so lawfully That causd alas thy violent death although vnwillingly And therfore willingly offers to thee her gost To thend that no wight els but thou might haue iust cause to boste Thinioying of my loue which ay I haue reserued Free from the rest bound vnto thee that hast it well deserued That so our parted sprites from light that we see here In place of endlesse light and blisse may euer liue yfere These said her ruthlesse hand through gyrt her valiant hart Ah Ladies helpe with teares to wayle the ladies dedly smart She grones she stretcheth out her simmes she shuttes her eyes And from her corps the sprite doth fiye what should I say she dyes The watchemen of the towne the whilst are passed by And through the grates the candel light within the tombe they spye Wherby they did suppose inchaunters to be comme That with prepared instrumentes had opend wide the tombe In purpose to abuse the bodies of the ded Which by theyr science ayde abusde do stand them oft in sted Theyr curious harts desire the trueth herof to know Then they by certaine steppes descend where they do fynd below In clasped armes ywrapt the husband and the wyfe In whom as yet they seemd to see somme certaine markes of lyfe But when more curiously with leysure they did vew The certainty of both theyr deathes assuredly they knew Then here and there so long with carefull ere they sought That at the length hidden they found the murthrers so they thought In dongeon depe that night they lodgde them vnder grounde The next day do they tell the prince the mischefe that they found The newes was by and by throughout the towne dyspred Both of the takyng of the fryer and of the two found ded Thether might you haue seene whole housholdes forth to ronne For to the tombe where they did heare this wonder straunge was donne The great the small the riche the poore the yong the olde With hasly pace do ronne to see but rew when they behelde And that the murtherers to all men might be knowne Like as the murders brute abrode through all the towne was blowne The prince did straight ordaine the corses that wer founde Should be set forth vpon a stage hye raysed from the grounde Right in the selfe same fourme shewde forth to all mens sight That in the hollow valt they had been found that other night And eke that Romeus man and fryer Lawrence should Be openly examined for els the people would Haue murmured or faynd there were some wayghty cause Why openly they were not calde and so conuict by lawes The holy fryer now and reuerent by his age In great reproche set to the shew vpon the open stage A thing that ill beseemde a man of siluer heares His beard as whyte as mylke he bathes with great fast falling teares Whom straight the dredfull Iudge commaundeth to declare Both how this murther hath been donne aud who the murthrers are For that he nere the tombe was found at howres vnfitte And had with him those yron tooles for such a purpose fitte The frier was of liuely sprite and free of speche The Iudges woordes appald him not ne were his wittes to seeche But with aduised heed a while fyrst did he stay And then with bold assured voyce aloude thus gan he say My lordes there is not one emong you set togyther So that affection set aside by wisdome he consider My former passed lyfe and this my extreme age And eke this heauy sight the wreke of frantike Fortunes rage But that amased much doth wonder at this chaunge So great so sodainly befalne vnlooked for and straunge For I that in the space of .lx. yeres and tenne Since first I did begin to soone to leade my lyfe with men And with the worldes vaine thinges my selfe I did acquaint Was neuer yet in open place at any time attaynt With any cryme in waight as heauy as a rushe Ne is there any stander by can make me gylty blushe Although before the face of God doe confesse My selfe to be the sinfulst wretch of all this mighty presse When readiest I am and likeliest to make My great accompt which no man els for me shall vndertake When wormes the earth and death doe cyte me euery howre Tappeare before the iudgement seate of euerlasting powre And falling ripe I steppe vpon my graues brinke Euen then am I most wretched wight as eche of you doth thinke Through my most haynous deede with hedlong sway throwne downe In greatest daunger of my lyfe and domage of renowne The spring whence in your head this new conceite doth ryse And in your hart increaseth still your vayne and wrong surmise May be the hugenes of these teares of myne percase That so aboundantly downe fall by eyther syde my face As though the memory in scriptures were not kept That Christ our sauiour himselfe for ruth and pittie wept And more whoso will reade ywritten shall he fynde That teares are as true messengers of mans vngyltie mynde Orels a liker proofe that I am in the cryme You say these present yrone are and the suspected tyme. As though all howres alike had not been made aboue Did Christ not say the day had twelue whereby he sought to prone That no respect of howres ought iustly to be had But at all times men haue the choyce of dooing good or bad Euen as the sprite of God the hartes of men doth guyde Or as it leaueth them to stray from Vertues path asyde As for the yrons that were taken in my hand As now I deeme I neede not seeke to make ye vnderstande To what vse yron first was made when it began How of it selfe it helpeth not ne yet can helpe a man The thing that hurteth is the malice of his will That such indifferent thinges is wont to vse and order yll Thus much I thought to say to cause you so to know That neither these my piteous teares though nere so fast they flowe Ne yet these yron tooles nor the suspected time Can iustly prout the murther donne or damne me of the cryme No one of these hath powre ne power haue all the three To make me other then I am how so I seeme to be But sure my conscience if so my gylt deserue For an appeacher witnesse and a hangman eke should serue For through mine age whose heares of long time since were hore And credyt greate that I was in with you in time to fore And eke the soiorne short that I on earth must make That euery day and howre do loke my iourney hence to take My conscience inwardly should more torment me thrise Then all the outward deadly payne that all you could
THE TRAGICALL HIStorye of Romeus and Iuliet written first in Italian by Bandell and nowe in Englishe by Ar. Br. In aedibus Richardi Tottelli Cum Priuilegio To the Reader THe God of all glorye created vniuersallye all creatures to sette forth his prayse both those whiche we esteme profitable in vse and pleasure and also those whiche we accompte noysome and lothsome But principally he hath appointed man the chiefest instrument of his honour not onely for ministryng matter thereof in man himselfe but aswell in gatheryng out of other the occasions of publishing Gods goodnes wisdome power And in like sort euerye dooyng of man hath by Goddes dyspensacion some thynge whereby God may and ought to be honored So the good doyrges of the good the euill actes of the wicked the happy successe of the blessed and the wofull procedinges of the miserable doe in diuers sorte sound one prayse of God And as eche flower yeldeth hony to the bee so euery exaumple ministreth good lessons to the well disposed mynde The glorious triumphe of the continent man vpon the lustes of wanton fleshe incourageth men to honest restraynt of wyld affections the shamefull and wretched endes of such as haue yelded their libertie thrall to fowle desires teache men to witholde them selues from the hedlong fall of loose dishonestie So to lyke effect by sundry meanes the good mans exaumple byddeth men to be good and the euill mans mischefe warneth men not to be euyll To this good ende serue all ill endes of yll begynnynges And to this ende good Reader is this tragicall matter written to describe vnto thee a coople of vnfortunate louers thralling themselues to vnhonest desire neglecting the authoritie and aduise of parents and frendes conferring their principall counsels with dronken gossyppes and superstitious friers the naturally fitte instrumentes of vnchastitie attemptyng all aduentures of peryll for thattaynyng of their wished lust vsyng auriculer confession the kay of whoredome and treason for furtheraunce of theyr purpose abusyng the honorable name of lawefull mariage to cloke the shame of stolne contractes finallye by all meanes of vnhonest lyfe hastyng to most vnhappye deathe This president good Reader shalbe to thee as the slaues of Lacedemon oppressed with excesse of drinke deformed and altered from likenes of men both in mynde and vse of body were to the free borne children so shewed to them by their parentes to thintent to rayse in them an hatefull lothyng of so filthy beastlynes Hereunto if you applye it ye shall deliuer my dooing from offence and profit your selues Though I saw the same argument lately set foorth on stage with more commendation then I can looke The Argument LOue hath inflamed twayne by sodayn sight And both do graunt the thing that both desyre They wed in shrift by counsell of a frier Yong Romeus clymes fayre Iuliets bower by night Three monthes he doth enioy his cheefe delight By Tybalts rage prouoked vnto yre He payeth death to Tybalt for his hyre A banisht man he scapes by secret flight New mariage is offred to his wyfe She drinkes a drinke that seemes to 〈◊〉 her breath They bury her that sleping yet hath lyfe Her husband hearte the tydinges of her death He drinkes his bane And she with Romeus knyfe When she awakes her selfe alas she sleath ¶ Romeus and Iuliet THere is beyonde the Alps a towne of auncient same Whose bright renoune yet shineth cleare Verona men it name Bylt in an happy time bylt on a fertile soyle Maynteined by the heauenly fates and by the townish toyle The fruitfull hilles aboue the pleasant vales belowe The siluer streame with chanell depe that through the towne doth flow The store of springes that serue for vse and eke for ease And other moe commodities which profite may and please Eke many certaine signes of thinges betyde of olde To fyll the houngry eyes of those that curiously beholde Doe make this towne to be preferde aboue the rest Of Lumbard townes or at the least compared with the best In which while Escalus as prince alone dyd raigne To reache rewarde vnto the good to pay the lewde with payne Alas I rewe to thinke an heauy happe befell Which Boccace skant not my rude tong were able forth to tell Within my trembling hande my penne doth shake for feare And on my colde amased head vpright doth stand my heare But sith she doth commaunde whose hest I must obaye In moorning verse a wofull chaunce to tell I will assaye Helpe learned Pallas helpe ye muses with your arte Helpe all ye damned feendes to tell of ioyes retournd to smart Helpe eke ye sisters three my skillesse penne tindyte For you it causd which I alas vnable am to wryte There were two auncient stockes which Fortune high dyd place Aboue the rest indewd with welth and nobler of their race Loued of the common sort loued of the Prince alike And like vnhappy were they both when Fortune list to strike Whose prayse with equall blast fame in her trumpet blew The one was cliped Capelet and thother Montagew A wonted vse it is that men of likely sorte I wot not by what furye forsd enuye eche others porte So these whose egall state bred enuye pale of hew And then of grudging enuyes roote blacke hate and rancor grewe As of a little sparke oft ryseth mighty fyre So of a kyndled sparke of grudge in flames flashe out theyr yre And then theyr deadly foode first hatchd of trifling stryfe Did bathe in bloud of smarting woundes it reued breth and lyfe No legend lye I tell scarce yet theyr eyes be drye That did behold the grisly sight with wet and weping eye But when the prudent prince who there the scepter helde So great a new disorder in his common weale behelde By ientyl meane he sought their choler to asswage And by perswasion to appease their blameful furious rage But both his woords and tyme the prince hath spent in vayne So rooted was the inward hate he lost his buysy payne When frendly sage aduise ne ientyll woords auayle By thondring threats and princely powre their courage gan he quaâ—le In hope that when he had the wasting flame supprest In time he should quyte quench the sparks that boornd within their brest Now whilst these kyndreds do remayne in this estate And eche with outward frendly shew dooth hyde his inward hate One Romeus who was of race a Montague Vpon whose tender chyn as yet no manlyke beard there grewe Whose beauty and whose shape so farre the rest did stayne That from the cheefe of Veron youth he greatest fame dyd gayne Hath founde a mayte so fayre he found so foule his happe Whose beauty shape and comely grace did so his heart entrappe That from his owne affayres his thought she did remoue Onely he sought to honor her to serue her and to loue To her he writeth oft oft messengers are sent At length in hope of better spede himselfe the louer went Present to
obey and honor you so long as lyfe shall last As proofe shall teache you playne if that you like to trye His faltles truth that nill for ought vnto his lady lye But if my tooched hand haue warmed yours some dele Assure your self the heat is colde which in your hand you fele Compard to suche quick sparks and glowing furious gleade As from your bewties pleasaunt â—yne loue caused to proceade Which haue so set on fyre eche feling parte of myne That lo my mynde doeth melt awaye my vtwerd parts doe pyne And but you helpe all whole to ashes shall I toorne Wherfore alas haue ruth on him whom you do force to boorne Euen with his ended tale the torches daunce had ende And Iuliet of force must part from her new chosen frend His hand she clasped hard and all her partes did shake When lay sureles with whispring voyce thus did she aunswer make You are no more your owne deare frend then I am yours My honor saued prest tobay your will while life endures â–ª Lo here the lucky lot that sild true louers finde Eche takes away the others hart and leaues the owne behinde A happy life is loue if God graunt from aboue That hart with hart by euen waight doo make exchaunge of loue But Romeus gone from her his heart for care is colde He hath forgot to aske her name that hath his hart in holde With forged careles cheere of one he seekes to knowe Both how she hight and whence she camme that him enchaunted so So hath he learnd her name and knowth she is no geast Her father was a Capilet and master of the feast Thus hath his foe in choyse to geue him lyfe or death That scarsely can his wofull brest keepe in the liuely breath Wherfore with piteous plaint feerce Fortune doth he blame That in his ruth and wretched plight doth seeke her laughing game And he reproueth loue cheefe cause of his vnrest Who ease and freedome hath exilde out of his youthfull brest Twyse hath he made him serue hopeles of his rewarde Of both the ylles to choose the lesse I weene the choyse were harde â–ª Fyrst to a ruthlesse one he made him sue for grace And now with spurre he forceth him to ronne an endles race Amyd these stormy seas one ancor doth him holde He serueth not a cruell one as he had done of olde And therfore is content and chooseth still to serue Though hap should sweare that guerdonles the wretched wight should sterue The lot of Tantalus is Romeus lyke to thine For want of foode amid his foode the myser styll doth pine As carefull was the mayde what way were best deuise To learne his name that intertaind her in so gentle wise Of whome her hart receiued so deepe so wyde a wounde An auncient dame she calde to her and in her eare gan rounde This olde dame in her youth had nurst her with her mylke With slender nedle taught her sow and how to spin with silke What twayne are those quoth she which prease vnto the doore Whose pages in theyr hand doe beare two toorches light before And then as eche of them had of his houshold name So she him namde yet once agayne the yong and wyly dame And tell me who is he with vysor in his hand That yender doth in masking weede besyde the window stand His name is Romeus sayd she a Montegewe Whose fathers pryde first styrd the strife which both your housholdes rewe The woord of Montegew her ioyes did ouerthrow And straight in steade of happy hope dyspayre began to growe What hap haue I quoth she to loue my fathers foe What am I wery of my wele what doe I wishe my woe But though her grieuous paynes distraind her tender hart Yet with an outward shewe of ioye she cloked inward smart And of the courtlyke dames her leaue so courtly tooke That none dyd gesse the sodain change by changing of her looke Then at her mothers hest to chamber sheâ—her hyde So well she faynde mother ne nurce the hidden harme descride But when she should haue slept as wont she was in bed Not halfe a winke of quiet slepe could harber in her hed â–ª For loe an hugy heape of dyuers thoughtes arise That rest haue banisht from her hart and slumber from her eyes And now from side to side she tosseth and she turnes And now for feare she sheuereth and now for loue she burnes And now she lykes her choyse and now her choyse she blames And now eche houre within her head a thousand fansies frames Sometime in mynde to stop amyd her course begonne Sometime she vowes what so betyde that tempted race to ronne Thus dangers dred and loue within the mayden fought The fight was feerce continuyng long by their contrary thought In tourning mase of loue she wandreth too and fro Then standeth doutfull what to doe last ouerprest with woe How so her fansies cease her teares dyd neuer blyn With heauy cheere and wringed hands thus doth her plaint begyn Ah sily foole quoth she ycought in soottill snare Ah wretched wench bewrapt in woe an caytife clad with care Whence come these wandring thoughtes to thy vnconstant brest By straying thus from raysons lore that reue thy wonted rest What if his suttell brayne to fayne haue taught his tong And so the snake that lurkes in grasse thy tender hart hath stong What if with frendly speache the traytor lye in wayte As oft the poysond hooke is hid wrapt in the pleasant bayte Oft vnder cloke of truth hath falshood serued her lust And toornd theyr honor into shame that did so slightly trust What was not Dido so a crouned Queene defamd And eke for such an heynous cryme haue men not Theseus blamd A thousand stories more to teache me to beware In Boccace and in Ouids bookes too playnely written are Perhaps the great reuenge he cannot woorke by strength By suttel sleight my honor staynde he hopes to worke at length So shall I seeke to finde my fathers foe his game So I befylde report shall take her trompe of blacke defame Whence she with puffed cheeke shall blowe a blast so shrill Of my disprayse that with the noyse Verona shall she stil Then I a laughing stocke through all the towne becomme Shall hide my selfe but not my shame within an hollowe toombe Straight vnderneth her foote she treadeth in the dust Her troublesom thought as wholy vaine ybred of fond distrust No no by God aboue I wot it well quoth shee Although I rashely spake before in no wise can it bee That where such perfet shape with pleasant bewty restes There crooked craft and trayson blacke should be appoynted gestes Sage writers say the thoughts are dwelling in the eyne Then sure I am as Cupid raignes that Romeus is myne The tong the messenger eke call they of the mynd So that I see he loueth me shall I then be vnkynd His faces rosy hew I saw full oft to seeke And
straight againe it flashed foorth and spred in eyther cheeke His fyred heauenly â—yne that through me quite did perce His thoughts vnto my hart my thought they semed to rehearce What ment his foltring tunge in telling of his tale The trembling of his ioynts and eke his cooller waxen pale And whilst I take with him hym self he hath exylde Out of him self as seemed me ne was I sure begylde Those arguments of loue craft wrate not in his face But natures hande when all deceyte â–ª was banishd out of place What other certain signes seke I of his good wil These doo suffise and stedfast I will loue and serue him still Till Attropos shall cut my fatall thread of lyfe So that he mynde to make of me his lawfull wedded wyfe For so perchaunce this new aliance may procure Vnto our houses suche a peace as euer shall endure Oh how we can perswade our self to what we like And how we can diswade our mynd if ought our mynd misâ—yke Weake arguments are stronge our fansies streyght to frame To pleasing things and eke to shonne if we mislike the same The mayde had scarsely yet ended the wery warre Kept in her heart by striuing thoughtes when euery shining starre Had payd his borowed light and Phebus spred in skies His golden rayes which seemd to say now time it is to rise And Romeus had by this forsaken his wery bed Where restles he a thousand thoughts had forged in his hed And while with lingring step by Iuliets house he past And vpward to her windowes high his gredy eyes did cast His loue that looked for him there gan he straight espie With pleasant cheere eche greeted is she followeth with her eye His parting steppes and he oft looketh backe againe But not so oft as he desyres warely he doth refraine What life were lyke to loue if dred of ieopardy Ysowred not the sweete if loue were free from ielosy But she more sure within vnseene of any wight When so he comes lookes after him till he be out of sight In often passing so his busy eyes he threw That euery pane and tooting hole the wily louer knew In happy houre he doth a garden plot espye From which except he warely walke men may his loue descrye For lo it fronted full vpon her leaning place Where she is woont to shew her heart by cheerefull frendly face And lest the arbors might theyr secret loue bewraye He doth keepe backe his forward foote from passing there by daye But when on earth the night her mantel blacke hath spred Well armd he walketh foorth alone ne dreadfull foes doth dred Whom maketh loue not bold naye whom makes he not blynde He reueth daungers dread oft times out of the loues minde By night he passeth here a weeke or two in vayne And for the missing of his marke his griefe hath him nye slaine And Iuliet that now both lacke her hearts releefe Her Romeus pleasant eyen I meene is almost dead for greefe Eche day she chaungeth howres for louers keepe an howre When they are sure to see theyr loue in passing by their howre Impacient of her woe she hapt to leane one night Within her window and anon the Moone did shine so bright That she espyde her loue her hart reuiued sprang And now for ioy she clappes her handes which erst for woe she wrang Eke Romeus when he sawe his long desired sight His moorning cloke of mone cast of hath clad him with delight Yet dare I say of both that she reioyced more His care was great hers twise as great was all the tyme before For whilst she knew not why he dyd himselfe absent Ay douting both his health and lyfe his death she dyd lament For loue is fearefull oft where is no cause of feare And what loue feares that loue laments as though it chaunced weare Of greater cause alway is greater woorke ybred While he nought douteth of her helth she dreads lest he be ded When onely absence is the cause of Romeus smart By happy hope of sight agayne he feedes his faynting hart What woonder then if he were wrapt in lesse annoye What maruell if by sodain sight she fed of greater ioye His smaller greefe or ioy no smaller loue doo proue He for she passed him in both did she him passe in loue But eche of them alike dyd burne in equall flame The welbelouing knight and eke the welbeloued dame How whilst with bitter teares her eyes as fountaynes ronne With whispering voyce ybroke with sobs thus is her tale begonne Oh Romeus of your lyfe too lauas sure yon are That in this place and at thys tyme to hasard it you dare What if your dedly foes my kynsmen saw you here Lyke Lyons wylde your tender partes asonder would they teare In ruth and in disdayne I weary of my lyfe With cruell hand my moorning hart would perce with bloudy knyfe For you myne owne once dead what ioy should I haue heare And eke my honor staynde which I then lyfe doe holde more deare Fayre lady myne dame Iuliet my lyfe quod he Euen from my byrth committed was to fatall sisters three They may in spyte of foes draw foorth my liuely threed And they also who so sayth nay a sonder may it shreed But who to reaue my lyfe his rage and force would bende Perhaps should trye vnto his payne how I it could defende Ne yet I loue it so but alwayes for your sake A sacrifice to death I would my wounded corps betake If my mishappe were such that here before your sight I should restore agayne to death of lyfe my borowde light This one thing and no more my parting sprite would rewe That part he should before that you by certaine triall knew The loue I owe to you the thrall I languish in And how I dread to loose the gayne which I doe hope to win And how I wishe for lyfe not for my propre ease But that in it you might I loue you honor serue and please Tyll dedly pangs the sprite out of the corps shall send And therupon he sware an othe and so his tale had ende Now loue and pitty boyle in Iuliets ruthfull brest In windowe on her leaning arme her weary hed doth rest Her bosome bathd in teares to witnes inward payne With dreary chere to Romeus thus aunswerd she agayne Ah my deere Romeus keepe in these woordes quod she For lo the thought of such mischaunce already maketh me For pitty and for dred welnigh to yelde vp breath In euen ballance paysed are my life and eke my death For so my hart is knitte yea made one selfe with yours That sure there is no greefe so small by which your mynde endures But as you suffer payne so I doe beare in part Although it lessens not your greefe the halfe of all your smart But these thinges ouerpast if of your health and myne You haue respect or pitty ought my teary weping eyen In few vnfained woords your
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
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
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
gayne And thou the instrument of Fortunes cruell will Without whose ayde she can no way her tyrans lust fulfill Art not a whit ashamde as farre as I can see To cast me of when thou hast culd the better part of me Wherby alas to soone I seely wretch do proue That all the auncient sacred lawes of frendship and of loue Are quelde and quenched quite since he on whom alway My cheefe hope and my steady trust was wonted still to stay For whom I am becomme vnto my selfe a foe Disdayneth me his stedfast frend and scornes my frendship so Nay Romeus nay thou mayst of two thinges choose the one Either to see thy castaway as soone as thou art gone Hedlong to throw her selfe downe from the windowes haight And so to breake her siender necke with all the bodies waight Or suffer her to be companion of thy payne Where so thou goe Fortune thee gyde till thou retoorne agayne So wholy into thine transformed is my hart That euen as oft as I do thinke that thou and I shall part So oft me thinkes my life withdrawes it selfe awaye Which I retayne to no end els but to the end I may In spite of all thy foes thy present partes enioye And in distres to beare with thee the halfe of thine annoye Wherfore in humble sort Romeus I make request If euer tender pity yet were lodgde in gentle brest O let it now haue place to rest within thy hart Receaue me as thy seruant and the fellow of thy smart Thy absence is my death thy sight shall geue me life But if perhaps thou stand in dred to leade me as a wyfe Art thou all counsellesse canst thou no shift deuise What letteth but in other weede I may my selfe disguyse What shall I he the first hath none done so ere this To scape the bondage of theyr frendes thy selfe can aunswer yes Or dost thou stand in doute that I thy wife ne can By seruice pleasure thee as much as may thy hyred man Or is my loyalte of both accompted lesse Perhaps thou fearst lest I for gayne forsake thee in distresse What hath my bewty now no powre at all on you Whose brightnes force and praise somtime vp to the skyes you blew My teares my frendship and my pleasures donne of olde Shall they be quite forgote in dede when Romeus dyd behold The wildnes of her looke her cooler pale and ded The woorst of all that might betyde to her he gan to dred And once agayne he dyd in armes his Iuliet take And kist her with a louing kysse And thus to her he spake Ah Iuliet quoth he the mistres of my hart For whom euen now thy seruant doth abyde in dedly smart Euen for the happy dayes which thou desyrest to see And for the feruent frendships sake that thou dost owe to me At once these fansies vayne out of thy mynd roote out Except perhaps vnto thy blame thou fondly go about To hasten forth my death and to thine owne to ronne Which Natures law and wisdoms lore teache euery wight to shonne For but thou chaunge thy mynde I do foretell the ende Thou shalt vndoo thy selfe for ay and me thy trusty frende For why thy absence knowne thy father wilbe wroth And in his rage so narowly he will pursue vs both That we shall trye in vayne to scape away by flight And vainely seeke a loorking place to hyde vs from his sight Then we found out and caught quite voyde of strong defence Shall cruelly be punished for thy departure hence I as a rauishor thou as a careles childe I as a man who doth defile thou as a mayde defilde Thinking to leade in ease a long contented life Shall short our dayes by shamefull death but if my louing wife Thou banish from thy mynde two foes that counsell hath That wont to hinder sound aduise rashe hastines and wrath If thou be bend to bay the lore of reasons skill And wisely by her princely powre suppresse rebelling will If thou our safetie seeke more then thine owne delight Since suerty standes in parting and thy pleasures growe of sight For heare the cause of ioy and suffer for a while So shall I safely liue abrode and safe torne from exile So shall no slaunders blot thy spotles life destayne So shall thy kinsmen be vnstyrd and I exempt from payne And thinke thou not that aye the cause of care shall last These stormy broyles shall ouerblow much like a winters blast For Fortune chaungeth more then fickel fantasie In nothing Fortune constant is saue in vnconstancie Her hasty ronning wheele is of a restles coorse That turnes the clymers hedlong downe from better to the woorse And those that are beneth she heaueth vp agayne So we shall rise to pleasures mount out of the pit of payne Ere fowre monthes ouerpasse such order will I take And by my letters and my frendes such meanes I mynd to make That of my wandring race ended shalbe the royle And I cald home with honor great vnto my natiue soyle But if I be condemd to wander still in thrall I will returne to you mine owne befall what may befall And then by strength of frendes and with a mighty hand From Verone will I cary thee into a forein lande Not in mans weede disguisd or as one scarcely knowne But as my wife and onely feere in garment of thyne owne Wherfore represse at once the passions of thy hart And where there is no cause of greefe cause hope to heale thy smart For of this one thing thou mayst well assured bee That nothing els but onely death shall sunder me from thee The reasons that he made did seeme of so great waight And had with her such force that she to him gan aunswer straight Deere syr nought els wish I but to obay your will But sure where so you go your hart with me shall tary still As signe and certaine pledge tyll here I shall you see Of all the powre that ouer you your selfe did graunt to me And in hip stead take myne the gage of my good will One promesse craue I at your hand that graunt me to fulfill Fayle not to let me haue at fryer Lawrence hand The tydinges of your health and how your doutfull case shall stand And all the wery while that you shall spend abrode Cause me from time to time to knowe the place of your abode His eyes did gushe out teares a sigh brake from his brest When he did graunt and with an othe did vowe to kepe the hest Thus these two louers passe away the wery night In payne and plaint not as they wont in pleasure and delight But now somewhat too soone in farthest East arose Fayre Lucifer the golden starre that Lady Venus chose Whose course appoynted is with spedy race to ronne A messenger of dawning daye and of the rysing sonne Then freshe Aurora with her paie and siluer glade Did clear the skyes and from the earth had chased ougly
shade When thou ne lookest wide ne closely dost thou winke When Phoebus from our hemysphere in westerne waue doth sinke What cooller then the heauens do shew vnto thine eyes The same or like saw Romeus in farthest Esterne skyes As yet he saw no day ne could he call it night With equall force decreasing darke fought with increasing light Then Romeus in armes his lady gan to folde With frendly kisse and ruthfully she gan her knight beholde With solemne othe they both â–ª theyr sorowfull leaue do take They sweare no stormy troubles shall theyr steady frendship shake Then carefull Romeus agayne to cell retoornes And in her chamber secretly our ioyles Iuliet moornes Now hugycloudes of care of sorow and of dread The clearnes of their gladsome harts hath wholy ouerspread When golden crested Phoebus bosteth him in skye And vnder earth to scape reuenge his dedly foe doth flye Then hath these louers day an ende their night begonne For eche of them to other is as to the world the sunne The dawning they shall see ne sommer any more But blackfaced night with winter rough ah beaten ouer sore The wery watch discharged did hye them home to slepe The warders and the skowtes were chargd â–ª theyr place and coorse to keepe And Verone gates a wyde the porters had set open When Romeus had of his affayres with frier Lawrence spoken Warely he walked forth vnknowne of frend or foe Clad like a merchant venterer from top euen to the toe He spurd apace and came withouten stop or stay To Mantua gates where lighted downe he sent his man away With woords of comfort to his olde afflicted fyre And straight in mynd to soiorne there a lodgeing doth he hyre And with the nobler sort he doth himselfe acquaint And of his open wrong receaued the Duke doth heare his plaint He practiseth by frendes for pardon of â—â—yle The whilst he seeketh euery way his sorowes to begyle But who forgets the cole that burneth in his brest Alas his cares denye his hart the sweete desyred rest No time findes he of myrth he findes no place of ioye But euery thing occasion geues of sorow and annoye For when in toorning skyes the heauens lampes are light And from the other hemysphere fayre Phoebus chaceth night When euery man and beast hath rest from painfull toyle Then in the brest of Romeus his passions gyn to boyle Then doth he wet with teares the cowche wheron he lyes And then his sighes the chamber fill and out aloude he cryes Against the restles starres in rolling skyes that raunge Against the fatall sisters three and Fortune full of chaunge Eche night a thousand times he calleth for the day He thinketh Titans restles stedes of restines do stay Or that at length they haue some â—ayâ—ing place found out Or gyded yll haue lost theyr way and wandred farre about Whyle thus in ydel thoughts the wery time he spendeth The night hath end but not with night â–ª the plaint of night be endeth Is he accompanied is he in place alone In cumpany he wayles his harme a part be maketh mone For if his feeres reioyce what cause hath he to ioy That wanteth still his cheefe delight while they theyr loues enioy â–ª But if with heauy cheere they shewe their inward greefe He wayleth most his wretchednes that is of wretches cheefe When he doth heare abrode the praise of ladies blowne Within his thought he scorneth them and doth preferre his owne When pleasant songes he beares When others do reioyce The melody of Musike doth styrre vp his mourning voyce But if in secret place he walke some where alone The place it selfe and secretnes redoubleth all his mone Then speakes he to the beastes to fethered fowles and trees Vnto the earth the cloudes and to what so beside he sees To them he shewth his smart as though they reason had Eche thing may cause his heauines â–ª but nought may make him glad And wery of the day agayne he calleth night The sunne he curseth and the howre when fyrst his eyes saw light And as the night and day their course do enterchaunge So doth our Romeus nightly cares for cares of day exchaunge In absence of her knight the lady no way could Kepe trewe betwene her greefes and her though nere so fayne she would And though with greater payne she cloked sorowes smart Yet did her paled face disclose the passions of her hart Her sighing euery howre her weping euery where Her recheles heede of meate of slepe and wearing of her geare The carefull mother markes then of her health afrayde Because the greefes increased still thus to her child she sayde Deere daughter if you shoulde long languishe in this sort I stand in doute that ouer soone your sorowes â–ª will make short Your louing fathers life and myne that loue you more Then our owne propre breth and life Brydel hence forth therfore Your greefe and payne your selfe on ioy your thought to set For time it is that now you should our Tybalts death forget Of whom since God hath claymd the lyfe that was but lent He is in blisse ne is there cause why you should thus lament â–ª You can not call him backe with teares and shrikinges shrill It is a falt thus still to grudge at Gods appoynted will The seely soule had now no longer powre to fayne Ne longer could she hyde her harme but aunswerd thus agayne With heauy broken sighes with visage pale and ded Madame the last of Tybalts teares a great while since I shed Whose spring hath been ere this so laded out by me That empty quite and moystureles I gesse it now to be So that my payned hart by canduites of the eyne No more henceforth as wont it was shall gush forth dropping bryne The wofull mother knew not what her daughter ment And loth to vexe her childe by woordes her peace she warely hent But when from howre to howre from morow to the morow Still more and more she saw increast her daughters wonted sorow All meanes she sought of her and howshold folke to know The certaine roote whereon her greefe and booteles mone doth growe But lo she hath in vayne her time and labor lore Wherfore without all measure is her hart tormented sore And sith her selfe could not fynd out the cause of care She thought it good to tell the syre how yll his childe did fare And when she saw her time thus to her feere she sayde Syr if you marke our daughter well the countenance of the mayde And how she fareth since that Tybalt vnto death Before his time forst by his foe dyd yeld his liuing breath Her face shall seeme so chaunged her doynges eke so straunge That you will greatly wonder at so great and sodain chaunge Not onely she forbeares her meate her drinke and sleepe But now she tendeth nothing els but to lament and weepe No greater ioy hath she nothing contentes her hart So much as in her chaumber
close to shut her selfe apart Where she doth so torment her poore afflicted mynde That much in daunger standes her lyfe except somme helpe we fynde But out alas I see not how it may be founde Vnlesse that fyrst we might fynd whence her sorowes thus abounde For though with busy care I haue employde my wit And vsed all the wayes I knew to learne the truth of it Neither extremitie ne gentle meanes could boote She hydeth close within her brest her secret sorowes roote This was my fyrst conceite that all her ruth arose Out of her coofin Tybalts death late slayne of dedly foes But now my hart doth hold a new repugnant thought Some greater thing not Tybalts death this chaunge in her hath wrought Her selfe assured me that many dayes a goe She shed the last of Tybalts teares which woord amald me so That I then could not gesse what thing els might her greene But now at length I haue bethought me And I doe beleue The onely crop and roote of all my daughters payne Is grudgeing enuies faynt disease perhaps she doth disdayne To see in wedlocke yoke the most part of her feeres Whilst onely she vnmaried doth lose so many yeres And more perchaunce she thinkes you mynd to kepe her so Wherfore dispayring doth she weare her selfe away with woe Therfore deere syr in time take on your daughter ruth For why a brickel thing is glasse and frayle is frayllesse youth Ioyne her at once to somme in linke of mariage That may be meete for our degree and much about her age So shall you banish care out of your daughters brest So we her parentes in our age shall liue in quiet rest Wherto gan easely her husband to agree And to the mothers skilfull talke thus straight way aunswerd he Oft haue I thought deere wife of all these thinges ere this But euermore my mynd me gaue it should not be amisse By farther leysure had a husband to prouyde Scarce saw she yet full .xvi. yeres too yong to be a bryde But since her state doth stande on termes so perilous And that a mayden daughter is a treasour daungerous With so great speede I will endeuour to procure A husband for our daughter yong her sickenes faynt to cure That you shall rest content so warely will I choose And she recouer soone enough the time she seemes to loose The whilst seeke you to learne if she in any part Already hath vnware to vs fixed her frendly hart Lest we haue more respect to honor and to welth Then to our doughters quiet life and to her happy helth Whom I do hold as deere as thapple of myne eye And rather with in poore estate and daughterles to dye Then leaue my goodes and her ythrald to such a one Whose chorlish dealing I once dead should be her cause of mone This pleasant aunswere heard the lady partes agayne And Capilet the maydens sire within a day or twayne Conferreth with his frendes for mariage of his daughter And many gentlemen there were with busy care that sought her Both for the mayden was well shaped yong and fayre As also well brought vp and wise her fathers onely heyre Emong the rest was one inflamde with her desire Who County Paris cliped was an Earle he had to syre Of all the futers him the father liketh best And easely vnto the Earle he maketh his behest Both of his owne good will and of his frendly ayde To win his wife vnto his will and to perswade the mayde The wife did ioy to heare the ioyfull husband say How happy hap how meete a match he had found out that day He did she seeke to hyde her ioyes within her hart But straight she hyeth to Iuliet to her she telles apart What happy talke by meane of her was past no rather Betwene the woing Paris and her carefull louing father The person of the man the fewters of his face His youthfull yeres his fayrenes and his port and semely grace With curious wordes she payntes before her daughters eyes And then with store of vertues prayse she heaues him to the skyes She vauntes his race and gyftes that Fortune did him geue Wherby she saith both she and hers in great delight shall liue When Iuliet conceiued her parentes whole entent Wherto both loue and reasons right forbod her to assent Within her selfe she thought rather then be forsworne With horses wilde her tender partes a sonder should be torne Not now with bashfull brow in wonted wise she spake But with vnwonted boldnes straight into these woordes she brake Madame I maruell much that you so lauasse are Of me your childe your iewel once your onely ioy and care As thus to yelde me vp at pleasure of another Before you know if I doe like or els mislike my louer Doo what you list but yet of this assure you still If you do as you say you will I yelde not there vntill For had I choyse of twayne farre rather would I choose My part of all your goodes and eke my breath and lyfe to lose Then graunt that he possesse of me the smallest part First weary of my painefull life my cares shall kill my hart Els will I perce my brest with sharpe and bloody knife And you my mother shall becomme the murdresse of my life In geuing me to him whom I ne can ne may Ne ought to loue Wherfore on knees deere mother I you pray To let me liue henceforth as I haue liued tofore Ceasse all your troubles for my sake and care for me no more But suffer Fortune feerce to worke on me her will In her it lyeth to doe me boote in her it lyeth to spill For whilst you for the best desyre to place me so You hast a way my lingring death and double all my woe So deepe this aunswere made the sorowes downe to sinke Into the mothers brest that she ne knoweth what to thinke Of these her daughters woords but all appalde she standes And vp vnto the heauens she throwes her wondring head and handes And nigh besyde her selfe her husband hath she sought She telles him all she doth forget ne yet she hydeth ought The testy old man wroth disdainfull without measure Sendes forth his folke in haste for her and byds them take no leysure Ne on her teares or plaint at all to haue remorse But if they can not with her will to bring the mayde perforce The message heard they part to fetch that they must fet And willingly with them walkes forth obedient Iuliet Arriued in the place when she her father saw Of whom as much as duety would the daughter stoode in awe The seruantes sent away the mother thought it meete The wofull daughter all be wept fell groueling at his feete Which she doth washe with teares as she thus groueling lyes So fast and eke so plenteously distill they from her eyes When she to call for grace her mouth doth think to open Must she is for sighes and
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
not by what sodain grefe hath made exchaunge of life And for because on earth she found nought but vnrest In heauen hath she sought to fynde a place of quiet rest And with these weping eyes my selfe haue seene her layde Within the tombe of Capilets and here withall he stayde This sodayne message sounde sent forth with sighes and teares Our Romeus receaued too soone with open listening eares And therby hath sonke in such sorow in his hart That loe his sprite annoyed sore with torment and with smart Was like to breake out of his prison house perforce And that he might flye after hers would leaue the massy corce But earnest loue that will not fayle him till hie ende This fond and sodain fantasy into his head dyd sende That if nere vnto her he offred vp his breath That then an hundred thousand parts more glorious were his death Eke should his painfull hart a great deale more be eased And more also he vainely thought his lady better pleased Wherfore when he his face hath washt with water cleene Lest that the staynes of dryed teares might on his cheekes be seene And so his sorow should of euery one be spyde Which he with all his care dyd seeke from euery one to hyde Straight wery of the house he walketh forth abrode His seruant at the maisters hest in chamber styll abode And then fro streate to streate he wandreth vp and downe To see if he in any place may fynde in all the towne A salue meete for his sore an oyle fitte for his wounde And seeking long alac too soone the thing he sought he founde An Apothecary sate vnbusied at his doore Whom by his heauy countenaunce he gessed to be poore And in his shop he saw his boxes were but fewe And in his window of his wares there was so small a shew Wherfore our Romeus assuredly hath thought What by no frendship could be got with money should be bought For nedy lacke is lyke the poore man to compell To sell that which the cities lawe forbiddeth him to sell Then by the hand he drew the nedy man apart And with the sight of glitrring gold inflamed hath his hart Take fiftie crownes of gold quoth he I geue them thee â–ª So that before I part from hence thou straight deliuer me Somme poyson strong that may in lesse then halfe an howre Kill him whose wretched hap shalbe the potion to deuowre The wretch by couetise is wonne and doth assent To sell the thing whose sale ere long â–ª too late he doth repent In hast he poyson sought and closely he it bounde And then began with whispering voyce thus in his eare to rounde Fayre syr quoth he be sure this is the speeding gere And more there is then you shall nede for halfe of that is there Will serue I vndertake in lesse then half an howre To kill the strongest man aliue such is the poysons power Then Romeus somwhat easd of one part of his care Within his bosome putteth vp his dere vnthrifty ware Retorning home agayne he sent his man away To Verone towne and chargeth him that he without delay Prouyde both instruments to open wyde the toombe And lightes to shew him Iuliet and stay till he shall comme Nere to the place whereas his louing wyfe doth rest And chargeth him not to bewray the dolours of his brest Peter these heard his leaue both of his maister take Betyme he commes to towne such hast the paynfull man did make And then with busy care he seeketh to fulfill But doth dysclose vnto no wight his wofull maisters will Would God he had herein broken his maisters hest Would God that to the fryer he had dysclosed all hys brest But Romeus the whyle with many a dedly thought Prouoked much hath caused ynke and paper to be brought And in few lynes he dyd of all his loue dyscoorse How by the fryers helpe and by the knowledge of the noorse The wedlocke knot was knyt and by what meane that night And many moe he dyd enioy his happy hartes delight Where he the poyson bought and how his lyfe should ende And so his wailefull tragedy the wretched man hath pend The letters close and seald directed to his syre He locketh in his purse and then a post hors doth he hyre When he approched nere he waxely lighted downe And euen with the shade of night he entred Verone towne Where he hath found his man wayting when he should comme With lanterne and with instruments to open Iuliets toomme Helpe Peter helpe quod he helpe to remoue the stone And straight when I am gone fro thee my Iuliet to bemone See that thou get thee hence and on the payne of death I charge thee that thou comme not nere whyle I abyde beneath Ne seeke thou not to let thy masters enterprise Which he hath fully purposed to doe in any wise Take there a letter which as soone as he shall ryse Present it in the morning to my louing fathers eyes Which vnto him perhaps farre pleasanter shall seeme Then eyther I do mynd to say or thy grose head can deeme Now Peter that knew not the purpose of his hart Obediently a little way withdrew himselfe apart And then our Romeus the vault stone set vpright Descended downe and in his hand he bare the candle light And then with piteous eye the body of his wyfe He gan beholde who surely was the organ of his lyfe For whom vnhappy now he is but erst was blyst He watred her with teares and then an hundred times her kyst And in his folded armes full straightly he her plight But no way could his greedy eyes be filled with her sight His fearfull handes he layd vpon her stomacke colde And them on diuers parts besyde the wofull wight did hold But when he could not fynd the signes of lyfe he sought Out of his cursed box he drewe the poyson that he bought Wherof he gredely deuowrde the greater part And then he cryde with dedly sigh fetcht from his mourning hart Oh Iuliet of whom the world vnwoorthy was From which for worldes vnworthines thy worthy gost dyd passe What death more pleasant could my hart wish to abyde Then that which here it suffreth now so nere thy frendly syde Or els so glorious tombe how could my youth haue craued As in one selfe same vaulte with thee haply to be ingraued What Epitaph more worth or halfe so excellent To consecrate my memorye could any man inuente As this our mutuell and our piteous sacrifice Of lyfe set light for loue but while he talketh in this wise And thought as yet a while his dolors to enforce His tender hart began to faynt prest with the venoms force Which little and little gan to ouercomme hys hart And whilst his busy eyne he threwe about to euery part He saw hard by the corce of sleping Iuliet Bold Tybalts carkas dead which was not all consumed yet To whom as hauing life in this sort speaketh
he Ah cosin dere Tybalt whereso thy restles sprite now be With stretched handes to thee for mercy now I crye For that before thy kindly howre I forced thee to dye But if with quenched lyfe not quenched be thine yre But with reuengeing lust as yet thy hart be set on fyre What more amendes or cruell wreke desyrest thou To see on me then this which here is shewd forth to thee now Who reft by force of armes from thee thy liuing breath The same with his owne hand thou seest doth poyson himselfe to death And for he caused thee in tombe too soone to lye Too soone also yonger then thou himselfe he layeth by These said when he gan feele the poysons force preuayle And little and little mastred lyfe for aye beganne to fayle Kneeling vpon his knees he said with voyce full lowe Lord Christ that so to raunsome me rescendedst long agoe Out of thy fathers bosome and in the virgins wombe Didst put on fleshe Oh let my plaint out of this hollow toombe Perce through the ayre and graunt my sute may fauour finde Take pity on my sinnefull and my poore afflicted mynde For well enough I know this body is but clay Nought but a masse of sinne to frayle and subiect to decay Then pressed with extreme greefe he threw with so great force His ouerpressed parts vpon his ladies wayled corps That now his wekened hart weakened with tormentes past Vnable to abyde this pang the sharpest and the last Remayned quite depriued of sense and kindly strength And so the long imprisond soule hath freedome wonne at length Ah cruell death too soone too soone was this deuorce Twixt youthfull Romeus heauenly sprite and his fayre earthy corse The fryer that knew what time the powder had been taken Knew eke the very instant when the sleper should awaken But wondring that he could no kind of aunswer heare Of letters which to Romeus his fellow fryer did beare Out of sainct Frauncis church hymselfe alone dyd fare And for the opening of the tombe meete instrumentes he bare Approching nigh the place and seeing there the lyght Great horror felt he in his hart by straunge and sodaine sight Tyll Peter Romeus man his coward hart made bolde When of his masters being there the certain newes he tolde There hath he been quoth he this halfe howre at the least And in this time I dare well say his plaint hath still increast Then both they entred in where they alas dyd fynde The bretheles corps of Romeus forsaken of the mynde Where they haue made such mone as they may best conceue That haue with perfect frendship loued whose frend feeres death dyd reue But whilst with piteous playnt they Romeus fate be wepe An howre too late fayre Iuliet awaked out of slepe And much amasde to see in tombe so great a light She wist not if she saw a dreame or sprite that walkd by night But cumming to her selfe she knew them and said thus What fryer Lawrence is it you where is my Romeus And then the auncient frier that greatly stoode in feare Lest if they lingred ouer long they should be taken theare In few plaine woordes the whole that was betyde he tolde And with his fingar shewd his corps out stretched stiffe and colde And then perswaded her with pacience to abyde This sodain great mischaunce and sayth that he will soone prouyde In somme religious house for her a quiet place Where she may spend the rest of lyfe and where in time percase She may with wisdomes meane measure her mourning brest And vnto her tormented soule call backe exiled rest But loe as soone as she had cast her ruthfull eye On Romeus face that pale and wan fast by her side dyd lye Straight way she dyd vnstop the conduites of her teares And out they gushe with cruell hand she tare her golden heares But when she neither could her swelling sorows wage Ne yet her tender hart abyde her sickenes furious rage Falne on his corps she lay long panting on his face And then with all her force and strength the ded corps dyd embrace As though with sighes with sobs with force and busy payne She would him rayse and hun restore from death to lyfe agayne A thousand times she kist his month as cold as stone And it vnkist agayne as oft then gan she thus to mone Ah pleasant prop of all my thoughtes ah onely ground Of all the sweete delightes that yet in all my lyfe I found Did such assured trust within thy hart repose That in this place and at this time this churchyarde thou hast chose Betwixt the armes of me thy perfect louing make And thus by meanes of me to ende thy lyfe and for my sake Euen in the flowring of thy youth when vnto thee Thy lyfe most deare as to the most and pleasant ought to be How could this tender corps withstand the cruell fight Of furious death that wonts to fray the steutest with his sight How could thy dainty youth agree with willing hart In this so fowle infected place to dwell where now thou art Where spitefull Fortune hath appaynted thee to be The dainty foode of greedy woormes vnworthy sure of thee Alas alas alas what neded now a new My wonted sorowes doubled twise agayne thus to renewe Which both the tyme and eke my pacient long abode Should now at length haue quenched quite and vnder foote haue trode Ah wretch and caytiue that I am euen when I thought To find my painefull passions salue I myst the thing I sought And to my mortall harme the fatall knyfe I grounde That gaue to me so deepe so wyde so cruell dedly wounde Ah thou most fortunate and most vnhappy tombe For thou shalt beare from age to age witnes in time to comme Of the most perfect leage betwixt a payre of louers That were the most vnfortunate and fortunate of others Receaue the latter sigh receaue the latter pang Of the most cruell of cruell slaues that wrath and death ay wrang And when our Iuliet would continue still her mone The fryer and the seruant fied and left her there alone For they a sodayne noyse fast by the place did heare And lest they might be taken there greatly they stoode in feare When Iuliet saw her selfe left in the vaulte alone That freely she might worke her will for let or stay was none Then once for all she tooke the cause of all her harmes The body dead of Romeus and claspd it in her armes Then she with earnest kisse sufficiently did proue That more then by the feare of death she was attaint by loue And then past deadly feare for lyfe ne had she care With hasty hand she did draw out the dagger that he ware O welcome death quoth she end of vnhappines That also art beginning of assured happines Feare not to darte me nowe thy stripe no longer stay Prolong no longer now my lyfe I hate this long delaye For straight my