NOTES

Paris.Give me thy torch, boy; hence, and stand aloof;Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.Under yond yew-treeslay thee all along,Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground;So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,Being loose,unfirm, with digging up of graves,But thou shalt hear it; whistle then to meAs signal that thou hear'stsomethingapproach.Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.10Page.[Aside]I am almost afraid to stand aloneHere in the churchyard, yet I willadventure.[Retires.Paris.Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones,Which withsweet waternightly I will dew,Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans;The obsequies that I for thee will keepNightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.—[The Page whistles.The boy gives warning something doth approach.What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,20Tocrossmy obsequies and true love's rite?What, with a torch!—muffleme, night, awhile.[Retires.EnterRomeoandBalthasar,with a torch, mattock, etc.Romeo.Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.Hold, take this letter; early in the morningSee thou deliver it to my lord and father.Give me the light. Upon thy life, I charge thee,Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand all aloofAnd do not interrupt me in my course.Why I descend into this bed of deathIs partly to behold my lady's face,30But chiefly to take thence from her dead fingerA precious ring, a ring that I must useIndearemployment. Therefore hence, be gone;But if thou,jealous, dost return to pryInwhat I further shall intend to do,By heaven, I will tear thee joint by jointAnd strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.The time and my intents aresavage-wild,More fierce and more inexorable farThanemptytigers or the roaring sea.40Balthasar.I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.Romeo.So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that.Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow.Balthasar.[Aside]For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout;His looks I fear, and his intents Idoubt.[Retires.Romeo.Thoudetestablemaw, thou womb of death,Gorg'd with the dearest morsel of the earth,Thus Ienforcethy rotten jaws to open,And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food![Opens the tomb.Paris.This is that banish'd haughty Montague50That murther'd my love's cousin,—withwhich grief,It is supposed, the fair creature died,—And here is come to do some villanous shameTo the dead bodies; I will apprehend him.—[Advances.Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague!Can vengeance be pursued further than death?Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.Obey, and go with me, for thou must die.Romeo.I must indeed, and therefore came I hither.Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man.60Fly hence, and leave me; think upon these gone,Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth,Put not another sin upon my head,By urging me to fury; O, be gone!By heaven, I love thee better than myself;For I come hither arm'd against myself.Stay not, be gone; live, and hereafter sayA madman's mercy bade thee run away.Paris.I do defy thyconjurations69And apprehend thee for a felon here.Romeo.Wilt thou provoke me? then have at thee, boy![They fight.Page.O Lord, they fight! I will go call the watch.[Exit.Paris.O, I am slain!—[Falls.]If thou be merciful,Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.[Dies.Romeo.In faith, I will.—Let meperusethis face.Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Paris!What said my man when mybetossedsoulDid not attend him as we rode? I thinkHe told me Paris should have married Juliet;Said he not so? or did I dream it so?80Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet,To think it was so?—O, give me thy hand,One writ with me insourmisfortune's book!I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave,—A grave? O, no! alantern, slaughter'd youth;For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makesThis vault a feastingpresencefull of light.Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr'd.—[Laying Paris in the tomb.How oft when menare at the point of deathHave they been merry! which their keepers call90A lightning before death; O, how may ICall this a lightning?—O my love! my wife!Death, that hathsuck'd the honeyof thy breath,Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yetIs crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,Anddeath's pale flagis not advanced there.—Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?O, what more favour can I do to theeThan with that hand that cut thy youth in twain100To sunder his that was thine enemy?Forgive me, cousin!—Ah, dear Juliet,Why art thou yet so fair? shall I believeThat unsubstantial Death is amorous,And that the lean abhorred monster keepsThee here in dark to be his paramour?For fear of that, Istillwill stay with thee,And never from this palace of dim nightDepart again. Here, here will I remainWith worms that are thy chamber-maids; O, here110Will Iset up my everlasting rest,And shake the yoke of inauspicious starsFrom this world-wearied flesh.—Eyes, look your last!Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O youThe doors of breath, seal with a righteous kissAdatelessbargain toengrossingdeath!—Come, bitterconduct, come, unsavoury guide!Thou desperate pilot, now at once run onThe dashing rocksthysea-sick weary bark!119Here's to my love![Drinks.]—O true apothecary!Thy drugs are quick.—Thus with a kiss I die.[Dies.Enter,at the other end of the churchyard,Friar Laurence,with a lantern,crow,and spadeFriar Laurence.Saint Francisbe my speed! how oft to-nightHave my old feetstumbled at graves!—Who's there?Balthasar.Here's one, a friend, and one that knows you well.Friar Laurence.Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend,What torch is yond that vainly lends his lightTo grubs and eyeless skulls? as I discern,It burneth in theCapels'monument.Balthasar.It doth so, holy sir; and there's my master,One that you love.Friar Laurence.Who is it?129Balthasar.Romeo.Friar Laurence.How long hath he been there?Balthasar.Full half an hour.Friar Laurence.Go with me to the vault.Balthasar.I dare not, sir;My master knows not but I am gone hence,And fearfully did menace me with deathIf I did stay to look on his intents.Friar Laurence.Stay, then; I 'll go alone.—Fear comes upon me;O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing!Balthasar.As I did sleep under this yew-tree here,I dreamtmy master and another fought,And that my master slew him.[Exit.Friar Laurence.Romeo!—[Advances.140Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stainsThe stony entrance of this sepulchre?—What mean these masterless and gory swordsTo lie discolour'd by this place of peace?—[Enters the tomb.Romeo! O, pale!—Who else? what, Paris too?And steep'd in blood?—Ah, what anunkindhourIs guilty of this lamentable chance!—The lady stirs.[Juliet wakes.Juliet.Ocomfortablefriar! where is my lord?—I do remember well where I should be,150And there I am.—Where is my Romeo?[Noise within.Friar Laurence.I hear some noise.—Lady, come from that nestOf death, contagion, and unnatural sleep;A greater power than we can contradictHath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead,And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of theeAmong a sisterhood of holy nuns.Stay not to question, forthe watchis coming;Come, go, good Juliet.[Noise again.]—I dare no longer stay.160Juliet.Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.[Exit Friar Laurence.What's here? a cup, clos'd in my true love's hand?Poison, I see, hath been histimelessend.—O churl!drunk all, and leftno friendly dropTo help me after?—I will kiss thy lips;Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,To make me die with a restorative.[Kisses him.Thy lips are warm.1 Watch.[Within]Lead, boy; which way?Juliet.Yea, noise? then I'll be brief.—O happy dagger![Snatching Romeo's dagger.This is thy sheath[Stabs herself];there rest, and let me die.[Falls on Romeo's body, and dies.EnterWatch,with thePageofParis171Page.This is the place; there, where the torch doth burn.1 Watch.The ground is bloody; search about the churchyard.Go, some of you, whoe'er you findattach.—[Exeunt some.Pitiful sight! here lies the county slain;And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead,Who here hath lainthese two daysburied.—Go, tell the prince;—run to the Capulets;—Raise up the Montagues;—some others search.—[Exeunt other Watchmen.We see the ground whereon these woes do lie;180But the true ground of all these piteous woesWe cannotwithout circumstancedescry.Re-enter some of theWatch,withBalthasar2 Watch.Here's Romeo's man; we found him in the churchyard.1 Watch.Hold him in safety till the prince come hither.Re-enter others of theWatch,withFriar Laurence3 Watch.Here is a friar, that trembles, sighs, and weeps.We took this mattock and this spade from him,As he was coming from this churchyard side.1 Watch.A great suspicion; stay the friar too.Enter thePrinceandAttendantsPrince.What misadventure is so early upThat calls our person from our morning's rest?EnterCapulet,Lady Capulet,and others190Capulet.What should it be that they so shriek abroad?Lady Capulet.The people in the street cry Romeo,Some Juliet, and some Paris, and all runWith open outcry toward our monument.Prince.What fear is this which startles in our ears?1 Watch.Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain;And Romeo dead; and Juliet, dead before,Warm and new kill'd.Prince.Search, seek, and know how this foul murther comes.1 Watch.Here is a friar, and slaughter'd Romeo's man,200With instruments upon them fit to openThese dead men's tombs.Capulet.O heaven!—O wife, look how our daughter bleeds!This dagger hath mista'en,—for, lo,his houseIs emptyon the backof Montague,—And is mis-sheathed in my daughter's bosom!Lady Capulet.O me! this sight of death is as a bellThat warns myold ageto a sepulchre.EnterMontagueand othersPrince.Come, Montague; for thou art early up,To see thy son and heir more early down.210Montague.Alas, my liege, my wife is dead to-night;Grief of my son's exilehath stopp'd her breath.What further woe conspires against mine age?Prince.Look, and thou shalt see.Montague.O thou untaught! whatmannersis in this,To press before thy father to a grave?Prince.Seal up the mouth ofoutragefor a while,Till we can clear these ambiguities,And know their spring, their head, their true descent;And then will I be general of your woes220And lead you even to death. Meantime forbear,And let mischance be slave topatience.—Bring forth the parties of suspicion.Friar Laurence.I am the greatest, able to do least,Yet most suspected, as the time and placeDoth make against me, of this direful murther;And here I stand, both to impeach and purgeMyself condemned and myself excus'd.Prince.Then say at once what thou dost know in this.Friar Laurence.I will be brief, for my short date of breath230Is not so long as is a tedious tale.Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet;And she, there dead, that Romeo's faithful wife.I married them; and their stolen marriage-dayWas Tybalt's doomsday, whose untimely deathBanish'd the new-made bridegroom from this city,For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pin'd.You, to remove thatsiegeof grief from her,Betroth'd and would have married herperforceTo County Paris; then comes she to me,240And with wild looks bid me devise some meansTo rid her from this secondmarriage,Or in my cell there would she kill herself.Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art,A sleeping potion, which so took effectAs I intended, for it wrought on herThe form of death; meantime I writ to RomeoThat he should hither comeas this dire night,To help to take her from her borrow'd grave,Being the time the potion's force should cease.250But he which bore my letter, Friar John,Was stay'd by accident and yesternightReturn'd my letter back. Then all alone,At the prefixedhourof her waking,Came I to take her from her kindred's vault,Meaning to keep her closely at my cellTill I conveniently could send toRomeo;But when I came,some minuteere the timeOf her awaking, hereuntimelylayThe noble Paris and true Romeo dead.260She wakes, and I entreated her come forthAnd bear this work of heaven with patience;But then a noise did scare me from the tomb,And she too desperate would not go with me,But, as it seems, did violence on herself.All this I know, and to the marriageHer nurse is privy; and, if aught in thisMiscarried by my fault, let my old lifeBe sacrific'd some hour before his timeUnto the rigour of severest law.Prince.Westillhave known thee for a holy man.—271Where's Romeo's man? what can he say in this?Balthasar.I brought my master news of Juliet's death,And thenin posthe came from MantuaTo this same place, to this same monument.This letter he early bid me give his father,And threaten'd me with death,going inthe vault,If I departed not and left him there.Prince.Give me the letter; I will look on it.—Where is the county's page that rais'd the watch?—280Sirrah,what made your masterin this place?Page.He came with flowers to strew his lady's graveAnd bid me stand aloof, and so I did.Anon comes one with light to ope the tomb,Andby and bymy master drew on him;And then I ran away to call the watch.Prince.This letter doth make good the friar's words,Their course of love, the tidings of her death;And here he writes that he did buy a poisonOf a poorpothecary, andtherewithal290Came to this vault to die and lie with Juliet.—Wherebethese enemies?—Capulet!—Montague!See, what a scourge is aid upon your hate,That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!And I, for winking at your discords too,Have losta brace of kinsmen; all are punish'd.Capulet.O brother Montague, give me thy hand;This is my daughter's jointure, for no moreCan I demand.Montague.But I can give thee more;For I will raise her statue in pure gold,300That while Verona by that name is knownThere shall no figure at such rate be setAs that of true and faithful Juliet.Capulet.As rich shall Romeo by his lady lie,Poor sacrifices of our enmity!Prince. Agloomingpeace this morning with it brings;The sun for sorrow will not show his head.Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;Some shall be pardon'dand some punished;309For never was a story of more woeThan this of Juliet and her Romeo.[Exeunt.

Paris.Give me thy torch, boy; hence, and stand aloof;

Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.

Under yond yew-treeslay thee all along,

Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground;

So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,

Being loose,unfirm, with digging up of graves,

But thou shalt hear it; whistle then to me

As signal that thou hear'stsomethingapproach.

Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.

10Page.[Aside]I am almost afraid to stand aloneHere in the churchyard, yet I willadventure.[Retires.

Page.[Aside]I am almost afraid to stand alone

Here in the churchyard, yet I willadventure.[Retires.

Paris.Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones,Which withsweet waternightly I will dew,Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans;The obsequies that I for thee will keepNightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.—[The Page whistles.

Paris.Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.

O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones,

Which withsweet waternightly I will dew,

Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans;

The obsequies that I for thee will keep

Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.—[The Page whistles.

The boy gives warning something doth approach.What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,20Tocrossmy obsequies and true love's rite?What, with a torch!—muffleme, night, awhile.[Retires.

The boy gives warning something doth approach.

What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,

Tocrossmy obsequies and true love's rite?

What, with a torch!—muffleme, night, awhile.[Retires.

EnterRomeoandBalthasar,with a torch, mattock, etc.

Romeo.Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.Hold, take this letter; early in the morningSee thou deliver it to my lord and father.Give me the light. Upon thy life, I charge thee,Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand all aloofAnd do not interrupt me in my course.Why I descend into this bed of deathIs partly to behold my lady's face,

Romeo.Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.

Hold, take this letter; early in the morning

See thou deliver it to my lord and father.

Give me the light. Upon thy life, I charge thee,

Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand all aloof

And do not interrupt me in my course.

Why I descend into this bed of death

Is partly to behold my lady's face,

30But chiefly to take thence from her dead fingerA precious ring, a ring that I must useIndearemployment. Therefore hence, be gone;But if thou,jealous, dost return to pryInwhat I further shall intend to do,By heaven, I will tear thee joint by jointAnd strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.The time and my intents aresavage-wild,More fierce and more inexorable farThanemptytigers or the roaring sea.

But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger

A precious ring, a ring that I must use

Indearemployment. Therefore hence, be gone;

But if thou,jealous, dost return to pry

Inwhat I further shall intend to do,

By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint

And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.

The time and my intents aresavage-wild,

More fierce and more inexorable far

Thanemptytigers or the roaring sea.

40Balthasar.I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.

Balthasar.I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.

Romeo.So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that.Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow.

Romeo.So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that.

Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow.

Balthasar.[Aside]For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout;His looks I fear, and his intents Idoubt.[Retires.

Balthasar.[Aside]For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout;

His looks I fear, and his intents Idoubt.[Retires.

Romeo.Thoudetestablemaw, thou womb of death,Gorg'd with the dearest morsel of the earth,Thus Ienforcethy rotten jaws to open,And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food![Opens the tomb.

Romeo.Thoudetestablemaw, thou womb of death,

Gorg'd with the dearest morsel of the earth,

Thus Ienforcethy rotten jaws to open,

And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food![Opens the tomb.

Paris.This is that banish'd haughty Montague50That murther'd my love's cousin,—withwhich grief,It is supposed, the fair creature died,—And here is come to do some villanous shameTo the dead bodies; I will apprehend him.—[Advances.

Paris.This is that banish'd haughty Montague

That murther'd my love's cousin,—withwhich grief,

It is supposed, the fair creature died,—

And here is come to do some villanous shame

To the dead bodies; I will apprehend him.—[Advances.

Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague!Can vengeance be pursued further than death?Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.Obey, and go with me, for thou must die.

Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague!

Can vengeance be pursued further than death?

Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.

Obey, and go with me, for thou must die.

Romeo.I must indeed, and therefore came I hither.Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man.60Fly hence, and leave me; think upon these gone,Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth,Put not another sin upon my head,By urging me to fury; O, be gone!By heaven, I love thee better than myself;For I come hither arm'd against myself.Stay not, be gone; live, and hereafter sayA madman's mercy bade thee run away.

Romeo.I must indeed, and therefore came I hither.

Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man.

Fly hence, and leave me; think upon these gone,

Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth,

Put not another sin upon my head,

By urging me to fury; O, be gone!

By heaven, I love thee better than myself;

For I come hither arm'd against myself.

Stay not, be gone; live, and hereafter say

A madman's mercy bade thee run away.

Paris.I do defy thyconjurations69And apprehend thee for a felon here.

Paris.I do defy thyconjurations

And apprehend thee for a felon here.

Romeo.Wilt thou provoke me? then have at thee, boy![They fight.

Page.O Lord, they fight! I will go call the watch.[Exit.

Paris.O, I am slain!—[Falls.]If thou be merciful,Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.[Dies.

Paris.O, I am slain!—[Falls.]If thou be merciful,

Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.[Dies.

Romeo.In faith, I will.—Let meperusethis face.Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Paris!What said my man when mybetossedsoulDid not attend him as we rode? I thinkHe told me Paris should have married Juliet;Said he not so? or did I dream it so?80Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet,To think it was so?—O, give me thy hand,One writ with me insourmisfortune's book!I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave,—A grave? O, no! alantern, slaughter'd youth;For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makesThis vault a feastingpresencefull of light.Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr'd.—[Laying Paris in the tomb.How oft when menare at the point of deathHave they been merry! which their keepers call90A lightning before death; O, how may ICall this a lightning?—O my love! my wife!Death, that hathsuck'd the honeyof thy breath,Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yetIs crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,Anddeath's pale flagis not advanced there.—Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?O, what more favour can I do to theeThan with that hand that cut thy youth in twain100To sunder his that was thine enemy?Forgive me, cousin!—Ah, dear Juliet,Why art thou yet so fair? shall I believeThat unsubstantial Death is amorous,And that the lean abhorred monster keepsThee here in dark to be his paramour?For fear of that, Istillwill stay with thee,And never from this palace of dim nightDepart again. Here, here will I remainWith worms that are thy chamber-maids; O, here110Will Iset up my everlasting rest,And shake the yoke of inauspicious starsFrom this world-wearied flesh.—Eyes, look your last!Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O youThe doors of breath, seal with a righteous kissAdatelessbargain toengrossingdeath!—Come, bitterconduct, come, unsavoury guide!Thou desperate pilot, now at once run onThe dashing rocksthysea-sick weary bark!119Here's to my love![Drinks.]—O true apothecary!Thy drugs are quick.—Thus with a kiss I die.[Dies.

Romeo.In faith, I will.—Let meperusethis face.

Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Paris!

What said my man when mybetossedsoul

Did not attend him as we rode? I think

He told me Paris should have married Juliet;

Said he not so? or did I dream it so?

Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet,

To think it was so?—O, give me thy hand,

One writ with me insourmisfortune's book!

I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave,—

A grave? O, no! alantern, slaughter'd youth;

For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes

This vault a feastingpresencefull of light.

Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr'd.—[Laying Paris in the tomb.

How oft when menare at the point of death

Have they been merry! which their keepers call

A lightning before death; O, how may I

Call this a lightning?—O my love! my wife!

Death, that hathsuck'd the honeyof thy breath,

Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.

Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yet

Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,

Anddeath's pale flagis not advanced there.—

Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?

O, what more favour can I do to thee

Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain

To sunder his that was thine enemy?

Forgive me, cousin!—Ah, dear Juliet,

Why art thou yet so fair? shall I believe

That unsubstantial Death is amorous,

And that the lean abhorred monster keeps

Thee here in dark to be his paramour?

For fear of that, Istillwill stay with thee,

And never from this palace of dim night

Depart again. Here, here will I remain

With worms that are thy chamber-maids; O, here

Will Iset up my everlasting rest,

And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars

From this world-wearied flesh.—Eyes, look your last!

Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you

The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss

Adatelessbargain toengrossingdeath!—

Come, bitterconduct, come, unsavoury guide!

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on

The dashing rocksthysea-sick weary bark!

Here's to my love![Drinks.]—O true apothecary!

Thy drugs are quick.—Thus with a kiss I die.[Dies.

Enter,at the other end of the churchyard,Friar Laurence,with a lantern,crow,and spade

Friar Laurence.Saint Francisbe my speed! how oft to-nightHave my old feetstumbled at graves!—Who's there?

Friar Laurence.Saint Francisbe my speed! how oft to-night

Have my old feetstumbled at graves!—Who's there?

Balthasar.Here's one, a friend, and one that knows you well.

Friar Laurence.Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend,What torch is yond that vainly lends his lightTo grubs and eyeless skulls? as I discern,It burneth in theCapels'monument.

Friar Laurence.Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend,

What torch is yond that vainly lends his light

To grubs and eyeless skulls? as I discern,

It burneth in theCapels'monument.

Balthasar.It doth so, holy sir; and there's my master,One that you love.

Balthasar.It doth so, holy sir; and there's my master,

One that you love.

Friar Laurence.Who is it?

129Balthasar.Romeo.

Balthasar.Romeo.

Friar Laurence.How long hath he been there?

Balthasar.Full half an hour.

Friar Laurence.Go with me to the vault.

Balthasar.I dare not, sir;My master knows not but I am gone hence,And fearfully did menace me with deathIf I did stay to look on his intents.

Balthasar.I dare not, sir;

My master knows not but I am gone hence,

And fearfully did menace me with death

If I did stay to look on his intents.

Friar Laurence.Stay, then; I 'll go alone.—Fear comes upon me;O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing!

Friar Laurence.Stay, then; I 'll go alone.—Fear comes upon me;

O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing!

Balthasar.As I did sleep under this yew-tree here,I dreamtmy master and another fought,And that my master slew him.[Exit.

Balthasar.As I did sleep under this yew-tree here,

I dreamtmy master and another fought,

And that my master slew him.[Exit.

Friar Laurence.Romeo!—[Advances.

140Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stainsThe stony entrance of this sepulchre?—What mean these masterless and gory swordsTo lie discolour'd by this place of peace?—[Enters the tomb.

Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stains

The stony entrance of this sepulchre?—

What mean these masterless and gory swords

To lie discolour'd by this place of peace?—[Enters the tomb.

Romeo! O, pale!—Who else? what, Paris too?And steep'd in blood?—Ah, what anunkindhourIs guilty of this lamentable chance!—The lady stirs.[Juliet wakes.

Romeo! O, pale!—Who else? what, Paris too?

And steep'd in blood?—Ah, what anunkindhour

Is guilty of this lamentable chance!—

The lady stirs.[Juliet wakes.

Juliet.Ocomfortablefriar! where is my lord?—I do remember well where I should be,150And there I am.—Where is my Romeo?[Noise within.

Juliet.Ocomfortablefriar! where is my lord?—

I do remember well where I should be,

And there I am.—Where is my Romeo?[Noise within.

Friar Laurence.I hear some noise.—Lady, come from that nestOf death, contagion, and unnatural sleep;A greater power than we can contradictHath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead,And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of theeAmong a sisterhood of holy nuns.Stay not to question, forthe watchis coming;Come, go, good Juliet.[Noise again.]—I dare no longer stay.

Friar Laurence.I hear some noise.—Lady, come from that nest

Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep;

A greater power than we can contradict

Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.

Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead,

And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of thee

Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.

Stay not to question, forthe watchis coming;

Come, go, good Juliet.[Noise again.]—I dare no longer stay.

160Juliet.Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.[Exit Friar Laurence.

Juliet.Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.[Exit Friar Laurence.

What's here? a cup, clos'd in my true love's hand?Poison, I see, hath been histimelessend.—O churl!drunk all, and leftno friendly dropTo help me after?—I will kiss thy lips;Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,To make me die with a restorative.[Kisses him.

What's here? a cup, clos'd in my true love's hand?

Poison, I see, hath been histimelessend.—

O churl!drunk all, and leftno friendly drop

To help me after?—I will kiss thy lips;

Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,

To make me die with a restorative.[Kisses him.

Thy lips are warm.

1 Watch.[Within]Lead, boy; which way?

Juliet.Yea, noise? then I'll be brief.—O happy dagger![Snatching Romeo's dagger.

This is thy sheath[Stabs herself];there rest, and let me die.[Falls on Romeo's body, and dies.

This is thy sheath[Stabs herself];there rest, and let me die.

[Falls on Romeo's body, and dies.

EnterWatch,with thePageofParis

171Page.This is the place; there, where the torch doth burn.

Page.This is the place; there, where the torch doth burn.

1 Watch.The ground is bloody; search about the churchyard.Go, some of you, whoe'er you findattach.—[Exeunt some.

1 Watch.The ground is bloody; search about the churchyard.

Go, some of you, whoe'er you findattach.—

[Exeunt some.

Pitiful sight! here lies the county slain;And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead,Who here hath lainthese two daysburied.—Go, tell the prince;—run to the Capulets;—Raise up the Montagues;—some others search.—[Exeunt other Watchmen.

Pitiful sight! here lies the county slain;

And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead,

Who here hath lainthese two daysburied.—

Go, tell the prince;—run to the Capulets;—

Raise up the Montagues;—some others search.—[Exeunt other Watchmen.

We see the ground whereon these woes do lie;180But the true ground of all these piteous woesWe cannotwithout circumstancedescry.

We see the ground whereon these woes do lie;

But the true ground of all these piteous woes

We cannotwithout circumstancedescry.

Re-enter some of theWatch,withBalthasar

2 Watch.Here's Romeo's man; we found him in the churchyard.

1 Watch.Hold him in safety till the prince come hither.

Re-enter others of theWatch,withFriar Laurence

3 Watch.Here is a friar, that trembles, sighs, and weeps.We took this mattock and this spade from him,As he was coming from this churchyard side.

3 Watch.Here is a friar, that trembles, sighs, and weeps.

We took this mattock and this spade from him,

As he was coming from this churchyard side.

1 Watch.A great suspicion; stay the friar too.

Enter thePrinceandAttendants

Prince.What misadventure is so early upThat calls our person from our morning's rest?

Prince.What misadventure is so early up

That calls our person from our morning's rest?

EnterCapulet,Lady Capulet,and others

190Capulet.What should it be that they so shriek abroad?

Capulet.What should it be that they so shriek abroad?

Lady Capulet.The people in the street cry Romeo,Some Juliet, and some Paris, and all runWith open outcry toward our monument.

Lady Capulet.The people in the street cry Romeo,

Some Juliet, and some Paris, and all run

With open outcry toward our monument.

Prince.What fear is this which startles in our ears?

1 Watch.Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain;And Romeo dead; and Juliet, dead before,Warm and new kill'd.

1 Watch.Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain;

And Romeo dead; and Juliet, dead before,

Warm and new kill'd.

Prince.Search, seek, and know how this foul murther comes.

1 Watch.Here is a friar, and slaughter'd Romeo's man,200With instruments upon them fit to openThese dead men's tombs.

1 Watch.Here is a friar, and slaughter'd Romeo's man,

With instruments upon them fit to open

These dead men's tombs.

Capulet.O heaven!—O wife, look how our daughter bleeds!This dagger hath mista'en,—for, lo,his houseIs emptyon the backof Montague,—And is mis-sheathed in my daughter's bosom!

Capulet.O heaven!—O wife, look how our daughter bleeds!

This dagger hath mista'en,—for, lo,his house

Is emptyon the backof Montague,—

And is mis-sheathed in my daughter's bosom!

Lady Capulet.O me! this sight of death is as a bellThat warns myold ageto a sepulchre.

Lady Capulet.O me! this sight of death is as a bell

That warns myold ageto a sepulchre.

EnterMontagueand others

Prince.Come, Montague; for thou art early up,To see thy son and heir more early down.

Prince.Come, Montague; for thou art early up,

To see thy son and heir more early down.

210Montague.Alas, my liege, my wife is dead to-night;Grief of my son's exilehath stopp'd her breath.What further woe conspires against mine age?

Montague.Alas, my liege, my wife is dead to-night;

Grief of my son's exilehath stopp'd her breath.

What further woe conspires against mine age?

Prince.Look, and thou shalt see.

Montague.O thou untaught! whatmannersis in this,To press before thy father to a grave?

Montague.O thou untaught! whatmannersis in this,

To press before thy father to a grave?

Prince.Seal up the mouth ofoutragefor a while,Till we can clear these ambiguities,And know their spring, their head, their true descent;And then will I be general of your woes220And lead you even to death. Meantime forbear,And let mischance be slave topatience.—Bring forth the parties of suspicion.

Prince.Seal up the mouth ofoutragefor a while,

Till we can clear these ambiguities,

And know their spring, their head, their true descent;

And then will I be general of your woes

And lead you even to death. Meantime forbear,

And let mischance be slave topatience.—

Bring forth the parties of suspicion.

Friar Laurence.I am the greatest, able to do least,Yet most suspected, as the time and placeDoth make against me, of this direful murther;And here I stand, both to impeach and purgeMyself condemned and myself excus'd.

Friar Laurence.I am the greatest, able to do least,

Yet most suspected, as the time and place

Doth make against me, of this direful murther;

And here I stand, both to impeach and purge

Myself condemned and myself excus'd.

Prince.Then say at once what thou dost know in this.

Friar Laurence.I will be brief, for my short date of breath230Is not so long as is a tedious tale.Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet;And she, there dead, that Romeo's faithful wife.I married them; and their stolen marriage-dayWas Tybalt's doomsday, whose untimely deathBanish'd the new-made bridegroom from this city,For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pin'd.You, to remove thatsiegeof grief from her,Betroth'd and would have married herperforceTo County Paris; then comes she to me,240And with wild looks bid me devise some meansTo rid her from this secondmarriage,Or in my cell there would she kill herself.Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art,A sleeping potion, which so took effectAs I intended, for it wrought on herThe form of death; meantime I writ to RomeoThat he should hither comeas this dire night,To help to take her from her borrow'd grave,Being the time the potion's force should cease.250But he which bore my letter, Friar John,Was stay'd by accident and yesternightReturn'd my letter back. Then all alone,At the prefixedhourof her waking,Came I to take her from her kindred's vault,Meaning to keep her closely at my cellTill I conveniently could send toRomeo;But when I came,some minuteere the timeOf her awaking, hereuntimelylayThe noble Paris and true Romeo dead.260She wakes, and I entreated her come forthAnd bear this work of heaven with patience;But then a noise did scare me from the tomb,And she too desperate would not go with me,But, as it seems, did violence on herself.All this I know, and to the marriageHer nurse is privy; and, if aught in thisMiscarried by my fault, let my old lifeBe sacrific'd some hour before his timeUnto the rigour of severest law.

Friar Laurence.I will be brief, for my short date of breath

Is not so long as is a tedious tale.

Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet;

And she, there dead, that Romeo's faithful wife.

I married them; and their stolen marriage-day

Was Tybalt's doomsday, whose untimely death

Banish'd the new-made bridegroom from this city,

For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pin'd.

You, to remove thatsiegeof grief from her,

Betroth'd and would have married herperforce

To County Paris; then comes she to me,

And with wild looks bid me devise some means

To rid her from this secondmarriage,

Or in my cell there would she kill herself.

Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art,

A sleeping potion, which so took effect

As I intended, for it wrought on her

The form of death; meantime I writ to Romeo

That he should hither comeas this dire night,

To help to take her from her borrow'd grave,

Being the time the potion's force should cease.

But he which bore my letter, Friar John,

Was stay'd by accident and yesternight

Return'd my letter back. Then all alone,

At the prefixedhourof her waking,

Came I to take her from her kindred's vault,

Meaning to keep her closely at my cell

Till I conveniently could send toRomeo;

But when I came,some minuteere the time

Of her awaking, hereuntimelylay

The noble Paris and true Romeo dead.

She wakes, and I entreated her come forth

And bear this work of heaven with patience;

But then a noise did scare me from the tomb,

And she too desperate would not go with me,

But, as it seems, did violence on herself.

All this I know, and to the marriage

Her nurse is privy; and, if aught in this

Miscarried by my fault, let my old life

Be sacrific'd some hour before his time

Unto the rigour of severest law.

Prince.Westillhave known thee for a holy man.—271Where's Romeo's man? what can he say in this?

Prince.Westillhave known thee for a holy man.—

Where's Romeo's man? what can he say in this?

Balthasar.I brought my master news of Juliet's death,And thenin posthe came from MantuaTo this same place, to this same monument.This letter he early bid me give his father,And threaten'd me with death,going inthe vault,If I departed not and left him there.

Balthasar.I brought my master news of Juliet's death,

And thenin posthe came from Mantua

To this same place, to this same monument.

This letter he early bid me give his father,

And threaten'd me with death,going inthe vault,

If I departed not and left him there.

Prince.Give me the letter; I will look on it.—Where is the county's page that rais'd the watch?—280Sirrah,what made your masterin this place?

Prince.Give me the letter; I will look on it.—

Where is the county's page that rais'd the watch?—

Sirrah,what made your masterin this place?

Page.He came with flowers to strew his lady's graveAnd bid me stand aloof, and so I did.Anon comes one with light to ope the tomb,Andby and bymy master drew on him;And then I ran away to call the watch.

Page.He came with flowers to strew his lady's grave

And bid me stand aloof, and so I did.

Anon comes one with light to ope the tomb,

Andby and bymy master drew on him;

And then I ran away to call the watch.

Prince.This letter doth make good the friar's words,Their course of love, the tidings of her death;And here he writes that he did buy a poisonOf a poorpothecary, andtherewithal290Came to this vault to die and lie with Juliet.—Wherebethese enemies?—Capulet!—Montague!See, what a scourge is aid upon your hate,That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!And I, for winking at your discords too,Have losta brace of kinsmen; all are punish'd.

Prince.This letter doth make good the friar's words,

Their course of love, the tidings of her death;

And here he writes that he did buy a poison

Of a poorpothecary, andtherewithal

Came to this vault to die and lie with Juliet.—

Wherebethese enemies?—Capulet!—Montague!

See, what a scourge is aid upon your hate,

That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!

And I, for winking at your discords too,

Have losta brace of kinsmen; all are punish'd.

Capulet.O brother Montague, give me thy hand;This is my daughter's jointure, for no moreCan I demand.

Capulet.O brother Montague, give me thy hand;

This is my daughter's jointure, for no more

Can I demand.

Montague.But I can give thee more;For I will raise her statue in pure gold,300That while Verona by that name is knownThere shall no figure at such rate be setAs that of true and faithful Juliet.

Montague.But I can give thee more;

For I will raise her statue in pure gold,

That while Verona by that name is known

There shall no figure at such rate be set

As that of true and faithful Juliet.

Capulet.As rich shall Romeo by his lady lie,Poor sacrifices of our enmity!

Capulet.As rich shall Romeo by his lady lie,

Poor sacrifices of our enmity!

Prince. Agloomingpeace this morning with it brings;The sun for sorrow will not show his head.Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;Some shall be pardon'dand some punished;309For never was a story of more woeThan this of Juliet and her Romeo.[Exeunt.

Prince. Agloomingpeace this morning with it brings;

The sun for sorrow will not show his head.

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;

Some shall be pardon'dand some punished;

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.[Exeunt.

The Nurse and Peter

The Metre of the Play.—It should be understood at the outset thatmetre, or the mechanism of verse, is something altogether distinct from themusicof verse. The one is matter of rule, the other of taste and feeling. Music is not an absolute necessity of verse; the metrical form is a necessity, being that which constitutes the verse.

The plays of Shakespeare (with the exception of rhymed passages, and of occasional songs and interludes) are all in unrhymed orblankverse; and the normal form of this blank verse is illustratedby the second line of the prologue to the present play: "In fair Verona, where we lay our scene."

This line, it will be seen, consists of ten syllables, with the even syllables (2d, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th) accented, the odd syllables (1st, 3d, etc.) being unaccented. Theoretically, it is made up of fivefeetof two syllables each, with the accent on the second syllable. Such a foot is called aniambus(plural,iambuses, or the Latiniambi), and the form of verse is callediambic.

This fundamental law of Shakespeare's verse is subject to certain modifications, the most important of which are as follows:—

1.After the tenth syllable an unaccented syllable (or even two such syllables) may be added, forming what is sometimes called afemaleline; as in the 103d line of the first scene: "Here were the servants of your adversary." The rhythm is complete with the third syllable ofadversary,the fourth being an extra eleventh syllable. In iv.3. 27and v.3. 256we have two extra syllables,—the last two ofRomeoin both lines.

2.The accent in any part of the verse may be shifted from an even to an odd syllable; as in line3of the prologue, "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny," where the accent is shifted from the sixth to the fifth syllable. See alsoi. 1. 92:"Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate;" where the accent is shifted from the second to the first syllable. This change occurs very rarely in the tenth syllable, and seldom in the fourth; and it is not allowable in two successive accented syllables.

3.An extra unaccented syllable may occur in any part of the line; as in line 7 of the prologue, where the second syllable ofpiteousis superfluous. In i. 1. 64 the third syllable ofBenvolio,and in line 71 below the second syllable ofCapuletsand the secondtheare both superfluous.

4.Any unaccented syllable, occurring in an even place immediately before or after an even syllable which is properly accented, is reckoned as accented for the purposes of the verse; as, for instance, in lines 1, 3, and 7 of the prologue. In 1 the last syllable ofdignityand in 3 the last ofmutinyare metrically equivalent to accentedsyllables. In 7 the same is true of the first syllable ofmisadventur'dand the third ofoverthrows.In iv. 2. 18 ("Ofdisobedient opposition") only two regular accents occur, but we have a metrical accenton the first syllable ofdisobedient, and on the first and the last syllables ofopposition, which word has metrically five syllables. Indisobedientthere is an extra unaccented syllable.

5.In many instances in Shakespeare words must belengthenedin order to fill out the rhythm:—

(a)In a large class of words in whicheoriis followed by another vowel, theeoriis made a separate syllable; asocean,opinion,soldier,patience,partial,marriage, etc. For instance, iii. 5. 29 ("Some say the lark makes sweet division") appears to have only nine syllables, butdivisionis a quadrisyllable; and so isdevotionin iv. 1. 41: "God shield I should disturb devotion!"Marriageis a trisyllable in iv. 1. 11, and also in v. 3. 241; and the same is true ofpatiencein v. 1. 27 v. 1. 27, v. 3. 221 and 261. This lengthening occurs most frequently at the end of the line.

(b)Many monosyllables ending inr,re,rs,res, preceded by a long vowel or diphthong, are often made dissyllables; asfare,fear,dear,fire,hair,hour,your, etc. In iii. 1. 198: "Else, when he's found, that hour is his last,"houris a dissyllable. If the word is repeated in a verse it is often both monosyllable and dissyllable; as inM. of V.iii. 2. 20: "And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so," where eitheryours(preferably the first) is a dissyllable, the other being a monosyllable. InJ.C.iii. 1. 172: "As fire drives fire, so pity, pity," the firstfireis a dissyllable.

(c)Words containinglorr, preceded by another consonant, are often pronounced as if a vowel came between the consonants; as in i. 4. 8: "After the prompter, at ourentrance" [ent(e)rance]. See alsoT. of S.ii. 1. 158: "While she did call me rascal fiddler" [fidd(e)ler];All's Well, iii. 5. 43: "If you will tarry, holy pilgrim" [pilg(e)rim];C. of E.v. 1. 360: "These are the parents of these children" (childeren, the original form of the word);W.T.iv.4. 76: "Grace and remembrance [rememb(e)rance] be to you both!" etc. See also on ii. 4. 184 and iii. 1. 89 below.

(d)Monosyllabic exclamations (ay,O,yea,nay,hail, etc.) and monosyllables otherwise emphasized are similarly lengthened; also certain longer words; ascommandementinM. of V.iv. 1. 442;safety(trisyllable) inHam.i. 3. 21;business(trisyllable, as originally pronounced) inJ.C.iv. 1. 22: "To groan and sweat under the business" (so in several other passages); and other words mentioned in the notes to the plays in which they occur.

6.Words are alsocontractedfor metrical reasons, like plurals and possessives ending in a sibilant, asbalance,horse(forhorsesandhorse's),princess,sense,marriage(plural and possessive),image, etc. Sospirit,inter'gatories,unpleasant'st, and other words mentioned in the notes on the plays.

7.Theaccentof words is also varied in many instances for metrical reasons. Thus we find bothrévenueandrevénuein the first scene of theM.N.D.(lines 6 and 158),óbscureandobscúre,púrsueandpursúe,cóntrary(see note on iii. 2. 64) andcontráry,contráct(see on ii. 2. 117) andcóntract, etc.

These instances of variable accent must not be confounded with those in which words were uniformly accented differently in the time of Shakespeare; likeaspéct,impórtune(see on i. 1. 142),perséver(neverpersevére),perséverance,rheúmatic, etc.

8.Alexandrines, or verses of twelve syllables, with six accents, occur here and there; as in the inscriptions on the caskets inM. of V., and occasionally in this play. They must not be confounded with female lines with two extra syllables (see on 1 above) or with other lines in which two extra unaccented syllables may occur.

9.Incompleteverses, of one or more syllables, are scattered through the plays. See i. 1. 61, 69, 162, 163, 164, 198, etc.

10.Doggerelmeasure is used in the very earliest comedies (L. L. L.andC. of E.in particular) in the mouths of comic characters, but nowhere else in those plays, and never anywhere after 1597 or 1598. There is no instance of it in this play.

11.Rhymeoccurs frequently in the early plays, but diminishes with comparative regularity from that period until the latest. Thus, inL. L. L.there are about 1100 rhyming verses (about one-third of the whole number), in theM.N.D.about 900, and inRich. II.about 500, while inCor.andA. and C.there are only about 40 each, in theTemp.only two, and in theW.T.none at all, except in the chorus introducing act iv. Songs, interludes, and other matter not in ten-syllable measure are not included in this enumeration. In the present play, out of about 2500 ten-syllable verses, nearly 500 are in rhyme.

Alternaterhymes are found only in the plays written before 1599 or 1600. In theM. of V.there are only four lines at the end of iii. 2. InMuch AdoandA.Y.L., we also find a few lines, but none at all in subsequent plays. Examples in this play are the prologue, the chorus at the beginning of act ii., and the last speech of act. v. See also passages in i. 2, i. 5, and v. 3.

Rhymed coupletsor "rhyme-tags" are often found at the end of scenes; as in the first scene, and eleven other scenes, of the present play. InHam.14 out of 20 scenes, and inMacb.21 out of 28, have such "tags"; but in the latest plays they are not so frequent. TheTemp., for instance, has but one, and theW.T.none.

12.In this edition of Shakespeare, the final-edof past tenses and participles is printed-'dwhen the word is to be pronounced in the ordinary way; as instar-cross'd, line 6, andmisadventur'd, line 7, of the prologue. But when the metre requires that the-edbe made a separate syllable, theeis retained; as inmoved, line 85, of the first scene, where the word is a dissyllable. The only variation from this rule is in verbs likecry,die,sue, etc., the-edof which is very rarely made a separate syllable.

Shakespeare's Use of Verse and Prose in the Plays.—This is a subject to which the critics have given very little attention, but it is an interesting study. In this play we find scenes entirely in verse (none entirely in prose) and others in which the two are mixed. In general, we may say that verse is used for whatis distinctly poetical, and prose for what is not poetical. The distinction, however, is not so clearly marked in the earlier as in the later plays. The second scene of theM. of V., for instance, is in prose, because Portia and Nerissa are talking about the suitors in a familiar and playful way; but in theT.G. of V., where Julia and Lucetta are discussing the suitors of the former in much the same fashion, the scene is in verse. Dowden, commenting onRich. II., remarks: "Had Shakespeare written the play a few years later, we may be certain that the gardener and his servants (iii. 4) would not have uttered stately speeches in verse, but would have spoken homely prose, and that humour would have mingled with the pathos of the scene. The same remark may be made with reference to the subsequent scene (v. 5) in which his groom visits the dethroned king in the Tower." Comic characters and those in low life generally speak in prose in the later plays, as Dowden intimates, but in the very earliest ones doggerel verse is much used instead. See on 10 above.

The change from prose to verse is well illustrated in the third scene of theM. of V.It begins with plain prosaic talk about a business matter; but when Antonio enters, it rises at once to the higher level of poetry. The sight of Antonio reminds Shylock of his hatred of the Merchant, and the passion expresses itself in verse, the vernacular tongue of poetry. We have a similar change in the first scene ofJ.C., where, after the quibbling "chaff" of the mechanics about their trades, the mention of Pompey reminds the Tribune of their plebeian fickleness, and his scorn and indignation flame out in most eloquent verse.

The reasons for the choice of prose or verse are not always so clear as in these instances. We are seldom puzzled to explain the prose, but not unfrequently we meet with verse where we might expect prose. As Professor Corson remarks (Introduction to Shakespeare, 1889), "Shakespeare adopted verse as the general tenor of his language, and therefore expressed much in verse that is within the capabilities of prose; in other words, his verse constantlyencroaches upon the domain of prose, but his prose can never be said to encroach upon the domain of verse." If in rare instances we think we find exceptions to this latter statement, and prose actually seems to usurp the place of verse, I believe that careful study of the passage will prove the supposed exception to be apparent rather than real.

Some Books for Teachers and Students.—A few out of the many books that might be commended to the teacher and the critical student are the following: Halliwell-Phillipps'sOutlines of the Life of Shakespeare(7th ed. 1887); Sidney Lee'sLife of Shakespeare(1898; for ordinary students the abridged ed. of 1899 is preferable); Schmidt'sShakespeare Lexicon(3d ed. 1902); Littledale's ed. of Dyce'sGlossary(1902); Bartlett'sConcordance to Shakespeare(1895); Abbott'sShakespearian Grammar(1873); Furness's "New Variorum" ed. ofRomeo and Juliet(1871; encyclopædic and exhaustive); Dowden'sShakspere: His Mind and Art(American ed. 1881); Hudson'sLife, Art, and Characters of Shakespeare(revised ed. 1882); Mrs. Jameson'sCharacteristics of Women(several eds., some with the title,Shakespeare Heroines); Ten Brink'sFive Lectures on Shakespeare(1895); Boas'sShakespeare and His Predecessors(1895); Dyer'sFolk-lore of Shakespeare(American ed. 1884); Gervinus'sShakespeare Commentaries(Bunnett's translation, 1875); Wordsworth's Shakespeare'sKnowledge of the Bible(3d ed. 1880); Elson'sShakespeare in Music(1901).

Some of the above books will be useful to all readers who are interested in special subjects or in general criticism of Shakespeare. Among those which are better suited to the needs of ordinary readers and students, the following may be mentioned: Mabie'sWilliam Shakespeare: Poet, Dramatist, and Man(1900); Phin'sCyclopædia and Glossary of Shakespeare(1902; more compact and cheaper than Dyce); Dowden'sShakspere Primer(1877; small but invaluable); Rolfe'sShakespeare the Boy(1896; treating of the home and school life, the games and sports, the manners, customs,and folk-lore of the poet's time); Guerber'sMyths of Greece and Rome(for young students who may need information on mythological allusions not explained in the notes).

Black'sJudith Shakespeare(1884; a novel, but a careful study of the scene and the time) is a book that I always commend to young people, and their elders will also enjoy it. The Lambs'Tales from Shakespeareis a classic for beginners in the study of the dramatist; and in Rolfe's ed. the plan of the authors is carried out in the Notes by copious illustrative quotations from the plays. Mrs. Cowden-Clarke'sGirlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines(several eds.) will particularly interest girls; and both girls and boys will find Bennett'sMaster Skylark(1897) and Imogen Clark'sWill Shakespeare's Little Lad(1897) equally entertaining and instructive.

H. Snowden Ward'sShakespeare's Town and Times(2d ed. 1903) and John Leyland'sShakespeare Country(enlarged ed. 1903) are copiously illustrated books (yet inexpensive) which may be particularly commended for school libraries.

Abbreviations in the Notes.—The abbreviations of the names of Shakespeare's plays will be readily understood; asT.N.forTwelfth Night,Cor.forCoriolanus,3 Hen. VI.forThe Third Part of King Henry the Sixth, etc.P.P.refers toThe Passionate Pilgrim;V. and A.toVenus and Adonis;L.C.toLover's Complaint; and Sonn. to theSonnets.

Other abbreviations that hardly need explanation areCf.(confer, compare),Fol.(following),Id.(idem, the same), andProl.(prologue). The numbers of the lines in the references (except for the present play) are those of the "Globe" edition (the cheapest and best edition ofShakespearein one compact volume), which is now generally accepted as the standard for line-numbers in works of reference (Schmidt'sLexicon, Abbott'sGrammar, Dowden'sPrimer, the publications of the New Shakspere Society, etc.). Every teacher and every critical student should have it at hand for reference.

Enter Chorus.As Malone suggests, this probably meant only that the prologue was to be spoken by the same actor that personated the chorus at the end of act i. The prologue is omitted in the folio, but we cannot doubt that it was written by S. It is in form a sonnet, of the pattern adopted in hisSonnets. See comments upon it, p. 22 above.

2.Fair Verona.The city is thus described in the opening lines of Brooke's poem:[4]—

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