No warmth, no breath shall testify thou livest.

The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade

To wanny ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall

Like death when he shuts up the day of life.

Each part, deprived of supple government,

Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death;

And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death

Thou shalt continue two-and-forty hours,

And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.

Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes

To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead.

Then, as the manner of our country is,

In thy best robes, uncovered on the bier

Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault

Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.

In the meantime, against thou shalt awake,

Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,

And hither shall he come, and he and I

Will watch thy waking, and that very night

Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua.

And this shall free thee from this present shame,

If no inconstant toy nor womanish fear

Abate thy valour in the acting it.

JULIET

Give me, give me O, tell not me of fear!

FRIAR LAURENCE (giving her the vial)

Hold, get you gone. Be strong and prosperous

In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed

To Mantua with my letters to thy lord.

JULIET

Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford.

Farewell, dear father. Exeunt [severally]

4.2 Enter Capulet, his Wife, the Nurse, and ⌈two⌉ Servingmen

CAPULET (giving a Servingman a paper)

So many guests invite as here are writ.

⌈Exit Servingman⌉

(To the other Servingman) Sirrah, go hire me twenty

cunning cooks.

SERVINGMAN You shall have none ill, sir, for I’ll try if they can lick their fingers.

CAPULET How canst thou try them so?

SERVINGMAN Marry, sir, ’tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers, therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not with me.

CAPULET Go, be gone. ⌈Exit Servingman⌉

We shall be much unfurnished for this time.

(To the Nurse) What, is my daughter gone to Friar

Laurence?

NURSE Ay, forsooth.

CAPULET

Well, he may chance to do some good on her.

A peevish, self-willed harlotry it is.

Enter Juliet

NURSE

See where she comes from shrift with merry look.

CAPULET (to Juliet)

How now, my headstrong, where have you been gadding ?

JULIET

Where I have learned me to repent the sin

Of disobedient opposition

To you and your behests, and am enjoined

By holy Laurence to fall prostrate here

To beg your pardon. (Kneeling) Pardon, I beseech you.

Henceforward I am ever ruled by you.

CAPULET ⌈to the Nurse⌉

Send for the County; go tell him of this.

I’ll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning.

JULIET

I met the youthful lord at Laurence’ cell,

And gave him what becoming love I might,

Not stepping o’er the bounds of modesty.

CAPULET

Why, I am glad on’t. This is well. Stand up.

Juliet rises

This is as’t should be. Let me see the County.

⌈To Nurse⌉ Ay, marry, go, I say, and fetch him hither.

Now, afore God, this reverend holy friar,

All our whole city is much bound to him.

JULIET

Nurse, will you go with me into my closet

To help me sort such needful ornaments

As you think fit to furnish me tomorrow?

CAPULET’S WIFE

No, not till Thursday. There is time enough.

CAPULET

Go, Nurse, go with her. We’ll to church tomorrow.

Exeunt Juliet and Nurse

CAPULET’S WIFE

We shall be short in our provision.

’Tis now near night.

CAPULET Tush, I will stir about,

And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife.

Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her.

I’ll not to bed tonight. Let me alone.

I’ll play the housewife for this once. What, ho!

They are all forth. Well, I will walk myself

To County Paris to prepare up him

Against tomorrow. My heart is wondrous light,

Since this same wayward girl is so reclaimed.

Exeunt ⌈severally⌉

4.3 Enter Juliet and the Nurse ⌈with garments⌉

JULIET

Ay, those attires are best. But, gentle Nurse,

I pray thee leave me to myself tonight,

For I have need of many orisons

To move the heavens to smile upon my state,

Which—well thou knowest—is cross and full of sin.

Enter Capulet’s Wife

CAPULET’S WIFE

What, are you busy, ho? Need you my help?

JULIET

No, madam, we have culled such necessaries

As are behoveful for our state tomorrow.

So please you, let me now be left alone,

And let the Nurse this night sit up with you,

For I am sure you have your hands full all

In this so sudden business.

CAPULET’S WIFE Good night.

Get thee to bed, and rest, for thou hast need.

Exeunt Capulet’s Wife ⌈and Nurse⌉

JULIET

Farewell. God knows when we shall meet again.

I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins

That almost freezes up the heat of life.

I’ll call them back again to comfort me.

Nurse!—What should she do here?

⌈She opens curtains, behind which is seen her bed⌉

My dismal scene I needs must act alone.

Come, vial. What if this mixture do not work at all?