Act 4 — Scene I. Friar Laurence's cell.[1170]

Fri. L. On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. Par. My father Capulet will have it so; And I am nothing slow to slack his haste.[1172] Fri. L. You say you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is the course; I like it not.[1173] 5 Par. Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talk'd of love,[1174] For Venus smiles not in a house of tears. Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous That she doth give her sorrow so much sway,[1175] 10 And in his wisdom hastes our marriage, To stop the inundation of her tears, Which, too much minded by herself alone, May be put from her by society: Now do you know the reason of this haste.[1176] 15 Fri. L. [Aside] I would I knew not why it should be slow'd.[1177] Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell.[1178]

Par. Happily met, my lady and my wife![1179] Jul. That may be, sir, when I may be a wife. Par. That may be must be, love, on Thursday next. 20 Jul. What must be shall be. Fri. L. That's a certain text. Par. Come you to make confession to this father? Jul. To answer that, I should confess to you.[1180] Par. Do not deny to him that you love me. Jul. I will confess to you that I love him. 25 Par. So will ye, I am sure, that you love me.[1181] Jul. If I do so, it will be of more price, Being spoke behind your back, than to your face.[1182] Par. Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears. Jul. The tears have got small victory by that; 30 For it was bad enough before their spite. Par. Thou wrong'st it more than tears with that report. Jul. That is no slander, sir, which is a truth,[1183] And what I spake, I spake it to my face.[1184] Par. Thy face is mine, and thou hast slander'd it. 35 Jul. It may be so, for it is not mine own. Are you at leisure, holy father, now; Or shall I come to you at evening mass? Fri. L. My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now. My lord, we must entreat the time alone.[1185] 40 Par. God shield I should disturb devotion![1186] Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye:[1187] Till then, adieu, and keep this holy kiss.[1187][1188] [Exit. Jul. O, shut the door, and when thou hast done so,[1189] Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help![1190] 45 Fri. L. Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief;[1191] It strains me past the compass of my wits:[1192] I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it, On Thursday next be married to this county.[1193] Jul. Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this,[1194] 50 Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it: If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, And with this knife I'll help it presently.[1195] God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; 55 And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo's seal'd,[1196] Shall be the label to another deed, Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Turn to another, this shall slay them both: Therefore, out of thy long-experienced time,[1197] 60 Give me some present counsel; or, behold, 'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that[1198] Which the commission of thy years and art[1199] Could to no issue of true honour bring. 65 Be not so long to speak; I long to die,[1200] If what thou speak'st speak not of remedy. Fr. L. Hold, daughter: I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution[1201] As that is desperate which we would prevent. 70 If, rather than to marry County Paris, Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,[1202] Then is it likely thou wilt undertake[1203] A thing like death to chide away this shame, That copest with death himself to 'scape from it;[1204] 75 And, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy.[1205] Jul. O, bid me leap, rather than many Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower;[1206] Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk[1207] Where serpents are; chain me with roaring bears;[1207] 80 Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house,[1208] O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's rattling bones,[1209] With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls;[1210] Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud;[1211] 85 Things that to hear them told, have made me tremble;[1212] And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.[1213] Fri. L. Hold, then; go home, be merry, give consent[1214] To marry Paris: Wednesday is to-morrow;[1214][1215] 90 To-morrow night look that thou lie alone,[1214] Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy chamber:[1214][1216] Take thou this vial, being then in bed,[1214] And this distilled liquor drink thou off:[1217] When presently through all thy veins shall run 95 A cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse[1218] Shall keep his native progress, but surcease:[1218] No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest;[1219] The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade[1220] To paly ashes; thy eyes' windows fall,[1221] 100 Like death, when he shuts up the day of life;[1222] Each part, deprived of supple government,[1223] Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death:[1223] And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death[1224] Thou shalt continue two and forty hours, 105 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:[1225] Then, as the manner of our country is, In thy best robes uncover'd on the bier[1226] 110 Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault[1227] Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie. In the mean time, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift; And hither shall he come: and he and I[1228] 115 Will watch thy waking, and that very night[1228] Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. And this shall free thee from this present shame,[1229] If no inconstant toy nor womanish fear[1230] Abate thy valour in the acting it. 120 Jul. Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear![1231] Fri. L. 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. Jul. Love give me strength! and strength shall help afford.[1232]125 Farewell, dear father![1233] [Exeunt.