Puslapio vaizdai
PDF
„ePub“

SCENE IV. Romeo's last Speech over Juliet, in

:

the Vault.

(10) O, my love, my wife!
Death, that hath fuckt the honey of 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,
And death's pale flag is not advanced there.
Tybalt, ly'st thou there in thy bloody sheet ?
Oh, what more favour can I do to thee,
Than with that hand, that cut thy youth in twain,
To funder his, that was thy enemy ?
Forgive me, cousin. - Ah dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet fo 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, I still will stay with thee;
And never from this palace of dim night
Depart again: here, here will I remain,
With worms that are thy chambermaids; oh here
Will I fet up my everlasting reft;
And thake the yoke of inauspicious stars

From this world-weary'd flefh. Eyes, look your last!

(10) O my, &c.] I have given the reader this last speech of Romeo, rather to let him into the plot, and convince him of the merit of the alterations made in it, than for any fingular beauty of its own; Romeo's surviving till Juliet awakens, is certainly productive of great beauties, particularly in the acting. And, indeed, this play of our author's hath met with better fuccefs, than any other which has been attempted to be altered;" whoever reads Qtqvay's Caius Marius, will foon be convinc'd of this; and it is to be wish'd, none would prefume to build upon Shakespear's foundation, but such as are equal masters with Otway. Arms

L2

Arms, take your last embrace! and lips, oh you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!
Come, bitter conduct! come, unsav'ry guide!
Thou desp'rate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks, my fea-fick, weary, bark:
Here's to my love! oh, true apothecary!

[Drinks the poison.

Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

[blocks in formation]

T

Timon of Athens.

ACT I. SCENE II.

PAINTING.

H E painting is almost the natural man :
For fince dishonour trafficks with man's nature,

He is but outside: pencil'd figures are
Ev'n fuch as they give out.

SCENE V. The Pleasure of doing good.

Oh, you gods, (think I,) what need we have any friends, if we should never have need of 'em? they would most resemble sweet instruments hung up in cafes, that keep their founds to themselves. Why, I have often wish'd myself poorer, that I might come nearer to you: we are born to do benefits. And what better or properer can we call our own, than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis to have so many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes ?

ACTII. SCENEIV.

A faithful Steward.

So the gods blefs me,

When all our offices have been oppreft.

[blocks in formation]

With riotous feeders; when our vaults have wept
With drunken spilth of wine; when every room
Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'd with minstrelfie,
I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock (1),
And fet mine eyes at flow.

SCENE V. The Ingratitude of Timon's Friends.

They answer in a joint and corporate voice,
That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot
Do what they would; are forry-You are honourable-
But yet they could have wisht-they know not
Something hath been amifs-a noble nature
May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity
And fo intending other serious matters,

After distasteful looks, and these hard (2) fractions,
With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods,
They froze me into filence.

Tim. You gods reward them!
I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary :
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it seldom flows,
'Tis lack of kindly warmth, they are not kind;
And nature, as it grows again tow'rd earth,
Is fashion'd for the journey, dull and heavy.

ACT III. SCENE VI.

Against Duelling.

Your Words have took fuch pains, as if they labour'd To bring man-flaughter into form, fet quarrelling

Upon

(1) Cock, i. e. a cockloft, a garret and, a quafteful cock fignifies, a garret lying in waste, neglected, put to no ufe. Oxford

editor,

(2) Fractions) i, e. These breaks in speech; fuch as are exprest above.

Upon the head of valour; which, indeed,
Is valour mis-begot, and came into the world,
When sects and factions were but newly born.
He's truly valiant, that can wisely fuffer

i

The worst that man can breathe, (3) and make his

wrongs

His out-fides, wear them like his rayment, carelesly, And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart,

To bring it into danger.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Without the Walls of Athens.

Timon's Execrations on the Athenians.

Let me look back upon thee, O, thou wall, That girdlest in those wolves! dive in the earth, And fence not Athens! Matrons, turn incontinent; Obedience fail in children; flaves and fools Pluck the grave wrinkled fenate from the bench, And minister in their steads: to general filths Convert o'th' inftant, green virginity! Do't in your parents eyes. Bankrupts, hold faft; Rather than render back, out with your knives, And cut your trusters throats. Bound servants, steal; Large-handed robbers your grave masters are, And pill by law. Maid, to thy master's bed; Thy mistress is o'th' brothel. Son of fixteen, Pluck the lin'd crutch from thy old limping fire, And with it beat his brains out! Fear and piety, Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth, Domestic awe, night-reft, and neighbourhood, Instruction, manners, mysteries and trades,

[blocks in formation]

(3) And make, &c.] The first part of the sentence is explained by the latter, "He's truly valiant, &c. that can make his wrongs his outsides, & e. wear them like his raiment carelesly.

« AnkstesnisTęsti »