Page:Romeo and Juliet, a Comedy by Lopez de Vega. William Griffin, 1770.pdf/19



URING the interval between the econd and third acts, the father of Juliet has importuned her to conent to marry the Count: he has undergone violent perecutions on this account; he has reited as far as he could; but, at length, foreeing that he mut yield to force, in a fit of depair, he reolves rather to devote herelf to death, than betray Romeo.

Full of this idea, he ends Celia to Aurelio, the priet who married them privately. He does not appear on the tage, but is frequently mentioned in the coure of the piece: profound knowledge, a charity always attentive to the wants of the unfortunate, are the out-lines which form his character.

Juliet implores the aitance of this worthy peron; and informs him by a note, that if he does not find ome method to ave her from the misfortune which he dreads, he will avoid it by a voluntary death.

The commencement of the act uppoes every thing to have paed which has been related, and the audience is informed of it with a great deal of addres; Juliet and her father appear on the tage; Rh