Page:Romeo and Juliet (1917) Yale.djvu/81

Romeo and Juliet, III. iii

''Fri. L''. A gentler judgment vanish'd from his lips,

Not body's death, but body's banishment.

Rom. Ha! banishment! be merciful, say 'death;'

For exile hath more terror in his look,

Much more than death: do not say 'banishment.'

''Fri. L''. Here from Verona art thou banished.

Be patient, for the world is broad and wide.

Rom. There is no world without Verona walls,

But purgatory, torture, hell itself.

Hence banished is banish'd from the world,

And world's exile is death; then 'banished,'

Is death mis-term'd. Calling death 'banished,'

Thou cutt'st my head off with a golden axe,

And smil'st upon the stroke that murders me.

''Fri. L''. O. deadly sin! O rude unthankfulness!

Thy fault our law calls death; but the kind prince,

Taking thy part, hath rush'd aside the law,

And turn'd that black word death to banishment:

This is dear mercy, and thou seest it not.

Rom. 'Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is here,

Where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog

And little mouse, every unworthy thing,

Live here in heaven and may look on her;

But Romeo may not: more validity,

More honourable state, more courtship lives

In carrion flies than Romeo: they may seize

On the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand,

And steal immortal blessing from her lips,

Who, even in pure and vestal modesty,

Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin;

But Romeo may not; he is banished.

This may flies do, when I from this must fly:

 10 vanish'd: issued

26 rush'd: brushed

28 dear: valuable, unusual

33 validity: value

34 courtship: both 'courtliness' and 'wooing'

