Page:Romeo and Juliet (Dowden).djvu/209

Holding thine[C 1] ear close to the hollow ground; So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,5 Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves, But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me, As signal that thou hear'st something approach. Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee; go.

Page.

[Aside.[C 2]] I am almost afraid to stand[E 1] alone10 Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.[Retires.[C 3]

Par.

Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew,— O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones—[C 4][E 2] Which with sweet water[E 3] nightly I will dew, Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans:15 The obsequies that I for thee will keep Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep. [The Page whistles.[C 5] The boy gives warning something[C 6][E 4] doth approach. What cursed foot wanders this way[C 7] to-night, To cross my obsequies and true love's rite?[C 8]20 What, with a torch!—muffle me, night, awhile.[Retires.[C 9]

1. 4. Holding thine] Capell; Keeping thine Q 1; Holding thy Q, F.
2. 10. [Aside]] Capell.
3. 11. Retires] Capell; Exit F 2; omitted Q, F.
4. 12, 13. strew,— … stones—] strew: … stones, Q, F.
5. 17. The Page whistles] Whistle Boy Q, F.
6. 18. warning something] Collier; warning, something Q, F.
7. 19. way] Q, wayes F.
8. 20. rite] Pope (ed. 2); right Q, F; rites Q 1.
9. 21. Retires] Capell.

1. 10. stand] Collier (MS.) has stay; the Page does not stand, but lies "along"; Dyce takes "stand" to mean remain.
2. 12, 13. strew,— … stones—] The pointing, which differs little from that of the Cambridge Shakespeare, is intended to make the second line of this sonnet-like sextet parenthetic, thus to connect which with "flowers" instead of with "canopy."
3. 14. sweet water] water perfumed, as in Titus Andronicus, II. iv. 6. See stage-direction Q 1 at opening of this scene.
4. 18. warning something] Several editors point as Q, F.