ona,
he thought surely it was to confirm some good news which his dreams had
presaged. But when the contrary to this flattering vision appeared, and
that it was his lady who was dead in truth, whom he could not revive by
any kisses, he ordered horses to be got ready, for he determined that
night to visit Verona, and to see his lady in her tomb. And as mischief
is swift to enter into the thoughts of desperate men, he called to mind
a poor apothecary, whose shop in Mantua he had lately passed, and from
the beggarly appearance of the man, who seemed famished, and the
wretched show in his show of empty boxes ranged on dirty shelves, and
other tokens of extreme wretchedness, he had said at the time (perhaps
having some misgivings that his own disastrous life might haply meet
with a conclusion so desperate), 'If a man were to need poison, which
by the law of Mantua it is death to sell, here lives a poor wretch who
would sell it him.' These words of his now came into his mind, and he
sought out the apothecary, who after some pretended scruples, Romeo
offering him gold, which his poverty could not resist, sold him a
poison, which, if he swallowed, he told him, if he had the strength of
twenty men, would quickly despatch him.

With this poison he set out for Verona, to have a sight of his dear
lady in her tomb, meaning, when he had satisfied his sight, to swallow
the poison, and be buried by her side. He reached Verona at midnight,
and found the churchyard, in the midst of which was situated the
ancient tomb of the Capulets. He had provided a light, and a spade, and
wrenching iron, and was proceeding to break open the monument, when he
was interrupted by a voice, which by the name of vile Montague, bade
him desist from his unlawful business. It was the young count Paris,
who had come to the tomb of Juliet at that unseasonable time of night,
to strew flowers and to weep over the grave of her that should have
been his bride. He knew not what an interest Romeo had in the dead, but
knowing him to be a Montague, and (as he supposed) a sworn foe to all
the Capulets, he judged that he was come by night to do some villanous
shame to the dead bodies; therefore in an angry tone he bade him
desist; and as a criminal, condemned by the laws of Verona to die if he
were found within the walls of the city, he would have apprehended him.
Romeo urged Paris to leave him, and warned him by the fate of Tybalt,
who lay buried there, not to provoke hi