PART VII.

PHARMACY.

Pharmacy was not overlooked.

I do remember an apothecary,— And hereabouts he dwells,—which late I noted In tatter’d weeds, with overwhelming brows, Culling of simples: meagre were his looks, Sharp misery had worn him to the bones; And in his needy shop a tortoise hung, An alligator stuff’d, and other skins Of ill-shap’d fishes; and, about his shelves, A beggarly account of empty boxes, Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds, Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of roses, Were thinly scatter’d to make up a show. Noting this penury, to myself I said— An if a man need poison now, Whose sale is present death in Mantua, Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him. * * * * * What, ho! apothecary! _Romeo and Juliet, Act V., Sc. I._

O, true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. _Romeo and Juliet, Act V., Sc. III._

He did buy a poison of a poor apothecary, And there withal came to this vault to die. _Romeo and Juliet, Act V., Sc. III._

Bid the apothecary Bring the strong poison that I bought of him. _Henry VI—2d, Act III., Sc. III._

Your master will be dead ere you return; There’s nothing can be minister’d to nature. That can recover him. Give this to the ’pothecary, And tell me how it works. _Pericles, Act III., Sc. II._

Great griefs, I see, medicine the less. _Cymbeline, Act IV., Sc. II._

That drug-damn’d Italy hath out-craftied him. _Cymbeline, Act III., Sc. IV._

One, whose subdu’d eyes, Albeit unused to the melting mood, Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees Their med’cinable gum. _Othello, Act V., Sc. II._

Set ratsbane by his porridge. _King Lear, Act III., Sc. IV._

I had as lief they would put ratsbane in my mouth, as offer to stop it with _security_. _Henry IV—2d, Act I., Sc. II._

I would the milk Thy mother gave thee, when thou suck’dst her breast, Had been a little ratsbane for thy sake! _Henry VI., Act V., Sc. IV._

If you have poison for me I will drink it. _King Lear, Act IV., Sc. VII._

I have bought the oil, the balsamum and aquavitæ. _Comedy of Errors, Act IV., Sc. I._

Give me some aquavitæ. _Romeo and Juliet, Act III., Sc. II._

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Transcriber’s note:

Old or antiquated spellings have been preserved.

Typographical errors have been silently corrected.

The book cover image was created by the transcriber and is in the public domain.