Nurse. Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio. Jul.What's he, that follows there, that would not dance? Nurse. I know not. Jul. Go, ask his name :-if he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding-bed. Nurse. His name is Romeo, and a Montague; Jul. My only love sprung from my only hate! Nurse. What's this? what this? Nurse. Anon, anon : [One calls within, JULIET. Come, let's away; the strangers all are gone. [Exeunt. Enter CHORUS.3 Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie, And young affection gapes to be his heir; That fair, which love groan'd for, and would die, Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks; But to his foe suppos'd he must complain, And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks: Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear; But passion lends them pow'r, time means to meet, ACT II. [Exit. SCENE I-An open Place, adjoining CAPULET's Garden. Enter ROMEO. Romeo. Can I go forward, when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out. [He climbs the wall, and leaps down within it. [3] The use of this Chorus is not easily discovered; it conduces nothing to the progress of the play, but relates what is already known, or what the next scene will show; and relates it without adding the improvement of any moral sentiment. JOHNSON. Enter BENVOLIO, and MERCUTIO. Ben. Romeo! my cousin Romeo ! Mer. He is wise; And, on my life, hath stolen him home to bed. Ben. He ran this way, and leap'd this orchard wall : Call, good Mercutio. Mer. Nay, I'll conjure too. Romeo! humours! madman! passion! lover! Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied; Ben. An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Till she had laid it, and conjur’d it down ; That were some spite: my invocation Is fair and honest, and, in his mistress' name, I conjure only but to raise up him. Ben. Come, he hath hid himself among those trees, To be consorted with the humorous night :6 Blind is his love, and best befits the dark. Mer. If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he sit under a medlar tree, And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit, As maids call medlars, when they laugh alone.- Come, shall we go? Ben. Go, then; for 'tis in vain To seek him here, that means not to be found. [Exe. [4] Alluding to the famous archer Adam Bell. [5] See Love's Labour's Lost, p. 32. 16 The humid, the moist dewy night. REED. STEEVENS, 1.2 VOL. VIII. Rom. He jests at scars, that never felt a wound.— [JULIET appears above, at a window. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks ! It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!— Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she: Be not her maid, since she is envious ; Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady; O, it is my love : O, that she knew she were ! She speaks, yet she says nothing; What of that ? I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: That I might touch that cheek! Jul. Ah me! Rom. She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art Unto the white-upturned wond'ring eyes And sails upon the bosom of the air. Jul. O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father, and refuse thy name : Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet. Rom.Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? [Aside. Jul. 'Tis but thy name, that is my enemy ; Be not a votary to the moon, to Diana. JOHNSON. Thou art thyself though, not a Montague. Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! Rom. I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd; Jul.What man art thou, that, thus bescreen'd in night, So stumblest on my counsel ? Rom. By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am: Had I it written, I would tear the word. Jul. My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound; Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague? Rom. Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike. Jul. How cam'st thou hither, tell me? and wherefore? The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb; And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here. Rom. With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out : And what love can do, that dares love attempt; Jul. If they do see thee, they will murder thee. Jul. I would not for the world, they saw thee here. Rom. I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight; [8] We must understand though in the sense of then, a sense it is perpetu⚫ ally used in by our ancient poets. So in the Merry Wives of Windsor, "I keep but three men and a boy yet-but what though?” Again in K. Henry V. "It is a simple one, but what though.” RITSON. And, but thou love me, 9 let them find me here ; Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. Jul. By whose direction found'st thou out this placé ? Rom. By love, who first did prompt me to inquire ; He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far As that vast shore wash'd with the furthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise. Jul. Thou know'st, the mask of night is on my face; Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek, For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night. Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny What I have spoke; But farewell compliment! Dost thou love me? I know, thou wilt say-Ay; And I will take thy word: yet, if thou swear'st, Thou may'st prove false; at lovers' perjuries, They say, Jove laughs. O, gentle Romeo, If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully: Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won, I'll frown, and be perverse, and say thee nay, So thou wilt woo; but, else, not for the world. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond ; And therefore thou may'st think my haviour light; But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true Than those that have more cunning to be strange. I should have been more strange, I must confess, But that thou over-heard'st, ere I was 'ware, My true love's passion: therefore pardon me ; And not impute this yielding to light love, Which the dark night hath so discovered, Rom. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear, That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops, Jul. O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Rom. What shall I swear by ? Jul. Do not swear at all; Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, And I'll believe thee. Rom. If my heart's dear love Jul. Well, do not swear: Although I joy in thee, [9] Mr. M. Mason thinks" but thou love me" means unless thou love me He is certainly right. So in Antony and Cleopatra: "But being charg'd, we will be still by land." STEEVENS. |