Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks: But to his foe fuppos'd he must complain, And she steal love's fweet bait from fearful hooks. Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe fuch vows as lovers use to fwear; And she, as much in love, her means much less, To meet her new-beloved any where : But paffion lends them power, Time means, to meet; Temp'ring extremities with extream sweet. [Exit Chorus. ACT II. SCENE, The STREET. ANI Enter Romeo alone. ROMEO. C forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out. *Enter Benvolio, with Mercutio. Ben. Romeo, my coufin Romeo. Mer. He is wife, [Exit. And, on my life, hath ftol'n him home to bed. Mer. Nay, I'll conjure too. Who, Romeo! humours! madman! paffion! lover! Speak but one rhyme, and I am fatisfied. (Young (Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true, (13) Ben. And if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. Mer. This cannot anger him: 'twould anger him, To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle, Of fome ftrange nature, letting it there ftand Ben. Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be conforted with the hum'rous night : Blind is his love, and best befits the dark. Mer. If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he fit under a medlar-tree, And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit, (13) Young Abraham Cupid, be that foot fo true, When King Cophetua lov'd the beggar-maid.] Tho' I have not difturbed the text, I conceive, there may be an error in the word Abrabam. I have no idea, why Cupid fhould have this prænomen. I have fufpected that the Poet wrote, Young auborn Cupid, i. e. brown-hair'd: because in several other paffages where auborn should be wrote, it is printed Abraham in the old books. This old ballad of the King enamour'd of the Beggar, is twice again alluded to by our Author in his Love's Labour's Loft. Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar? Motb. The world was guilty of fuch a ballad, fome three ages fince, but, I think, now 'tis not to be found. And Armado afterwards, in his fustian letter, names both the King and the Beggar. The magnanimous and moft illuftrate King Copbetua fet eye upon the pernicious and most indubitate Beggar Zenelophon, B 4 This This field-bed is too cold for me to fleep: Ben. Go then, for 'tis in vain To feek him here that means not to be found. [Exeunt. Rem. SCENE changes to Capulet's Garden. Enter Romeo. E jefts at fcars, that never felt a wound H But, foft! what light thro' yonder window It is the Eaft, and Juliet is the Sun! [breaks ? [Juliet appears above, at a window. Arife, fair Sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already fick and pale with grief, That thou, her maid, art far more fair than fhe. I am too bold, 'tis not to me the speaks: That I might touch that cheek! Jul. Ah me! Rom. She speaks. Oh, speak again, bright angel! for thou art (14) (14) 0, Speak again, bright angel! for thou art As glorious to this night,] Tho' all the printed copies concur in this reading, yet the latter part of the fimile feems to require, As glorious to this fight; and therefore I have ventur'd to alter the text fo. i.e. Thou appear'it, over my head, as glorious to my eyes, as an angel in the clouds to mortals that flare up at him with admiration. As As glorious to this fight, being o'er my head, Ful. O Romeo, Romeo,-wherefore art thou Romeo? Or, if thou wilt not, be but fworn my love, Rom. Shall I hear more, or fhall I speak at this? Jul. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Rom. I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd, [Afide. Jul. What man art thou, that thus, bescreen'd in night, So ftumbleft on my counfel? 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 yet not drunk a hundred words Of that tongue's uttering, yet I know the found. Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague? Rom. Neither, fair faint, if either thee diflike. Jul. How cam'ft thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard-walls are high, and hard to climb; And the place death, confidering who thou art, BS If any of my kinfmen find thee here. Ro. With love's light wings did Io'er-perch thefe walls, For ftony limits cannot hold love out; And what love can do, that dares love attempt: Jul. If they do fee thee, they will murder thee. Jul. I would not for the world, they faw thee here. Rom. I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, And but thou love me, let them find me here; My life were better ended by their hate, 1 han death prorogued, wanting of thy love. Jul. By whofe direction found'ft thou out this place? Rom. By love, that first did prompt me to enquire; He lent me counfel, and I lent him eyes: I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far As that vaft fhore, wafh'd with the fartheft fea, I would adventure for fuch merchandise. Jul. Thou know'ft, the mask of night is on my face, Elfe would a maiden-blush bepaint my cheek For that which thou haft heard me speak to-night. Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain, deny What I have spoke but farewel compliment! Doft thou love me? I know thou wilt fay, ay; And I will take thy word- yet if thou swear'ft, Thou may'ft prove falfe; at lovers' perjuries, (15) -At lovers' perjuries, (35) They fay, Jove laughs.] This remark our Poet, probably, borrow'd from Ovid; Jupiter ex alto Perjuria ridet Amantum. De Art. Amandi, lib, i, 635.. Or elfe from Tibullus, who has the fame fentiment; Perjuria ridet Amantum Lib. iii. El. 7. Jupiter, & ventos irrita ferre jubet. To this likewife the Greeks alluded in their proverb, Αφροδίσιος όρκος in iprinu. Hefyckius, I remember, in quoting this proverb, takes notice of a circumftance that I can neither recollect, nor trace, in Hefiod: viz. that he firft feign'd that Jupiter and Io fwore to eachother. πρῶτο δὲ Ἡσίοδος ἔπλασε, τὰς περὶ τὸν Δία καὶ τὴν Ἰω ὀμόσαι. Jupiter, we know, from fables, often broke his love oaths: fo could et realonably condemn the practice in others. They |