Thinks true love acted, fimple modefty. For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Give me my Romeo: and, when he shall die, Enter printed) is fluttering with the wings as ftriving to fly away. So, in Ben Jonfon's Sad Shepherd: "A hawk yet half fo haggard and unman'd." Agair, in an old ballad intitled Prettie Comparisons wittily grounded, &e: "Or like a lawk that's never mau'd, Again, in the Booke of Paulyng, &c. bl. 1. no date: "It is called bating, for the bateth with herfelte molt often caufeleffe.” STEEVENS. 7 Take him and cut him into little ftars, &c] The fame childish thought occurs in The Wisdom of Doctor Dodypole, which was actad before the year 15.6: The glorious parts of faire Lucilia, "Take them and joine them in the heavenly fpheres ; And fixe them there as an eternal light, For lovers to adore and wonder at." STEEVENS. 8 the garish fun.] Milton had this fpeech in his thoughts when he wrote II Penjerofo : 63 Civil night, "Thou fober fuited matron."-Shalfpeare. Till civil-fuited morn appear."-Milton. Pay no worship to the garish fun."-Shakspeare. Hide me from day's garish eye."-Milton. JOHNSON. Enter Nurfe, with cords. And the brings news; and every tongue, that fpeaks But Romeo's name, fpeaks heavenly eloquence.Now, nurse, what news? What haft thou there? the cords, That Romeo bid thee fetch? ful. Ay me! what news? why dost thou wring thy hands? Nurfe. Ah well-a-day! he's dead, he's dead, he's dead! --- We are undone, lady, we are undone !- Though heaven cannot :O Romeo! Romeo!- This torture should be roar'd in difmal hell. Hath Romeo flain himfelf? fay thou but I, 7 And that bare vowel I fhall poifon more Garish is gaudy, fhowy. So, in Richard III: Than "With garish robes." It fometimes fignifies wild, flighty. So, in the following inftance: " ftarting up and gairishly staring about, especially on the face of Eliofto: Hinde's Eliofio Libidinofa, 1606. STEEVENS. 7 And that bare vowel ay shall poifon more Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice.] I queftion much whether the grammarians will take this new vowel on truft from Mr. Pope, without fufpecting it rather for a diphthong. In fhort, we muft reftore the fpelling of the old books, or we lofe the poet's conceit. At this time of day, the affirmative adverb ay was generally written and by this means it both becomes a vorvel, and anfwers in found to eye, upon which the conceit turns in the fecond line. THEOBALD. -death H 3 Than the death darting eye of cockatrice : Or thofe eyes fhut, that make the answer, I. Brief founds determine of my weal, or woe. Nurfe. I faw the wound, Ifaw it with mine eyes,God fave the mark !-here on his manly breast: A piteous corfe, a bloody piteous corse; Pale, pale as afhes, all bedaub'd in blood, All in gore blood;-I fownded at the fight. Jul. O break, my heart!-poor bankrupt, break at once! To prifon, eyes! ne'er look on liberty! ful. What form is this that blows fo contrary? Is Romco flaughter'd? and is Tybalt dead? My dear-lov'd coufin, and my dearer lord?Then, dreadful trumpet, found the general doom! For who is living, if thofe two are gone? Nurfe. Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banished; Romeo, that kill'd him, he is banished. -death-darting eye of cockatrice.] The ftrange lines that follow here in the common books, are not in the old edition. POPE. The ftrange lines are thefe: I am not I, if there be fuch an I, Or these eyes fhot, that makes thee answer I; If he be flain, fay I; or if not, no : Brief founds determine of my weal or woe. Thefe lines hardly deferve emendation; yet it may be proper to obferve, that their meannefs has not placed them below the malice of fortune, the first two of them being evidently tranfpofed; we should read: -That one vowel / fhall poifon more, I think Jul. O God!-did Romeo's hand fhed Tybalt's blood? Nurfe. It did, it did; alas the day! it did. ful. O ferpent heart, hid with a flow'ring face! Did ever dragon keep fo fair a cave ? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather'd raven! wolvifh-ravening lamb! Defpifed fubftance of divineft fhow! Juft oppofite to what thou juftly feem'ft, A damned faint, an honourable villain !— O, nature! what hadft thou to do in hell, When thou didst bower the fpirit of a fiend In mortal paradife of such sweet flesh ?— Was ever book, containing fuch vile matter, So fairly bound? O, that deceit fhould dwell In fuch a gorgeous palace! Nurfe. There's no truft, No faith, no honefty in men; all perjur'd, ful. Blifter'd be thy tongue, For fuch a wifh! he was not born to shame : Upon I think the tranfpofition recommended may be fpared. The fecond line is corrupted. Read but instead of hot, and then the meaning will be fufficiently intelligible. Shot, however, may be the fame as but. So, in Chaucer's Miller's Tale, late edit. ver. 3358: "And dreffed him up by a bot window." STEEVENS. 8 Dove-feather'd raven! &c.] In old editions, Ravenous dove, feather'd raven, &c.] The four following lines not in the first edition, as well as fome others which I have omitted. POPE. Ravenous dore, feather'd raven, Wolvish-ravening lamb! This paffage Mr. Pope has thrown out of the text, because these two noble hemiftichs are inharmonious: but is there no fuch thing as a crutch for a labouring, halting verfe? I'll venture to restore to the poet a line that is in his own mode of thinking, and truely worthy of him. RaH 4 VENOUS Upon his brow fhame is afham'd to fit ; O, what a beaft was I to chide at him! Nurfe. Will you fpeak well of him that kill'd your coufin? Jul, Shall I fpeak ill of him that is my husband? Ah,poor my lord,what tongue fhall fmooth thyname, When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it ?But, wherefore, villain didft thou kill my coufin ? That villain coufin would have kill'd my husband : Back, foolish tears, back to your native fpring; 'Your venous was blunderingly coined out of raven and ravening; and if we only throw it out, we gain at once an harmonious verie, and a proper contraft of epithets and images: Dove-feather'd raven! wolvifh-rav'ning lamb! THEOBALD. 9 Upon his brow Shame is afbam'd to fit;] So, in Painter's Palace of Pleafure, tom. ii. p. 223: "Is it poffible that under fuch beautie and rare comelineffe, difloyaltie and treafon may have their fledge and lodging?" This fentiment is not in the poem. STEEVENS. Ah, poor my lord, what tongue hall smooth thy name, When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it ?] So, in the poem already quoted: "Ah cruel murd'ring tongue, murderer of other's fame, "Whofe deadly foes do yield him due and earned praife, iky? "Since the purfueth him, and him defames of wrong, That in diftrefs fhould be his fort, and only rampire ftrong." MALONE. • Back foolish tears, &c.] So, in the Tempest: I am a fool I think, in this fpeech of Julict, the words quoe and joy should change places; otherwife, her reafoning is inconclufive. STEEVENS. -Juliet' |
