Rom. Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. Jul. Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. Rom. Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purg'd. [Kissing her P Jul. Then have my lips the sin that they have took. Rom. Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd! Give me my sin again. Jul. You kiss by the book. Nurse. Madam, your mother craves a word with you. Rom. What is her mother? Nurse. Marry, bachelor, Her mother is the lady of the house, And a good lady, and a wise, and virtuous: Róm. Is she a Capulet? O dear account! my life is my foe's debt. [Exeunt all but JULIET and Nurse. • O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair ;] Juliet had said before, that "Palm to palm was holy palmers' kiss." She afterwards says, that "palmers have lips which they must use in prayer." Romeo replies, "that the prayer of his lips was, that they might do what hands do; that is, that they might kiss.M. MASON. P [kissing her.] Our poet here, without doubt, copied from the mode of his own time; and kissing a lady in a publick assembly, we may conclude, was not thought indecorous. In King Henry VIII. he in like manner makes Lord Sands kiss Anne Boleyn.-MALONE. 1 towards.] i. e. Ready, at hand. A banquet corresponded with our desert, and was a collation of fruit, wine, &c. Jul. Come hither, nurse: What is yon gentleman? Jul. What's he, that now is going out of door? Jul. What's he, that follows there, that would not dance? 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! Of one I danc'd withal. Nurse. A rhyme I learn'd even now [One calls within, JULIET. Anon, anon: Come, let's away; the strangers are all gone. Enter CHORUS. 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, With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair. Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks; But to his foe suppos'd he must complain, [Exeunt. 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 power, time means to meet, [Exit. That fair,] Fair, it has been already observed, was formerly used as a substantive, and was synonymous to beauty.-MALONE. ACT II. SCENE I.-An open Place adjoining Capulet's Garden. Enter ROMEO. Rom. 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. Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO. Ben. Romeo! my cousin Romeo! 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. Ben. An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. Adam Cupid,] Alluding to the famous archer Adam Bell.-REED. When king Cophetua, &c.] Alluding to an old ballad preserved in the first volume of Dr. Percy's Reliques of ancient English Poetry.—STEEVENS. "The ape is dead,] This phrase appears to have been frequently applied to young men, in our author's time, without any reference to the mimickry of that animal. It was an expression of tenderness, like poor fool.-MALONE, * By her high forehead,] A high forehead was in Shakspeare's time thought eminently beautiful.-MALONE. Mer. This cannot anger him: 'twould anger Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Is fair and honest, and, in his mistress' name, him Ben. Come, he hath hid himself among those trees, To be consorted with the humorous night: 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, Ben. Go, then; for 'tis in vain To seek him here, that means not to be found. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Capulet's Garden. Enter ROMEO. 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: Y--- - humorous—] i. e. Moist, humid. It is used in the same sense by other writers of Shakspeare's time. z He jests at scars,] That is, Mercutio jests, whom he has overheard.JOHNSON. a Be not her maid,] Be not a votary to the moon, to Diana.-JOHNSON. 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. Rom. Ah me! She speaks: T O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art 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? Jul. 'Tis but thy name, that is my enemy;Thou art thyself though, not a Montague.b What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet; [Aside. b Thou art thyself though, not a Montague.] Though is here used in the sense of then, as is very frequent in our ancient poets, and sometimes by our author himself.-RITSON. |