Lady C. You are too hot. Cap. God's bread! it makes me mad. Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play, late Early Alone, in company, still my care hath been at home abro To have her match'd; 22 and having now provided A gentleman of noble parentage, alone w waking Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly-train'd,"mpany A whining mammet, 24 in her fortune's tender, To answer, 22 Such is the reading of all the old copies except the first, by the help of which a third reading has been manufactured in divers modern editions. We subjoin the passage as there given : "God's blessed mother, wife, it mads me: H. 23 Train'd is from the quarto of 1597: that of 1599 has liand; the other old copies, allied. In the second line after, the first quarto has heart could instead of thought would, which is the reading of all the other old copies. H. 24 Mammet has been explained in 1 Henry IV., Act ii. sc. 3, note 9. The explanation there given has been disputed, but is confirmed by the use of the word in this place. H. That sees into the bottom of my grief?. In that dim monument where Tybalt lies. Lady C. Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee. [Exit. Jul. O God! -O nurse! how shall this be pre vented? My husband is on earth, my faith in heaven; By leaving earth? — comfort me, counsel me. Upon so soft a subject as myself! What say'st thou hast thou not a word of joy! Some comfort, nurse. Nurse. Faith, here 'tis: Romeo Is banished; and all the world to nothing, That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you; Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth. Then, since the case so stands as now it doth, I think it best you married with the county. Romeo's a dishclout to him: an eagle, madam, 25 The character of the Nurse exhibits a just picture of those whose actions have no principles for their foundation. She has been unfaithful to the trust reposed in her by Capulet, and is ready to embrace any expedient that offers, to avert the consequences of her first infidelity. The picture is not, however, an original; the nurse in the poem exhibits the same readiness to accommodate herself to the present conjuncture. Sir John Vanbrugh, in The Relapse, has copied, in this respect, the character of his nurse from Shakespeare. Hath not so green, 26 so quick, so fair an eye, I think you are happy in this second match, Jul. Speakest thou from thy heart? Nurse. And from my soul too; or else beshrew them both. Jul. Amen! Nurse. What? Jul. Well, thou hast comforted me marvellous much. Go in; and tell my lady I am gone, Having displeas'd my father, to Laurence' cell, Nurse. Marry, I will; and this is wisely done. Jul. Ancient damnation! O, most wicked fiend! Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn, Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue Which she hath prais'd him with above compare So many thousand times? - Go, counsellor ; Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain. I'll to the friar, to know his remedy; If all else fail, myself have power to die. [Exit. 26 Chaucer, in The Knightes Tale, says of Emetrius,-"His nose was high, his eyen bright citrin; " which probably means that his eyes had the colour of an unripe lemon or citron. So, Fletcher, in The Two Noble Kinsmen: "O! vouchsafe with that thy rare green eye." And Lord Bacon says that "eyes somewhat large, and the circles of them inclined to greenness, are signs of long life." H. ACT IV. SCENE I. Friar LAURENCE'S Cell. Enter Friar LAURENCE and PARIS. Fri. On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. Par. My father Capulet will have it so; And I am nothing slow, to slack his haste.' Fri. You say you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is the course; I like it not. Par. Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talk'd of love; For Venus smiles not in a house of tears. Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous, That she doth give her sorrow so much sway; And in his wisdom hastes our marriage, To stop the inundation of her tears; Which, too much minded by herself alone, May be put from her by society. Now do you know the reason of this haste. Fri. [Aside.] I would I knew not why it should be slow'd.2. Look, sir, here comes the lady towards my cell. Enter JULIET. Par. Happily met, my lady, and my wife! Jul. That may be, sir, when I may be a wife. 1 The meaning of Paris is clear; he does not wish to restrain Capulet, or to delay his own marriage; there is nothing of slowness in me, to induce me to slacken his haste: but the words given him seem rather to mean I am not backward in restraining his haste. In the first edition the line ran: "And I am nothing slack to slow his haste." 2 To slow and to foreslow were anciently in common use. Par. That may be, must be, love, on Thursday next. Jul. What must be shall be. Fri. That's a certain text. Par. Come you to make confession to this father? Jul. To answer that, I should confess to you. Par. Do not deny to him that you love me. Jul. I will confess to you that I love him. Par. So will you, I am sure, that you love me. Jul. If I do so, it will be of more price Being spoke behind your back, than to your face. Par. Poor soul, thy face is much abus'd with tears. Jul. The tears have got small victory by that; For it was bad enough before their spite. Par. Thou wrong'st it, more than tears, with that report. Jul. That is no slander, sir, that is a truth; And what I spake, I spake it to my face. Par. Thy face is mine, and thou hast slander'd it. Jul. It may be so, for it is not mine own. — Are you at leisure, holy father, now, Or shall I come to you at evening mass? 3 Fri. My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now. My lord, we must intreat the time alone. Par. God shield, I should disturb devotion ! Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse you: Till then, adieu! and keep this holy kiss. [Exit. Jul. O, shut the door! and when thou hast done So, Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help! Fri. Ah, Juliet! I already know thy grief; 3 Juliet means vespers; there is no such thing as evening mass. |
