Tickling the parfon as he lies afleep;
Then dreams he of another benefice.
Sometimes fhe driveth o'er a foldier's neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign-throats,
Of breaches, ambufcadoes, Spanish blades,
Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon
Drums in his ears, at which he starts and wakes;
And being thus frighted, fwears a prayer or two,
And fleeps again. This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horfes in the night,
And cakes the elf-locks in foul fluttish hairs,
Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes.
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs;
That preffes them, and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage:
This is the-
Rom. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace: Thou talk'ft of nothing.
Somnia quæ mentes, &C.
When in our dreams the forms of things arife,
In mimic order plac'd before our eyes,
Nor heav'n, nor hell the airy vifion fends,
But every breast its own delufion lends.
For when foft fleep the body lays at eafe,
And from the heavy mass the fancy frees:
Whate'er it is in which we take delight,
And think of moft by day, we dream at night :-
Thus he who shakes proud ftates, and cities burns,
Sees showers of darts, forc'd lines, diforder'd wings,
Fields drown'd in blood, and obfequies of kings:
The lawyer dreams of terms and double fees,
And trembles when he long vacations fees:
The mifer hides his wealth, new treasure finds;
In echoing woods his horn the huntfman winds:
The failors dream a fhipwreck'd chance describes,
The whore writes billet-doux; th' adult'refs bribes :
The op'ning dog the tim'rous hare purfues,
And mifery in fleep its pains renews.
ADDISON, Junior.
Mer. True, I talk of dreams;
‹ Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing, but vain phantafy,
Which is as thin of fubftance as the air,
And more unconstant than the wind; who wooes
Ev'n now the frozen bofom of the north,
And being anger'd, puffs away from thence,
Turning his face to the dew-dropping fouth.
SCENE VI. A Beauty defcrib'd.
O fhe doth teach the torches to burn bright;
Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night,
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear:
Beauty too rich for ufe, for earth too dear!
So fhews a fnowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
ACT II. SCENE II.
(3) The Courtship between Romeo and Juliet in the Garden
Enter Romeo.
Rom. He jefts at fcars that never felt a wound-
But foft, what light thro' yonder window breaks ?
(3) The, &c.] The elegance and natural fimplicity of this scene is enough to recommend it, and muft render it agreeable to every reader who hath any tafte for tenderness, delicacy, and fincere affection: but when we have feen it fo juftly performed, and fo beautifully graced by fome of the best and most judicious actors that ever appeared on any stage, we fhall want no comment to enter into its particular excellencies, no chart to guide us to those beauties which all must have fenfibly felt, on hear ing them fo feelingly and pathetically expreft, in their own bofoms. The Reader will find fome remarks in the Acter on this celebrated fcene.
It is the eaft, and Juliet is the fun!
[Juliet appears above at a window.
Arise, fair fun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already fick and pale with grief,
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than fhe.
Be not her maid, fince fhe is envious:
Her veftal livery is but fick and green,
And none but fools do wear it, caft it off-
She fpeaks, yet the fays nothing; what of that?
Her eye difcourfes, I will anfwer it-
I am too bold, 'tis not to me the speaks:
Two of the fairest ftars of all the heav'n,
Having fome bufinefs do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their fpheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As day-light doth a lamp; her eyes in heav'n,
Would through the airy region ftream fo bright,
That birds would fing, and think it were not night,
See how fhe leans her cheek upon her hand,
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
ful. Ah me!
Rom. She fpeaks.
Oh speak again, bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this (4) fight, being o'er my head,
As is a winged meffenger from heav'n,
Unto the white up-turn'd wand'ring eyes
Of mortals, that fall back to gaze on him,
When he beftrides the lazy-pacing clouds,
And fails upon the bofom of the air.
ful. O Romeo, Romco,-wherefore art thou Romeo! Deny thy father and refuse thy name:
Or if thou wilt not, be but fworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Rom. Shall I hear more, or fhall I speak at this?..
(4) Sight, Mr. Theobald, vulg. Night.
Jul. "Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
* * * * * * * * * * *
*
What's in a name? that which we call a rofe,
By any other name would smell as fweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes,
Without that title; Romeo, quit thy name,
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
Rom. I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd,
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
ful. What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night So stumbleft on my counsel.
Rom. By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear faint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee.
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 Mountague?
Rom. Neither, fair faint, if either thee difpleafe.
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,
of my kinfmen find thee here.
If any
Rom. (5) With love's light wings did I o'er-perch thefe walls;
For ftony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Therefore thy kinfmen are no stop to me.
Jul. If they do fee thee, they will murder thee.
Rom. Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye,
Than
(5) With, &c.]
-Which when th' arch felon faw,
Due entrance he difdain'd, and in contempt,
At one flight bound, high over-leap'd all bounds
Of hill, or highest wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet.
See Parad. Loft. B. iv. v. 179.
Than twenty of their fwords; look thou but fweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
Jul. I would not for the world they faw thee here. Rom. I have night's cloak to hide me from their eye.
And but thou love me, let them find me here;
My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
Jul. By whofe direction found'st thou out this place? Rom. By love, that firft did prompt me to inquire, He lent me counfel, and I lent him eyes:
I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far
As that vast shore, wash'd with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for fuch merchandize.
Juliet. Thou know'ft the mafk of night is on my face, Elfe would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek, For that which thou haft heard me fpeak to-night; Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny What I have fpoke-but farewel compliment: Doft thou love me? I know thou wilt fay, ay, And I will take thy word-yet if thou fwear'st, Thou mayft prove false; (6) at lover's perjuries They fay fove laughs. Oh gentle Romeo, If thou doft love, pronounce it faithfully! Or if thou think I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverfe, and say thee nay, So thou wilt woo, but elfe not for the world. In truth, fair Mountague, I am too fond; And therefore thou mayst think my 'haviour light:
But
(6) At lovers, &c.] This, as Mr. Theobald has obferved, our author probably borrowed either from Ovid or Tibullus.
|
