ROMEO AND JULIET. Scenes, from which a hermit may estimate the tranfactions of the world, and a confeffor predict the progress of the paffions. Dr. JOHNSON. Milton is not more the pride, than Shakespeare the love of his country. When Milton appeared, the pride of Greece was humbled. It is therefore equally judicious to diffuse a tenderness and a grace through the praise of Shakespeare: as to extoll in a strain more elevated and fonorous, the boundless foarings of Milton's epic imagination. ANON. When Ben Jonson wrote, it was from his head-when Shakespeare wrote, he fat down, and dipt his pen in his own heart. Mr. GARRICK. Vignette. So infinite are the variety of Designs that might be sketched for a Vignette to this tragedy; and fo unlimitedly various and different are the ideas that would predominate in the mind of each artist: that I fhall no longer detain my reader than briefly to point out, a very few of those subjects that would best accord with the nature or spirit of this drama. 1. A genii tenderly furveying a medallion of Mrs. Cibber, and thus conveying to pofterity (in the page of Shakespeare) the exact features of the darling actress of his I Juliet. Juliet. In the back-ground of which defign might be lightly sketched the monaftery of friar Lawrence-the dagger which ended Juliet's woes (and with which Mrs. Cibber gave herself a ftab which fhuddered the whole audience)-and the fombre and picturesque scenery of the moonlight and tomb-and round this might be twined thofe bridal flowers, which ferved for her bury'd corfe-interfperfed with funeral torches, and with the ufual decorative ornaments of mafques. Or there might be introduced more than one genii-and fomewhat fimilar to that small groupe in the theatre of Bath, where they are fupporting with the most fond care the portrait of Shakespeare. Might not the mournful cupid be introduced in this Vignette, which we fee in Cypriani's print of the Nymph of Immortality? And the happily conceived figure of Memory in the Hiftorical Rhapsody on Pope by Mr. Tyers, might suggest fome fimilar idea. 2. Or, in lieu of the above, might be designed Trophies of Love-and for which, fee that richly engraved one, at p. 10. of Idylles de Saint-Cyr, ou l'hommage du cœur; which are poems attributed to Monf. Dorat-they were printed at Amfterdam and Paris, in 1771. The genius of Peters, might now fupply the loft pencil of Cypriani. 3. Some of the following lines would furnish a Vignette: FANCY! warm enthufiaftic maid, Jos. WARTON. Here FANCY fat, (her dewy fingers cold, COOPER'S POEM OF THE TOMB OF SHAKESPEARE, 4. Or an artist might strike out fome idea from the following invocation to the genius of Shakespeare. It might be a female figure of celestial appearance pointing to his tomb as if repeating the words of, there fleeps the Bard!-Indeed thefe lines. (to the last degree affecting) would give rife to various graceful ideas or creations of the fancy—and may no artist disgrace fuch lines by cold conception; or attempt to design from them, if his breast has not been often warmed with the holy flame of Painting But ah! on Sorrow's cyprefs bough, Can Beauty breathe her genial bloom? There fleeps the Bard, whofe tuneful tongue The loofe wing fwimming on the wind, Sweet Fancy pours the plaintive ftrain; *Shakespeare's fpirit would have breathed the fame humble wifh as is expreffed in the Minstrel of Beattie : Let vanity adorn the marble tomb With trophies, rhymes, and fcutcheons of renown, In the deep dungeon of fome gothic dome, Where night and defolation ever frown. 2 Mine How calculated is fome of the above imagery, to entrance the minds of Sir Joshua Reynolds, or Mr. Gainsborough ! Mine be the breezy hill that skirts the down; Faft by a brook, or fountain's murmuring wave; And thither let the village fwain repair; And, light of heart, the village maiden gay, Head Head-Piece. Many have told Juliet's tale: but none have told it like Shakespeare.‡ Crowded theatres fit enraptured at the tenderness of that Poet, who (as was faid of Beaumont) made the theatre fo fovereign With his rare fcenes and they give unbounded applause at the wildness of his more terrifying conceptions. We may learn (fays Mr. Warton) from the fatires of Marston, how popular a tale Juliet's was in those days—he is speaking to a wit of the town: Lufcus, what's play'd to-day ?-faith, now I know There are scenes of terror and diftrefs in this play, which certainly require the exertions of a fuperior pencil-and an artist would have to record the merit of tragedians, whofe masterly difplay of the paf Monf. Mercier, a very few years ago, fabricated a tragedy upon this ftory. He tranflated many paffages from our English poet; and has introduced many hiftorical facts. It is now frequently performed at Paris, with great fuccefs, under the title of," The Fall of Verona, or Romeo and Juliet." fions, M 2 |