AMID the desert rockes the mountaine beare THE ARGUMENT. LOUE hath inflamed twayne by sodayn sight, She drinkes a drinke that seemes to reue her breath; ROMEUS AND JULIET.* THERE is beyonde the Alps a towne of auncient fame, Whose bright renoune yet shineth cleare, Verona men it name; Bylt in an happy time, bylt on a fertyle soyle, Maynteined by the heauenly fates, and by the townish toyle, * In a preliminary note on Romeo and Juliet I observed that it was founded on The Tragicall Hystory of Romeus and Juliet, printed in 1562. That piece being almost as rare as a manuscript, I reprinted it a few years ago, and shall give it a place here as a proper supplement to the commentaries on this tragedy. From the following lines in An Epitaph on the Death of Maister Arthur Brooke drownde in passing to New-Haven, by George Tuberville, [Epitaphes, Epigrammes, &c. 1567,] we learn that the former was the author of this poem: " Apollo lent him lute, for solace sake, "To sound his verse by touch of stately string, "As may be judge by Julyet and her mate; "More speedie death than such one did deserve." The original relater of this story was Luigi da Porto, a gentleman of Vicenza, who died in 1529. His novel did not appear till some years after his death; being first printed at Venice, in octavo, in 1535, under the title of La Giulietta. In an epistle prefixed to this work, which is addressed Alla bellissima e leggiadra Madonna Lucina Savorgnana, the author gives the following account (probably a fictitious one) of the manner in which he became acquainted with this story: "As you yourself have seen, when heaven had not as yet levelled against me its whole wrath, in the fair spring of my youth I devoted myself to the profession of arms, and, following therein many brave and valiant men, for some years I served in your delightful country, Frioli, through every part of which, in the course of my private service, it was my duty to roam. I was ever accustomed, when upon any expedition on horseback, to bring with me an archer of mine, whose name was Peregrino, a man about fifty years old, well practised in the military art, a pleasant companion, and, like almost all his countrymen of Verona, a great talker. This man was not only a brave and experienced soldier, but of a gay and lively disposition, and, more perhaps than became his age, was for ever in love; a quality which gave a double value to his valour. Hence it was that he delighted in relating the most amusing novels, especially such as treated of love, and this he did with more The fruitfull hilles aboue, the pleasant vales belowe, doth flow; The store of springes that serue for vse, and eke for ease, Which Boccace skant, (not my rude tonge,) were able forth to : tell. Within my trembling hande my penne doth shake for feare, grace and with better arrangement than any I have ever heard. It therefore chanced that, departing from Gradisca, where I was quartered, and, with this archer and two other of my servants, travelling, perhaps impelled by love, towards Udino, which route was then extremely solitary, and entirely ruined and burned up by the war, wholly absorbed in thought, and riding at a distance from the others, this Peregrino drawing near me, as one who guessed my thoughts, thus addressed me: 'Will you then for ever live this melancholy life, because a cruel and disdainful fair one does not love you? though I now speak against myself, yet, since advice is easier to give than to follow, I must tell you, master of mine, that, besides its being disgraceful in a man of your profession to remain long in the chains of love, almost all the ends to which he conducts us are so replete with misery, that it is dangerous to follow him. And in testimony of what I say, if it so please you, I could relate a transaction that happened in my native city, the recounting of which will render the way less solitary and less disagreeable to us; and in this relation you would perceive how two noble lovers were conducted to a miserable and piteous death.'-And now, upon my making him a sign of my willingness to listen, he thus began." The phrase, in the beginning of this passage, when heaven had not as yet levelled against me its whole wrath, will be best explained by some account of the author, extracted from Crescimbeni, Istoria della Volgar Poesia, T. V. p. 91: "Luigi da Porto, a Vicentine, was, in his youth, on account of his valour, made a leader in the Venetian army; but, fighting against the Germans in Friuli, was so wounded, that he remained for a time wholly disabled, and afterwards lame and weak during his life; on which account, quitting the profession of arms, he betook himself to letters," &c. MALONE. There were two auncient stockes, which Fortune high dyd place (I wot not by what furye forsd) enuye eche others porte. So, of a kyndled sparke of grudge, in flames flashe oute theyr yre: And then theyr deadly foode, first hatchd of trifling stryfe, Did bathe in bloud of smarting woundes, -it reued breth and lyfe. No legend lye I tell; scarce yet theyr eyes be drye, That did behold the grisly sight with wet and weping eye. But when the prudent prince who there the scepter helde, So great a new disorder in his commonweale behelde, By ientyl meane he sought their choler to asswage, And by perswasion to appease their blameful furious rage; But both his woords and tyme the prince hath spent in vayne, So rooted was the inward hate, he lost his buysy payne. When frendly sage aduise ne ientyll woords auayle, By thondring threats and princely powre their courage gan he quayle; In hope that when he had the wasting flame supprest, : In time he should quyte quench the sparks that boornd within their brest. Now whilst these kyndreds do remayne in this estate, Upon whose tender chyn as yet no manlyke beard there grewe, At length, (in hope of better spede,) himselfe the louer went; lore, So much the more his feruent minde was prickt fourth by de syre, But when he, many monthes, hopelesse of his recure, dayne? What way she seekes to goe, the same I seeke to runne, She is ay best content when she is farthest of from me. But whilest he did decree this purpose still to kepe, |