lately set foorth on stage with more commendation, then I can looke for: (being there much better set forth then I haue or can dooe) yet the same matter penned as it is, may serue to lyke good effect, if the readers do brynge with them lyke good myndes, to consider it,* which hath the more incouraged me to publishe it, suche as it is. Ar. Br." The poem rhymes in couplets, but the lines originally were divided throughout; otherwise the measure forms alternate lines of twelve and fourteen syllables. A short specimen, to shew the manner of first printing it, will suffice. "There is beyonde the Alps, a towne of auncient fame, Whose bright renoune yet shineth cleare, Bylt in an happy time, bylt on a fertile soyle: Maynteined by the heauenly fates, and by the townish toyle." &c. Fo. 1. * Steevens, in a note prefixed to the play, rather prophetically observes, "we are not yet at the end of our discoveries relative to the originals of our author's dramatick pieces:" true: a play founded on the story of Romeo and Juliet, appearing on the stage "with commendation," anterior to the time of Shakspeare, is a new discovery for the commentators. HASLEWOOD, AMID the desert rockes the mountaine beare Geues them such shape, as doth, ere long, delight With gaping mouth and stayned iawes with blood; In stormes to gyde to hauen the tossed barke ; Right so my muse Hath (now, at length,) with trauell long, brought forth Tyll Tyme geue strength, to meete and match in fight, Of this my muse. THE ARGUMENT. LOUE hath inflamed twayne by sodayn sight, He payeth death to Tybalt for his hyre. A banisht man, he scapes by secret flight: New marriage is offred to his wyfe: She drinkes a drinke that seemes to reue her breath; Her husband heares the tydinges of her death; He drinkes his bane; and she, with Romeus' knyfe, 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, "In proufe that he for myter did excell, "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: 1 was "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. ever accustomed, when upon any expedition on horseback, to bring with ine 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, The siluer streame with chanell depe, that through the town doth flow; The store of springes that serue for vse, and eke for ease, Of Lumbard townes, or at the least, compared with the best, To reache rewarde vnto the good, to paye the lewde with payne, Alas! (I rewe to thinke,) an heauy happe befell, 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 Aboue the rest, indewd with welth, and nobler of their race; Loved of the common sort, loved of the prince alike, And like vnhappy were they both, when Fortune list to strike; Whose prayse with equall blast Fame in her trumpet blew; The one was cliped Capelet, and thother Montagew. A wonted vse it is, that men of likely sorte, (I wot not by what furye forsd) enuye eche others porte. So these, whose egall state bred enuye pale of hew, And then of grudging enuyes roote blacke hate and rancor grewe; As of a little sparke oft ryseth mighty fyre, So, of a kyndled sparke of grudge, in flames flashe oute theyr yre: And then theyr deadly foode, first hatchd of trifling stryfe, That did behold the grisly sight with wet and weping eye. 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, And eche with outward frendly shew dooth hyde his inward hate, Upon whose tender chyn as yet no manlyke beard there grewe, At length, (in hope of better spede,) himselfe the louer went; With vertues foode, and taught in schole of wisdomes skilfull lore, |