Cry but-Ah me! pronounce a but love and dove; By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, That in thy likeness thou appear to us. Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Is fair and honest, and, in his mistress' name, BEN. Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit, As maids call medlars, when they laugh alone. *(4) has pronounce; the subsequent quartos and the first folio, provaunt; the second folio couply, which has become the received reading of couple. Steevens desired to retain provant, to provide, from the noun provant, provision. ⚫ All the old copies have “Abraham." Upton changed it to " Adam,” which all the modern editors have adopted, supposing the allusion, "he that shot so trim," was to the Adam Bell of the old ballad, to whom Shakspere has also alluded in 'Much Ado about Nothing:' "He that hits me, let him be clapped on the shoulder and called Adam." But the word "trim," which is the reading of the first quarto (the subsequent editions giving us "true"), is distinctly derived from 'The Ballad of King Cophetua and the Beggar-maid: ' "The blinded boy, that shoots so trim, From heaven down did hie, He drew a dart, and shot at him, In place where he did lie." With all submission to the opinion of Percy, who adopts the reading of Upton, we think that the change of Abraham into Adam was uncalled for. Abraham conveys another idea than that of Cupid's archery, which is strongly enough conveyed. The "Abraham" Cupid is the cheat-the Abraham man"-of our old statutes. 66 • The ape-an expression of kindly familiarity, applied to a young man. Humorous-dewy, vapourous. • There are two lines here omitted in the text of Steevens's edition, which Malone has restored to the text. The lines are gross,-but the grossness is obscure, and, if it were understood, could scarcely be called corrupting. We do not print the two lines of Shakspere, for they can only in But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks! It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she: Be not her maida, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady: O, it is my love: O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing; What of that? I am too bold, 't is not to me she speaks: See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, terest the verbal critic. But we distinctly record their omission. As far as we have been able to trace-and we have gone through the old editions with an especial reference to this matter-these two lines constitute the only passage in the original editions which has been omitted by modern editors. • Be not a votary to Diana,-the "Queen and huntress, chaste and fair," of Ben Jonson's beautiful hymn. She speaks: O speak again, bright angel! for thou art JUL. O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, ROM. Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? ROM. I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd; Henceforth I never will be Romeo. JUL. What man art thou, that, thus bescreen'd in night, So stumblest on my counsel? I know not how to tell thee who I am; Had I it written I would tear the word. JUL. My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words Of thy tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound; [Aside. Juliet places his personal qualities in opposition to what she thought evil of his family. • There is a confusion in the folio and (C), which Malone here appears to have put right, by making out a line with the aid of (4). The folio omits "O, be some other name." So (A). The folio and (C), word. So (C) and folio. (A), that. f The folio and (C), thy tongue's uttering; (A), that tongue's utterance. Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague? ROм. Neither, fair maida, if either thee dislike". ROM. With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; And what love can do, that dares love attempt; Than twenty of their swords; look thou but sweet, JUL. I would not for the world they saw thee here. Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. JUL. By whose direction found'st thou out this place? I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea, JUL. Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face; In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond; |