Enter (8) CHORUS. Now old Defire doth on his death-bed lie, And young Affection gapes to be his heir; Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again, To breathe fuch vows as lovers use to swear; ACT II. CAN [Exit Chorus. SCENEL The STREET. Enter Romeo alone. ROMEO. AN I go forward when my heart is here? Enter Benvolio, with Mercutio.. Ben. Romeo, my coufin Romeo. [Exit And, on my life, hath stol'n him home to bed. (8) CHORUS.] This chorus added since the last edition. PORE. Chorus. The use of this chorus is not easily discovered, it conduces nothing to the progress of the play, but relates what is already known, or what the next scenes will shew; and relates it without adding the improvement of any moral fentiment. Mer. Mer. Nay, I'll conjure too. That in thy likeness thou appear to us.. (9)- (Venus) purblind fon and beir, Young Adam Cupid, be that foot so true When King Cophetua lov'd the beggar-maid.] As the commenta-tors are agreed that Cupid is here called Adam, in allufion to the famous archer Adam Bell, the hero of many an ancient ballad: So I believe, I can refer you to the Ballad of King Copbetua, &c. In the first of the 3 vols. 12mo. (Lond. Edit.) p. 141. is an old fong of a king's falling in love with a beggar-maid, which I take to be the very ballad in question, altho' the name of the king is no longer found in it, which will be no objection, to any one who has compared old copies of ballads with those now extant. The third stanza begins thus: "The blinded boy that shoots so trim, "Did to his closet window steal, "And drew a dart and shot at him, " And made him foon his power feel," &c. I should rather read as in Shakespeare, The purblind boy. If this is the song alluded to by Shakespeare, these should seem to be the very lines he had in his eye; and therefore I should fuppose the lines in Romeo and Juliet, &c. were originally, 66 Her purblind fon and heir, "Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so trim, "When, &c. This word trim, the first editors, consulting the general sense of the passage, and not perceiving the allusion, would naturally alter to true: yet the former seems the more humourous expreffion, and on account of its quaintness, more likely to have been used by the droll Mercutio. Mr. PERCY. * Merc. Young Abraham Cupid, be that shot so true,] I ra ther think that Shakespeare wrote, "Young Adam Cupid." Alluding to the famous archer Adam Bell. B5 Dr. GRAY. Ben. Ben. An' if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. To raife a spirit in his mistress' circle, Ben. Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be conforted with the hum'rous night. Blind is his love, and best befits the dark. Mer. If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he fit under a medlar-tree, And with his mistress were that kind of fruit, Which maids call medlars, when they laugh alone. Romeo, good-night; I'll to my truckle-bed, This field-bed is too cold for me to fleep: Come, shall we go? Ben. Go, then, for 'tis in vain To feek him here that means not to be found. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Changes to Capulet's Garden. (1) He jests at scars, that never felt a wound But, soft! what light thro' yonder window breaks ? It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun! [Juliet appears above, at a window. Arife, fair Sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already fick and pale with grief, That thou, her maid, art far more fair than fhe. (2) Be not her maid, fince she is envious; Her vestal livery is but fick and green, And none but fools do wear it; cast it off(3) It is my Lady; O! it is my Love; O that she knew the were! She speaks, yet she says nothing; what of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks : (1) He jests at fears,] That is, Mercutio jests, whom he overheard. (2) Be not ber maid,] Be not a votary to the moon, to Diana. (3) It is my lady ;) This line and half I have replaced. Two ? Two of the fairest stars of all the heav'n, Jul. Ah me! Rom. She speaks. (4) Oh, speak again, bright angel! for thou art Jul. O Romeo, Romeo-wherefore art thou Romeo? And I'll no longer be a Capulet. Rom. Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? Jul. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy: (6) Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. [Afide, (4) O, speak again, bright Angel! for thou art As glorious to this night,] Tho' all the printed copies concur in this reading, yet the latter part of the Simile seems to require, As glorious to this Sight and therefore I have ventured to alter the text so. THEOBALD. (5)the lazy-pacing clouds,] Thus corrected from the first edition, in the other lazy-puffing. POPE. (6) Thou art thyself, though not a Montague,] i. e. you would be just what you are, altho' you were not of the house of Mon tague. WARBURTON.. I think the true reading is, Thou art thyself, then not a Montague. Thou art a being of peculiar excellence, ard haft none of the malignity of the family, from which thou haft thy name. Hanmer reads, Thou'rt not thyself fo, though a Montague. What's What's Montague? it is not hand, nor foot, Rom. I take thee at thy word: Jul. What man art thou, that thus, befcreen'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 Saint, is hateful to myfelf, Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word. Jul. My cars have yet not drunk a hundred words Of that tongue's uttering, yet I know the found. Rom. Neither, fair Saint, if either thee dislike. Jul. How cam'st thou hither, tell me, and where fore? The orchard-walls are high, and hard to climb; If any of my kinsmen find thee here. Rom. With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls, For ftony limits cannot hold love out; Jul. If they do fee thee, they will murder thee. Jul. I would not for the world, they saw thee here. Rom. I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, And but thou love me, let them find me here; My |