S, Th The first. these stone can perceive reason for Juliet's wish for a cloudy night; yeɩ, au this construction of the passage, the grammar is not ve to be discovered. Whoever attentively reads over speech will be inclined to think, or even to be altoget fied, that the whole tenor of it is optative. With respect ing night a run-away, one might surely ask how it ca be so termed in an abstract point of view? Is it a gre tive than the morning, the noon, or the evening? Mr. wink That run-aways eyes may in an Discussions of commentators on this which Mr F.&. Funin word rem away, (the academy march 21.1874) clea up as a word "used in Elizabelt, James time as o's equivalent witt os cunagate of? gadabout, pries ingebridizer that Iulich alludes to this by citations from supperating Agraves dictionary. 1611. Julish the simply inooker night to shield be and her lover from the sight of and roaming ragabond than Berner who might be in the way, talk about it afterwards. --- wʊse that kill 17. [Exeunt. 16 The charge of falsehood on Benvolio, though produced at hazard, is very just. The author, who seems to intend the character of Benvolio as good, meant perhaps to show how the best minds, in a state of faction and discord, are distorted to criminal partiality.'-Johnson. 17 See a maxim of Judge Hales, cited in vol. ii. p. 35, note 8. SCENE II. A Room in Capulet's House. Enter JULIET. Jul. Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds 1, The sentiment here enforced is different from that found in the first edition, 1597. There the Prince concludes his speech with these words: Pity shall dwell, and govern with us still; Mercy to all but murderers,-pardoning none that kill.' 1 The poet probably remembered Marlowe's King Edward II. which was performed before 1593 :- "Gallop apace, bright Phoebus, through the skie, And duskie night in rusty iron car; Between you both, shorten the time, I pray, That I may see that most desired day.' There is also a passage in Barnabe Riche's Farewell to the Militarie Profession, 1583, which bears some resemblance to this. 2 Here ends this speech in the original quarto. The rest of the scene has likewise received considerable alterations and additions. 3 A great deal of ingenious criticism has been bestowed in endeavouring to ascertain the meaning of this expression. Dr. Warburton thought that the run-away in question was the sun; but Mr. Heath has most completely disproved this opinion. Mr. Steevens considers the passage as extremely elliptical, and regards the night as the run-away; making Juliet wish that its eyes, the stars, might retire, to prevent discovery. Mr. Justice Blackstone can perceive nothing optative in the lines, but simply a reason for Juliet's wish for a cloudy night; yet, according to this construction of the passage, the grammar is not very easily to be discovered. Whoever attentively reads over Juliet's speech will be inclined to think, or even to be altogether satisfied, that the whole tenor of it is optative. With respect to the calling night a run-away, one might surely ask how it can possibly be so termed in an abstract point of view? Is it a greater fugitive than the morning, the noon, or the evening? Mr. Steevens Leap to these arms, untalk'd of, and unseen !- And learn me how to lose a winning match, Come, night!-Come, Romeo! come, thou day in night! For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night lays great stress on Shakspeare's having before called the night a run-away in The Merchant of Venice: For the close night doth play the run-away.' But there it was already far advanced, and might therefore with great propriety be said to play the run-away; here it was not begun. The same remark will apply to the passage cited from the Fair Maid of the Exchange. Where then is this run-away to be found? or can it be Juliet herself? She who had just been secretly married to the enemy of her parents might with some propriety be termed a run-away from her duty; but she had not abandoned her native pudency. She therefore invokes the night to veil those rites which she was about to perform, and to bring her Romeo to her arms in darkness and silence. The lines that immediately follow may be thought to favour this interpretation; and the whole scene may possibly bring to the reader's recollection an interesting part in the beautiful story of Cupid and Psyche.-Douce. 4 So in Marlowe's Hero and Leandér: Milton, in his Comus, might have been indebted to Shakspeare:'Virtue can see to do what virtue would By her own radiant light, though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk.' 5 Civil is grave, solemn. 6 These are terms of falconry. An unmanned hawk is one that is not brought to endure company. Bating is fluttering or beating the wings as striving to fly away. Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-brow'd night7, Give me my Romeo: and, when he shall die, And he will make the face of heaven so fine, To an impatient child, that hath new robes, Enter Nurse, with Cords. And she brings news: and every tongue, that speaks But Romeo's name, speaks heavenly eloquence.Now, nurse, what news? What hast thou there, the cords, That Romeo bade thee fetch? Nurse. Ay, ay, the cords. [Throws them down. Jul. Ah me! what news! why dost thou wring thy hands? Nurse. Ah well-a-day! he's dead, he's dead, he's dead! We are undone, lady, we are undone ! Alack the day!—he's gone, he's kill'd, he's dead! Jul. Can heaven be so envious? Nurse. Romeo can, 7 'Why here walk I, in the black brow of night.' King John. 8 Milton had this speech in his thoughts when he wrote Il Penseroso: Hide me from day's garish eye.' Hence also Till civil-suited morn appear.' glittering. Garish is gaudy, |