I came to talk of Tell me, daughter Julier, Nurfe. An honour? were not I thine only nurse, Are made already mothers. By my count, Nurfe. A man, young lady, lady, such a man La. Cap. Verona's fummer hath not fuch a flower. This night you fhall behold him at our feast; And fee, how one another lends content: This precious book of love, this unbound lover, The fifh lives in the fea, and tis much pride, Nurfe. No lefs? Nay, bigger; women grow by men. (8) What fay you ? Can you like the gentleman ?] This fpeech of lady Capulet, tho' I cannot readily commend it, yet I could not conceive I had any authority to leave it out. I have refter'd many other paffages in this play, not of the best ftamp, but for the fame teafon. But But no more deep will I indart mine eye, Serv. Madam, the guests are come, fupper ferv'd up. You call'd, my young lady afk'd for, the nurse curft in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I muft hence to wait; I beseech you, follow ftrait. La Cap. We follow thee. Juliet, the County stays. Nunfe. Go, girl, feek happy nights to happy days. [Exeunt SCENE, a Street before Capulet's House. Enter Komeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or fix other maskers, torch-bearers, and drums. Rom. WHAT, thall this speech be spoke for our fhall we on without apology? [excufe? Fen. The date is out of fuch prolixity. Rom. Give me a torch, I am not for this ambling. Being but heavy, I will bear the light. Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Rom. Not I, believe me; you have dancing fhoes With nimble foles; I have a foul of lead, So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. Mer. You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings. And foar with them above a common bound. (9) Scaring the ladies like a cow-keeper.] I led Mr. Pope into this miftaken reading, which I once thought the true one, before I fully underflood the paffage But I have prov'd, that crow-keeper, which poffeffes all the old copies, is the genuine reading of the Poet, in my 49th note on King Lear. Rom Rom. I am too fore enpearced with his shaft, To foar with his light feathers: and fo bound, I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe : Under love's heavy burden do I fink. Mer. And to fink in it, fhould you burden love: Too great oppreffion for a tender thing! Rom. Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too rude, too boift'rous; and it pricks like thorn. Mer. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. Give me a cafe to put my vifage in; [Pulling off bis mafk. A vifor for a vifor! -what care I, What curious eye doth quote deformities? Ram. A torch for me. Let wantons, light of heart, I'll be a candle-holder, and look on. The game was ne'er fo fair, and I am done. Mer. Tut! dun's the mouse, the constable's own word; If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire ; Or, fave your reverence, love, wherein thou stick'ft Up to thine ears: come, we burn day-light, ho. Rom. Nay, that's not fo. -Mer. I mean, Sir, in delay We burn our lights by light, and lamps by day. Mer. Why, may one ask? Rom. I dreamt a dream to-night. Mer. And fo did I. Rom. Well; what was yours? Mer. That dreamers often lie. Rom.-Inbedafleep; while they do dream things true. Mer. Mer. O,then I fee, Queen Mabhath been with you. (10) She is the Fancy's midwife, and fhe comes In fhape no bigger than an agat stone (10) 0, then I fee, Queen Mab hath been with you: She is the fairies' midwife.] Thus begins that admirable speech upon the effects of the imagination in dreams. But, Queen Mab the fairies midwife? What is he then Queen of? Why, the fairies. What! and their midwife too? Sure, this is a wonderful condefcenfion in her Royal Highness. But this is not the greatest of the ab. furdities. The fairies' midwife? But let us fee upon what occafion she is introduced, and under what quality. Why, as a Being that has great power over human imaginations. But then according to the laws of common fenfe, if she has any title given her, must not that title have reference to the employment fhe is put upon? First, then, she is called Queen: which is very pertinent; for that designs her power: then she is called the fairies' midwife; but what has that to do with the point in hand? If we would think that Shakefpeare wrote fenfe, we must fay, he wrote- -the Fancy's midwife : and this is a title the most à propos in the world, as it introduces all that is faid afterwards of her vagaries. Befides, it exactly qua drates with these lines: -I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, These dreams are begot upon fantafie, and Mab is the midwife to bring them forth. And Fancy's midwife is a phrase altogether in the manner of our Author. Mr. Warburton. On courtiers' knees, that dream on curtfies ftrait: This is fhe Rom. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace; Thou talk'ft of nothing. Mer. True, I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain: (11) Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fatbom deep ;] As the generality of the terms coupled here, have a reference to the wars, fome ingenious perfons have conjectured that our Poet wrote; Of delves five fathoms deep;• i.e. Trenches; places delv'd, or dug down. But, with fubmiffion, I conceive the text to be fincere as it is; and alludes to drinking deep to a mistress's health. I find the like expreffion in Weftward boe, a comedy wrote in our Author's time. Troth, Sir, my mafter, and Sir Goflin are guzzling; they are dabbling together fathom deep. The knight has drunk fo much bealib to the gentleman yonder on his knees, that he hath almost loft the ufe of his legs. 7 Begot |