Romeo and Juliet. leg; and that he had mentioned fome other place for railing a spirit, than what he points at in the next speech-two paffages more unpardonably grofs than those hinted are scarce to be met; they call loudly for obliteration; it is not what fuch a man as Mercutio might probably speak we are to confider, but what is fit for readers to perufe, or spectators to hear. In the next scene Romeo, who has romantically leaped the garden wall of a known foe, without any leave or affignation from the lady, is by the poet's unlimited power brought to a fight of Juliet; who, by a happy effort of imagination, is made to reveal her love for Romeo, not fufpecting his prefence; her juftification of him from the quarrel of their families is fenfible and fanciful; nor do we know any thing better conceived than his sudden reply upon mentioning that his name is the only impediment to her wifhes and his own. The diffident turn of expreffion he uses on being charged with an abrupt approach is extremely beautiful, and Juliet's apprehenfion for his coming into fo hazardous a place very natural; indeed the whole scene is fo interestingly tender-that we think even a despairing old maid could not fee it without fome sympathy to trace all its beauties would force us into a tedious repetition of multiplied eulogiums. and leave us little to fay on the following parts of the piece; therefore let it fuffice to obferve that the lovers express mutual affection, and exchange their vows in a most becoming manner; the interruption VOL. I. A a by Romeo and Juliet. by nurse causes a fine agitation of fpirits, and difjointed eagerness of expreffion; if in such a glare of beauties, there be one more ftriking than another, it is that of Juliet's forgetting, or pretending to forget why the called Romeo back. Fryar Lawrence is introduced with a just degree of benign, moral dignity; and his fhort differtation on the contrafte qualities of particular herbs, which he aptly compares to thofe feeds of virtue and vice, which inhabit the human breaft, is not only beautiful, but pregnant with much folid fenfe and edifying truth; in nothing is providence more delightfully manifefted than in the vegetable world ; nor can any fubject lead fpeculation into a more captivating maze; the affimilation of grace and rude will, to poifon and medicine is nervously philofophical, luxuriantly instructive; having faid thus much in favour of the Fryar's fololoquy, we must lament, as abfolute fces to dramatic rhimes, the mode of verfification adopted, indeed the measure is not fo monotonous for a speaker, as jingle in general is, yet we apprehend blank verfe would fuit nature, the author's fentiments, and the performer's utterance much better, by way of encouraging fome abler pen to undertake fo defirable an alteration we diffidently fubmit what follows to candid taste. On frowning night the grey ey'd morning fmiles, Το Romeo and Juliet. To drink night's dews, and chear approaching day; With baleful weeds, and flowers of precious juice. Within the beauteous vegetable world! Nor is there ought which springs from earth fo vile, To parent earth: yet furely, mifapplied, Of this fresh blooming flow'r-death-pregnant poifon Being smelt it cheers with that sense every part ; But tafted, ftops th' arrested pulfe of life : That canker death with speed the plant destroys. What paffes between the Fryar and Romeo is fuitable and pleafing; we must be of opinion that the change of affection from Rofaline to Juliet is judiciously omitted, as it certainly ferved no purpofe but throwing an imputation upon Romeo's conftancy, which tainted, muft make him lefs the object of approbation and pity; there is a most commendable prudent paternal tenderness in the expreffions of Lawrence. Benvolio and Mercutio appear, ftill upon the hunt for Romeo, when the latter indulges his odd humours in as odd expreffions; his picture of Tibalt, who appears a man of mere fire and quarrel, feems Romeo and Juliet. not to bear a juft refemblance; bullies are for the moft part cowards, but very feldom coxcombs ; comparing Romeo to a dried herring wanting its roe is a very low pun, and moft pitiful quibbling conceit; the scene with nurfe and her fimpleton attendant, is an extraordinary jumble of matter contemptibly ludicrous; her meffage concerning Juliet has relation to the plot, but we wish it had been delivered in a more fuitable manner, than by this comic ambaffadrefs. As if what we complain of was not more than fufficiently farcical, ftage policy, to please the upper regions, generally prefents Peter as bearing an enormous fan before his mistress; skipping also and grinning like a baboon; the beating which he gets for not refenting Mercutio's raillery, is a very mean, pantomimical, yet fure motive of laughter. The impatience expreffed by Juliet to hear the confequence of her meffage is expreffed in lines charmingly poetical, without any violence to nature or ftrain of imagination; and the nurse's behaviour in what follows natural but we wifh fhe had not mentioned Romeo's climbing a bird's nest soon, nor that Juliet muft, bear the burden foon at night. In the next scene, where Juliet should have been allowed more time to appear, we find Fryar Law, rence has agreed to marry the young couple, and feems tenderly interested, but drops a very ungenerpus infinuation when he concludes the act thus by your leaves you fhall not stay alone, Till holy church incorporates two in one. Which conveys an idea of fufpicion without any caufe Romeo and Juliet. caufe, for the lovers don't hint at retirement, but feem impatient for his benediction. At the beginning of the third act we meet Mercutio again fraught with quaintnefs and quibble; his quarrel with Tibalt is such as might be expected from fuch blades, and taking Romeo's quarrel upon himself shews something of generofity; after receiv ing his death wound he utters a strange incoherent rhapfody, and fo much preferves uniformity that his death commonly proves a very laughable incident: it is reported as an expreffion of Shakespeare's that he was obliged to kill Mercutio in the third act, to fave himself; whatever he may have thought of the character or whatever has been thought fince, if he never had been brought to light in this play, though a fine effort of genius would have been waved, propriety must have been much better preserved; it may be faid lefs spirit would have been the confequence, we can't grant this, but Shakespeare's mufe on fuch a fubject could never have wanted more interesting matter. Romeo's engagement with Tibalt shews great fenfibility of friendship; we have heard him bear reflections, and of a fevere nature vented against himself with philofophic refolution, but, roufed by Mercutio's death, he takes revenge which occafions confequences. of a very serious nature, whence the plot takes an important turn. I remember to have heard an anecdote relative to the part of Tibalt, which, though trifling, I cannot omit; an itinerant barn-fpouting hero, who had ship ped too much beer aboard, performing it, forgot >that he was to be killed; and thereupon fought Romeo |