Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/306

[ 290 ] “ Take him and cut him out into little tars, “ And he will make the face of heaven o fine, “ That all the world hall be in love with night, “ And pay no worhip to the garih un.” Romeo and Juliet.

Mr. Steevens in his obervations on Romeo and Juliet has quoted thee lines from Daniel’s Complaint of Roamond: “ And nought-repecting death (the lat of paines) “ Plac'd his pale colours (th’ enign of his might) “ Upon his new-got poil, &c.” So in Romeo and Juliet, Act V. Sc. iii. “ Beauty’s enign yet “ Is crimon in thy lips, and in thy cheeks, “ And death’s pale flag is not advanced there.” That Shakepeare imitated Daniel, or was imitated by him, there can, I think, be little doubt. The early appearance of The Complaint of Roamond, (which is commended by Nahe, in a tract entitled Pierce PennileSS undefinede his Supplication, &c. 1592,) eems to authorize the former opinion. From a peech of the Nure in this play, which contains thee words–“ It is now ince the earthquake eleven years, &c.” Mr. Tyrwhitt conjectures, that Romeo and Juliet, or at leat part ot it, was written in 1591; the novels from which Shakpeare may be uppoed to have drawn his tory, not mentioning any uch circumtance; while, on the other hand, there actually was an earthquake in England on the 6th of April, 1580, which he might here have had in view .—It is not without great ditrut of my own opinion that I expres my diSS undefinedent from a gentleman, to whoe judgment the highet repect is due; but, I own, this argument does not appear to me concluive. It eems extremely improbable, that Shakpeare, when he was writing this tragedy, hould have adverted, with uch preciion, to the date of an earthquake that had been felt in his youth; unles we uppoe him to have entertained o trange and incongruous a thought, as to wih to peruade his audience, that the events which 6