Page:William Hazlitt - Characters of Shakespear's Plays (1817).djvu/173

Rh O she doth teach the torches to burn bright; Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night, Like a rich jewel in an Æthiop's ear."

It would be hard to say which of the two garden scenes is the finest, that where he first converses with his love, or takes leave of her the morning after their marriage. Both are like a heaven upon earth: the blissful bowers of Paradise let down upon this lower world. We will give only one passage of these well known scenes to shew the perfect refinement and delicacy of Shakespear's conception of the female character. It is wonderful how Collins, who was a critic and a poet of great sensibility, should have encouraged the common error on this subject by saying—"But stronger Shakespear felt for man alone."

The passage we mean is Juliet's apology for her maiden boldness.

"Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face; Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night. Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny What I have spoke—but farewel compliment: Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say, ay, And I will take thee at thy word—Yet if thou swear'st, Thou may'st prove false; at lovers' perjuries They say Jove laughs. Oh gentle Romeo, If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully; Or if thou think I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,