Shakspere, Personal RecollectionsJoyce, John A. (John Alexander)
General
Shakspere, Personal Recollections
Joyce, John A. (John Alexander)
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Fiction
_"The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light;
And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth day's pathway, made by Titan's wheels.
Now ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer, and night's dark dew to try,
I must fill up this osier cage of ours
With baleful needs and precious-juiced flowers.
The earth that's Nature's mother, is her tomb;
What is her burying grave, that is her womb;
And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find,
Many for many virtues excellent,
None, but for some, and yet all different;
O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones and their true qualities;
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live,
But to the earth some special good doth give;
Nor aught so good, but strained from that fair use,
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied
And vice sometimes by action dignified.
Within the infant rind of this small flower,
Poison hath residence and medicine power,
For, this being smelt, with that part cheers each part,
Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.
Two such opposed foes encamp them still
In man as well as herbs, grace and rude will,
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant!"_
Romeo implores the holy Friar:
_"Do thou but close our hands with holy words,
Then love devouring death do what he dare,
It is enough I may but call her mine!"_
Juliet addressing Romeo in the Friar's cell exclaims:
_"Imagination more rich in matter than in words,
Brags of his substance, not of ornament;
They are but beggars that can count their worth;
But my true love is grown to such excess,
I cannot sum up half my sum of wealth."_
The good old Friar then says:
_"Come, come with me and we will make short work;
For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone
Till holy church incorporate two in one!"_
Mercutio and Tybalt fight, in faction of the Capulet and Montague houses.
Mercutio is killed, and then Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from the
State by Prince Escalus.
Juliet awaits Romeo in her room the night after marriage, and with
passionate, impatient longing exclaims:
_"Give me my Romeo; and when he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so bright
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
O, I have bought the mansion of a love,
But not possessed it; and, though I am sold;
Not yet enjoyed; so tedious is this day,
As is the night before some festival
To an impatient child that hath new robes,
And may not wear them!"_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account