Scene. I.—
1. [The flattering truth.] This is apparently = that which bears the flattering semblance of truth. It has perplexed some of the critics, but their emendations do not better it. For flattering in the sense of illusive, cf. ii. 2. 141. Some have wondered that S. here makes the presentiment a hopeful one; but as a writer in the Cornhill Magazine (October, 1866) remarks, the presentiment was true, but Romeo did not trust it. Had he done so, his fate would not have been so tragic.
3. [My bosom's lord.] That is, my heart; not Love, or Cupid, as some would make it. Lines 3-5 seem to me only a highly poetical description of the strange new cheerfulness and hopefulness he feels—a reaction from his former depression which is like his dream of rising from the dead an emperor.
10. [Ah me!] See on Ay me! ii. 1. 10 above. It may be a misprint for "Ay me!" here.
12. [Balthasar.] Always accented by S. on the first syllable. The name occurs in C. of E., Much Ado, and M. of V.
17. [She is well.] See on iv. 5. 72 above.
18. [Capel's.] The early eds. have "Capels"; the modern ones generally "Capels'." The singular seems better here, on account of the omission of the article; but the plural in v. 3. 127: "the Capels' monument." S. uses this abbreviation only twice. Brooke uses Capel and Capulet indiscriminately. See quotation in note on i. 1. 28 above.
21. [Presently.] Immediately; the usual meaning in S. Cf. iv. 1. 54 and 95 above.
27. [Patience.] A trisyllable, as in v. 3. 221 and 261 below.
29. [Misadventure.] Mischance, misfortune; used by S. only here and in v. 3. 188 below. Misadventured occurs only in prol. 7 above.
36. [In.] Into; as often. Cf. v. 3. 34 below.
37. [I do remember,] etc. Joseph Warton objects to the detailed description here as "improperly put into the mouth of a person agitated with such passion." "But," as Knight remarks, "the mind once made up, it took a perverse pleasure in going over every circumstance that had suggested the means of mischief. All other thoughts had passed out of Romeo's mind. He had nothing left but to die; and everything connected with the means of death was seized upon by his imagination with an energy that could only find relief in words. S. has exhibited the same knowledge of nature in his sad and solemn poem of R. of L., where the injured wife, having resolved to wipe out her stain by death,
"'calls to mind where hangs a piece
Of skilful painting, made for Priam's Troy.'
She sees in that painting some fancied resemblance to her own position, and spends the heavy hours till her husband arrives in its contemplation." See R. of L. 1366 fol. and 1496 fol.
39. [Overwhelming.] Overhanging. Cf. V. and A. 183: "His lowering brows o'erwhelming his fair sight." See also Hen. V. iii. 1. 11. For weeds = garments, see M.N.D. ii. 2. 71, etc.
40. [Simples.] Medicinal herbs. Cf. R. of L. 530, Ham. iv. 7. 145, etc.
43. [An alligator stuff'd.] This was a regular part of the furniture of an apothecary's shop in the time of S. Nash, in his Have With You, etc., 1596, refers to "an apothecary's crocodile or dried alligator." Steevens says that he has met with the alligator, tortoise, etc., hanging up in the shop of an ancient apothecary at Limehouse, as well as in places more remote from the metropolis. In Dutch art, as Fairholt remarks, these marine monsters often appear in representations of apothecaries' shops.
45. [A beggarly account,] etc. Cf. Brooke's poem:—
"And seeking long (alac too soone) the thing he sought, he founde.
An Apothecary sate vnbusied at his doore,
Whom by his heauy countenaunce he gessed to be poore.
And in his shop he saw his boxes were but fewe,
And in his window (of his wares) there was so small a shew,
Wherfore our Romeus assuredly hath thought,
What by no frendship could be got, with money should be bought;
For nedy lacke is lyke the poore man to compell
To sell that which the cities lawe forbiddeth him to sell.
Then by the hand he drew the nedy man apart,
And with the sight of glittring gold inflamed hath his hart:
Take fiftie crownes of gold (quoth he) I geue them thee.
* * * * * * *
Fayre syr (quoth he) be sure this is the speeding gere,
And more there is then you shall nede for halfe of that is there
Will serue, I vnder take, in lesse than halfe an howre
To kill the strongest man aliue; such is the poysons power."
51. [Present.] Immediate; as in iv. 1. 61 above. Cf. presently in 21 above. Secret poisoning became so common in Europe in the 16th century that laws against the sale of poisons were made in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and other countries. Knight says: "There is no such law in our own statute-book; and the circumstance is a remarkable exemplification of the difference between English and Continental manners." But that this practice of poisoning prevailed to a considerable extent in England in the olden time is evident from the fact that in the 21st year of the reign of Henry VIII. an act was passed declaring the employment of secret poisons to be high-treason, and sentencing those who were found guilty of it to be boiled to death.
60. [Soon-speeding gear.] Quick-despatching stuff. Cf. the extract from Brooke just above. For gear, see ii. 4. 97 above.
64. [As violently,] etc. See on ii. 6. 9 above.
67. [Any he.] Cf. A. Y. L. iii. 2. 414: "that unfortunate he;" 3 Hen. VI. i. 1. 46: "The proudest he;" Id. ii. 2. 97: "Or any he the proudest of thy sort," etc. Utters them = literally, sends them out, or lets them go from his possession; hence, sells them. Cf. L. L. L. ii. 1. 16 and W. T. iv. 4. 330.
70. [Starveth.] That is, look out hungrily; a bold but not un-Shakespearian expression, for which Otway's "stareth" (adopted by some editors) is a poor substitution. See on i. 1. 216 above; and for the inflection, on prol. 8.