Page:Romeo and Juliet (Dowden).djvu/154

On the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand, And steal immortal blessing from her lips, Who, even in pure and vestal modesty, Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin; But Romeo may not; he is banished:40 This may flies do, when I from this must fly: They are free men, but I am banished: And say'st thou yet that exile is not death?[C 1][E 1] Hadst thou no poison mix'd, no sharp-ground knife, No sudden mean of death,[E 2] though ne'er so mean,45 But "banished" to kill me? "Banished"? O friar, the damned use that word in hell; Howling[E 3] attends[C 2] it: how hast thou the heart, Being a divine, a ghostly confessor, A sin-absolver, and my friend profess'd,50 To mangle me with that word "banished"?[C 3]

Fri.	Thou[C 4] fond[E 4] mad man, hear me a little speak.[C 5][E 5]

1. 40–43. But … death?] see note below.
2. 48. Howling attends] Q 1, Q; Howlings attends F.
3. 51. "banished"] Q, F; banishment Q 1.
4. 52. Thou] Q 1, Qq 4, 5; Then Q, F;
5. ⁠hear me a little speak] Q, heare me speake F, heare me but speake a word Q 1.

1. 40–43. But … death?] Q 1 has:
   ⁠"And steale immortall kisses from her lips;
   ⁠But Romeo may not, he is banished,
   ⁠Flies may doo this, but I from this must flye.
   ⁠Oh Father hadst thou no strong poyson mixt."
   Q places after line 39 of text lines 41, 43, 40, and then adds the line "Flies may," etc., of Q I, which is followed by 42 of the text. F gives only line 41 of the text, followed by 43, 40. Errors were made in printing a revision based on Q 1. See the note in Daniel's edition in explanation and defence of the arrangement in the text. For the various arrangements of editors, see Furness.
2. 45. mean of death] Shakespeare uses both the singular mean and the plural means.
3. 48. Howling] To howl is used by Shakespeare several times with special reference to the outcries of the damned, as in 2 Henry IV. II. iv. 374, and Hamlet, V. i. 265.
4. 52. fond] foolish.
5. 52. hear … speak] G. White justly remarks that, although most editors follow Q 1, "hear me but speak a word," the change seems plainly to have been made to avoid the unpleasant recurrence of word.