What lady's that which doth enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?
O she doth teach the torches to burn bright;
Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night,
Like a rich jewel in an Aethiop'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
show the perfect refinement and delicacy of Shakespeare'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 Shakespeare
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 farewell compliment:
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say, aye,
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.
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