The Sources of the Story Mr. George Brandes, the Danish Shakespearean scholar, in his troduction to "Romeo and Juliet" in Heinemann's "Favourite Classies" (6d. each), says that the story was an old one. Ib is to be found in a novel by Masuccio of Salerno, published in 1476, Luigi da Porta probably made use of it in 1330, and after him Bandello with his tale, and upon it an Eng lish writer ' founded a play of "Romeo and Juliet" which seems to have been popular in its day—before 1562. This particular play has been lost, "Tue Tracica, History."
An English poet, Arthur Brooke, found in Bandello's 'Novella' the matter for a poem: "The tragically Historye of Romeus and Juliet, written first in Italian by Bandell and now in English by Ar, Br." Upon the poem "which resembles the narrative style of a clever child," Shakespeare founded his play.' In the poem the two leading characters, Friar Laurence, Mer-curio, Tybalt, the Nurse, and the Apothecary says M._ Brandes, "were ready to his hand in faint outlines. Romeo's fancy for another woman immediately before he meets Juliet is also here set forth at length; and the action as a whole follows the same course as in the tragedy"
Here, more than anywhere else, hat Shakespeare shown in all its intensity the dual action of an absorbing love in filling the soul with gradness to the point into xi ion, and at the same time with despair at the very idea of parting.
Modern critics in Germany and Sweden are agreed in regarding it as a purely sensual pasier., by no means admirable—nay, essentially reprehensible. They insist that there is a total absence of maidenly modesty in Juliet's manner of feeling, thinking, speaking and acting. She does not really know Romeo, they say; is there anything more, then, in this urbashful love than the attrac: tion of mere bodily beauty?
As if it were possible thus to analyze and discriminate!. Tt is no love of the head that Juliet feels for Romeo Tt is based upon instinct, the infallible instinct of the child of nature, ard it is in her, as it is in him, a libra: tion of the whole being in longing and desire, a quivering of all its chords, from the jest to the lowest, so intense that neither he nor she can tell where body ends ard soul begins, Tae Best Ever PENnep.
Mr. Brandes gives the following as the most exquisite words of love ever penned With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls For stony limits cannot hold love out. or 1 is my soul that calls upon my name How silver-sweet sounds lovers? tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears!
Shakespeare's every word "is steeped in sensuous—spiritual ecstasy."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.