Your light growes darke by loosing of your eyes.
26 lines✦
f course Berowne is a fearful euphuist, too; he only surpasses theothers m self-knowledge and eloquence, and when he is converted toplain speaking, when he rationalizes all their vow breaking with anappeal against affectation and for experience, his author is as usual inthis play both serious and not serious. Shakespeare’s position, asagainst Chapman’s, is a genuine one, but his heart is not in polemic.He might have used Berowne’s words to Chapman. I haue for barbarisme spoke moreThen for that Angell knowledge you can say . . . Shakespeare’s playful, imperturbable superiority must sometimes havegalled more dogmatic intellectuals. He was interested in creating anexquisite love comedy. His wit rather than his heart is everywhere, I think, in LoversLabours Losty except in the revised portions. The first dramaticlabour ever fully to engage Shakespeare’s heart was his next. Here, Isuppose, most readers would identify the author with his hero, ifanyone, and Mercutio. But among the most personal lines in the playseem to be some unnecessary lines of old Capulet, who has indeedalready just welcomed his guests and will shortly welcome themagain. Welcome gentlemen, I haue scene the dayThat I haue worne a visor and could tellA whispering tale in a faire Ladies eare; Such as would please: tis gone, tis gone, tis gone. A moment later among meaningless chat we hear, for no reason, ofsomebody unidentified and indifferent:
✦