The sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
And in the taste confounds the appetite:
Therefore love moderately; long love doth so.
– William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 6. Friar Laurence uses the metaphor of "the sweetest honey" to advise Romeo to moderate his love for Juliet. The Friar is concerned about the intensity of the passions between the young lovers. Love will last long if it is practiced in moderation, he counsels. The Friar is endeavoring to be the wise older head and voice of reason to the teenage lovers. Despite his concerns, Friar Laurence agrees to marry the couple, hoping that their marriage will help heal the feud between their warring families.