O, she knew well
Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.
– William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 3. Friar Laurence tells Romeo why he was unsuccessful in wooing Rosaline. She knew that he had no understanding of what love means and merely acted like he was in love. Learning to "read by rote" means that Romeo was like a child memorizing a story by having it repeated to them many times.