Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

Author: William Shakespeare

Editor: Roger Apfelbaum

Peer Reviewed

The most lamentable Tragedie

¶Alla stucatho carries it away,

¶Tibalt, you ratcatcher, will you walke?

¶Tib. What wouldst thou haue with me?

¶ M. Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine liues,

1510that I meane to make bold withall, and as you shall vse mee

¶hereafter drie beate the rest of the eight. Will you plucke your

¶sword out of his pilcher by the eares? Make haste, least mine be

¶about your eares ere it be out.

¶Tib. I am for you.

1515Rom. Gentle Mercutio, put thy Rapier vp.

¶Mer. Come sir, your Passado.

¶Rom. Draw Benuolio, beate downe their weapons,

¶Gentlemen, for shame forbeare this outrage,

¶Tibalt,Mercutio, the Prince expresly hath

1520Forbid this bandying in Verona streetes,

¶Hold Tybalt, good Mercutio.

Away Tybalt.

¶Mer. I am hurt.

¶A plague a both houses, I am sped,

1525Is he gone and hath nothing.

¶Ben. What art thou hurt?

¶Mer. I, I, a scratch, a scratch, marrie tis inough,

¶Where is my Page? go villaine, fetch a Surgion.

¶Ro. Courage man, the hurt cannot be much.

1530 Mer. No tis not so deepe as a well, nor so wide as a Church

¶doore, but tis inough, twill serue: aske for me to morrow, and you

¶shall finde me a graue man. I am peppered I warrant, for this

¶world, a plague a both your houses, sounds a dog, a rat, a mouse,

¶a cat, to scratch a man to death: a braggart, a rogue, a villaine,

1535that fights by the booke of arithmatick, why the deule came you

¶betweene vs? I was hurt vnder your arme.

¶Ro. I thought all for the best.

¶Mer. Helpe me into some house Benuolio,

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