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  • Title: Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)
  • Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
  • ISBN: 1-55058-299-2

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)

    of Romeo and Iuliet.

    350But to reioyce in splendor of mine owne.
    Enter Capulets wife and Nurce.
    Wife: Nurce wher's my daughter call her forth to
    mee.
    Nurce:Now by my maiden head at twelue yeare old I
    bad her come, what Lamb, what Ladie bird, God forbid.
    355Wher's this girle? what Iuliet. Enter Iuliet.
    Iuliet: How now who cals?
    Nurce:Your Mother.
    Iul: Madame I am here, what is your will?
    360W: This is the matter. Nurse giue leaue a while, we
    must talke in secret. Nurce come back again I haue re-
    membred me, thou'se heare our counsaile. Thou know
    est my daughters of a prettie age.
    Nurce:Faith I can tell her age vnto a houre.
    365Wife: Shee's not fourteene.
    Nnrce: Ile lay fourteene of my teeth, and yet to my
    teene be it spoken, I haue but foure, shee's not fourteene.
    How long is it now to Lammas-tide?
    370Wife: A fortnight and odde dayes.
    Nurce: Euen or odde, of all dayes in the yeare come
    Lammas Eue at night shall she be fourteene. Susan and she
    God rest all Christian soules were of an age. Well Susan is
    with God, she was too good for me: But as I said on Lam-
    375mas Eue at night shall she be fourteene, that shall shee ma-
    rie I remember it well. Tis since the Earth-quake nowe e-
    leauen yeares, and she was weand I neuer shall forget it, of
    all the daies of the yeare vpon that day: for I had then laid
    wormewood to my dug, sitting in the sun vnder the Doue-
    380housewall. My Lord and you were then at Mantua, nay I
    do beare a braine: But as I said, when it did tast the worm-
    wood on the nipple of my dug, & felt it bitter, pretty foole
    to