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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.

    worne out thy Pumpe, that when the single sole of it is worn
    the iest may remaine after the wearing solie singuler.
    Rom: O single soald iest solie singuler for the singlenes.
    Me: Come between vs good Benuolio, for my wits faile.
    Rom: Swits and spurres, swits & spurres, or Ile cry a match.
    Mer: Nay if thy wits runne the wildgoose chase, I haue
    1175done: for I am sure thou hast more of the goose in one of
    thy wits, than I haue in al my fiue: Was I with you there for
    the goose?
    Rom: Thou wert neuer with me for any thing, when
    thou wert not with me for the goose.
    1180Me: Ile bite thee by the eare for that iest.
    Rom: Nay good goose bite not.
    Mer:Why thy wit is a bitter sweeting, a most sharp sauce
    Rom: And was it not well seru'd in to a sweet goose?
    1185Mer: Oh heere is a witte of Cheuerell that stretcheth
    from an ynch narrow to an ell broad.
    Rom: I stretcht it out for the word broad, which added to
    the goose, proues thee faire and wide a broad goose.
    Mer: Why is not this better now than groning for loue?
    1190why now art thou sociable, now art thou thy selfe, nowe art
    thou what thou art, as wel by arte as nature. This driueling
    loue is like a great naturall, that runs vp and downe to hide
    his bable in a hole.
    Ben: Stop there.
    1195Me: Why thou wouldst haue me stopp my tale against
    the haire.
    Ben: Thou wouldst haue made thy tale too long?
    Mer: Tut man thou art deceiued, I meant to make it
    short, for I was come to the whole depth of my tale? and
    meant indeed to occupie the argument no longer.
    Rom: Heers goodly geare.

    1200Enter Nurse and her man.

    Mer: A saile, a saile, a saile.
    E2 Ben: Two