Internet Shakespeare Editions

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Not Peer Reviewed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