Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Not Peer Reviewed

Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)

The excellent Tragedie

Ben: Two, two, a shirt and a smocke.
Nur: Peter, pree thee giue me my fan.
Mer: Pree thee doo good Peter, to hide her face: for
her fanne is the fairer of the two.
Nur: God ye goodmorrow Gentlemen.
1210Mer: God ye good den faire Gentlewoman.
Nur: Is it godye gooden I pray you.
Mer: Tis no lesse I assure you, for the baudie hand of
the diall is euen now vpon the pricke of noone.
Nur: Fie, what a man is this?
1215Rom: A Gentleman Nurse, that God hath made for
himselfe to marre.
Nur: By my troth well said : for himselfe to marre
quoth he? I pray you can anie of you tell where one maie
finde yong Romeo?
1220Rom: I can : but yong Romeo will bee elder when you
haue found him, than he was when you sought him, I am
the yongest of that name for fault of a worse.
Nur: Well said.
Mer: Yea, is the worst well? mas well noted, wise-
1225ly, wisely.
Nu: If you be he sir, I desire some conference with ye.
Ben: O, belike she meanes to inuite him to supper.
Mer: So ho. A baud, a baud, a baud.
1230Rom: Why what hast found man?
Mer: No hare sir, vnlesse it be a hare in a lenten pye,
that is somewhat stale and hoare ere it be eaten.
1232.1He walkes by them, and sings.
And an olde hare hore, and an olde hare hore
is verie good meate in Lent:
1235But a hare thats hoare is too much for a score,
if it hore ere it be spent.
Youl come to your fathers to supper?
Rom: I will.
1240Mer: Farewell ancient Ladie,farewell sweete Ladie.
Exeunt Benuolio, Mercutio.
Nurs: