Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Not Peer Reviewed

Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)

The excellent Tragedie

Rom: My Iuliet welcome. As doo waking eyes
1409.5(Cloasd in Nights mysts) attend the frolicke Day,
So Romeo hath expected Iuliet,
And thou art come.
Iul: I am (if I be Day)
Come to my Sunne: shine foorth, and make me faire.
1409.10Rom: All beauteous fairnes dwelleth in thine eyes.
Iul: Romeo from thine all brightnes doth arise.
Fr: Come wantons, come, the stealing houres do passe
Defer imbracements till some fitter time,
Part for a while, you shall not be alone,
1409.15Till holy Church haue ioynd ye both in one.
Rom: Lead holy Father, all delay seemes long.
Iul: Make hast, make hast, this lingring doth vs wrong.
Fr: O, soft and faire makes sweetest worke they say.
Hast is common hindrer in crosse way. Exeunt omnes.

Enter Benuolio, Mercutio.

Ben: I pree thee good Mercutio lets retire,
The day is hot, the Capels are abroad.
Mer: Thou art like one of those, that when hee comes
into the confines of a tauerne, claps me his rapier on the
boord, and sayes, God send me no need of thee: and by
the operation of the next cup of wine, he drawes it on the
1440drawer, when indeed there is no need.
Ben: Am I like such a one?
Mer: Go too, thou art as hot a Iacke being mooude,
and as soone mooude to be moodie, and as soone moodie to
be mooud.
1445Ben: And what too?
Mer: Nay, and there were two such, wee should haue
none shortly. Didst not thou fall out with a man for crack-
1450ing of nuts, hauing no other reason, but because thou hadst
hasill eyes? what eye but such an eye would haue pickt out
such a quarrell? With another for coughing, because hee
wakd