Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed

Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

of Romeo and Iuliet.
350But to reioyce in splendor of mine owne.
Enter Capulets Wife and Nurse.
Wife. Nurse wher's my daughter? call her forth to me.
Nurse. Now by my maidenhead, at twelue yeare old I bad her
come, what Lamb, what Ladie-bird, God forbid,
355Wheres this Girle? what Iuliet.
Enter Iuliet.
Iuliet. How now who calls?
Nur. Your mother.
Iuli. Madam I am here, what is your will?
360 Wife. This is the matter. Nurse giue leaue a while, we must talk
in secret. Nurse come backe againe, I haue remembred mee,
thou'se heare our counsel. Thou knowest my daughters of a pre-
tie age.
Nurse. Faith I can tell her age vnto an houre.
365Wife. Shee's not fourteene.
Nurse. Ile lay fourteene of my teeth, and yet to my teene be it
spoken, I haue but foure, shees not fourteene.
How long is it now to Lammas tide?
370Wife. A fortnight and odde dayes.
Nurse. Euen or odde, of all daies in the yeare come Lammas Eue at
night stal she be fourteen. 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 Lammas Eue at night shall she be fourteene, that shall
375shee marrie, I remember it well. Tis since the Earth-quake now
eleuen yeares, and she was weand I neuer shall forget it, of all the daies
of the yeare vpon that day: for I had then laide worme-wood to my
dug, sitting in the sun vnder the Doue-house wall. My Lord and
380you were then at Mantua, nay I doo beare a braine. But as I said,
when it did taste the worme-wood on the nipple of my dug, and
felt it bitter, pretie foole, to see it teachie and fall out with the Dugge.
Shake quoth the Doue-house, twas no need I trow to bid me trudge:
385and since that time it is a leuen yeares, for then she could stand hylone,
nay byth roode she could haue run and wadled all about: for euen
the day before she broke her brow, and then my husband, God be with
his