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  • Title: Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)
  • 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
    Peer Reviewed

    Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

    of Romeo and Iuliet.
    Ro. O single solde ieast, solie singular for the singlenesse.
    Mer. Come betweene vs good Benuolio, my wits faints.
    Ro. Swits and spurs, swits and spurres, or ile crie a match.
    Mer. Nay, if our wits run the wildgoose chase, I am done:
    1175For thou hast more of the wildgoose in one of thy wits, then I
    am sure I haue in my whole fiue. Was I with you there for the
    goose?
    Ro. Thou wast neuer with me for any thing, when thou wast
    not there for the goose.
    1180Mer. I will bite thee by the eare for that ieast.
    Rom. Nay good goose bite not.
    Mer. Thy wit is very bitter sweeting, it is a most sharp sawce.
    Rom. And is it not then well seru'd in to a sweete goose?
    1185 Mer. Oh heres a wit of Cheuerell, that stretches from an
    ynch narrow, to an ell broad.
    Ro. I stretch it out for that word broad, which added to the
    goose, proues thee farre and wide a broad goose.
    Mer. Why is not this better now then groning for loue, now
    1190art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo: now art thou what thou
    art, by art as well as by nature, for this driueling loue is like a
    great naturall that runs lolling vp and downe to hide his bable
    in a hole.
    Ben. Stop there, stop there.
    1195 Mer. Thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the haire.
    Ben. Thou wouldst else haue made thy tale large.
    Mer. O thou art deceiu'd; I would haue made it short, for I
    was come to the whole depth of my tale, and meant indeed to
    occupie the argument no longer.
    Ro. Heeres goodly geare. Enter Nurse and her man.
    A sayle, a sayle.
    Mer. Two two, a shert and a smocke.
    Nur. Peter:
    1205Peter. Anon.
    Nur. My fan Peter.
    Mer. Good Peter to hide her face, for her fans the fairer face.
    Nur. God ye goodmorrow Gentlemen.
    E 3 Mer. God