Internet Shakespeare Editions

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