The characters are identified by IDREF pointing to information in
the following declarations.
Character descriptions: Shakespeare, Williams, Quarto: An Excellent conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet, (Cambridge: Trinity College, 1597).
The languages (other than English) which occur in the text are identified by idREF which point to the following
GRegorie, of my word Ile carrie no coales.
No, for if you doo, you should be a Collier.
If I be in choler, Ile draw.
Euer while you liue, drawe your necke out of the
the collar.
I strike quickly being moou'd.
I, but you are not quickly moou'd to strike.
A Dog of the house of the Mountagues moues me.
To mooue is to stirre, and to bee valiant is to stand
to it: therefore (of my word) if thou be mooud thou't
runne away.
There's not a man of them I meete, but Ile take
the wall of.
That shewes thee a weakling, for the weakest goes
to the wall.
Thats true, therefore Ile thrust the men from the
wall, and thrust the maids to the walls: nay, thou shalt
see I am a tall peece of flesh.
Tis well thou art not fish, for if thou wert thou
wouldst be but poore Iohn.
Ile play the tyrant, Ile first begin with the maids, &
off with their heads.
The heads of the maids?
I the heades of their Maides, or the Maidenheades,
take it in what sence thou wilt.
Nay let them take it in sence that feele it, but heere
comes two of the Mountagues.
Nay feare not me I warrant thee.
I feare them no more than thee, but draw.
Nay let vs haue the law on our side, let them begin
first. Ile tell thee what Ile doo, as I goe by ile bite my
thumbe, which is disgrace enough if they suffer it.
Content, goe thou by and bite thy thumbe, and ile
come after and frowne.
Doo you bite your thumbe at vs?
I bite my thumbe.
I but i'st at vs?
I bite my thumbe, is the law on our side?
No.
I bite my thumbe.
I but i'st at vs?
Say I, here comes my Masters kinsman.
Seeke them out whose names are written here,
and yet I knowe not who are written here: I must to
the learned to learne of them, that's as much to say, as
the Taylor must meddle with his Laste, the Shoomaker
with his needle, the Painter with his nets, and the Fisher
with his Pensill, I must to the learned.
Godgigoden, I pray sir can you read,
Perhaps you haue learned it without booke:
but I pray can you read any thing you see?
Yee say honestly, rest you merrie.
Vp.
To our house.
My Masters.
Now il'e tell you without asking. My Master is
the great rich Capulet, and if you be not of the house of
Mountagues, I pray come and crush a cup of wine. Rest
you merrie.
Ile lay fourteene of my teeth, and yet to my
teene be it spoken, I haue but foure, shee's not fourteene.
How long is it now to Lammas-tide?
Maddam you are cald for, supper is readie,
the Nurce curst in the Pantrie, all thinges in extreamitie,
make hast for I must be gone to waite.
Call, nay Ile coniure too.
Romeo, madman, humors, passion, liuer, appeare thou in
likenes of a sigh: speek but one rime & I am satisfied, cry
but ay me. Pronounce but Loue and Doue, speake to
my gossip Venus one faire word, one nickname for her
purblinde sonne and heire young Abraham: Cupid hee
that shot so trim when young King Cophetua loued the
begger wench. Hee heares me not. I coniure thee by
Rosalindes bright eye, high forehead, and scarlet lip, her
prettie foote, straight leg, and quiuering thigh, and the
demaines that there adiacent lie , that in thy likenesse
thou appeare to vs.
Tut this cannot anger him, marrie if one shuld
raise a spirit in his Mistris circle of some strange fashion,
making it there to stand till she had laid it, and coniurde
it downe, that were some spite. My inuocation is faire
and honest, and in his Mistris name I coniure onely but
to raise vp him.
Why whats become of Romeo? came he not
home to night?
I, anie man that can write may answere a letter.
Nay, he will answere the letters master if hee bee
challenged.
Who, Romeo? why he is alreadie dead: stabd
with a white wenches blacke eye, shot thorough the eare
with a loue song, the verie pinne of his heart cleft with the
blinde bow-boyes but-shaft. And is he a man to encounter
Tybalt?
Why what is Tybalt?
More than the prince of cattes I can tell you. Oh
he is the couragious captaine of complements. Catso, he
fightes as you sing pricke-song , keepes time dystance and
proportion, rests me his minum rest one two and the thirde
in your bosome, the very butcher of a silken button, a Duel list a Duellist, a gentleman of the very first house of the first
and second cause, ah the immortall Passado, the Punto reuerso, the Hay.
The what?
The Poxe of such limping antique affecting fantasticoes these new tuners of accents. By Iesu a very good
blade, a very tall man, a very good whoore. Why graund sir is not this a miserable case that we should be stil afflicted
with these strange flies: these fashionmongers, these pardonmees, that stand so much on the new forme, that they
cannot sitte at ease on the old bench. Oh their bones, theyr
bones.
Heere comes Romeo.
Without his Roe, like a dryed Hering. O flesh flesh
how art thou fishified. Sirra now is he for the numbers that
Petrarch flowd in : Laura to his Lady was but a kitchin
drudg, yet she had a better loue to berime her: Dido a dowdy Cleopatra a Gypsie, Hero and Hellen hildings and harletries: Thisbie a gray eye or so, but not to the purpose. Signior
Romeo
stop: yee gaue vs the counterfeit fairely yesternight.
What counterfeit I pray you?
The slip the slip, can you not conceiue?
I cry you mercy my busines was great, and in such
a case as mine, a man may straine curtesie.
Oh thats as much to say as such a case as yours wil
constraine a man to bow in the hams.
A most curteous exposition.
Why I am the very pinke of curtesie.
Pinke for flower?
Right.
Then is my Pumpe well flour'd:
Well said, follow me nowe that iest till thou hast
worne out thy Pumpe, that when the single sole of it is worn
the iest may remaine after the wearing solie singuler.
O single soald iest solie singuler for the singlenes.
Come between vs good Benuolio, for my wits faile.
Swits and spurres, swits & spurres, or Ile cry a match.
Nay if thy wits runne the wildgoose chase, I haue
done: for I am sure thou hast more of the goose in one of
thy wits, than I haue in al my fiue: Was I with you there for
the goose?
Thou wert neuer with me for any thing, when
thou wert not with me for the goose.
Ile bite thee by the eare for that iest.
Nay good goose bite not.
Why thy wit is a bitter sweeting, a most sharp sauce
And was it not well seru'd in to a sweet goose?
Oh heere is a witte of Cheuerell that stretcheth
from an ynch narrow to an ell broad.
I stretcht it out for the word broad, which added to
the goose, proues thee faire and wide a broad goose.
Why is not this better now than groning for loue?
why now art thou sociable, now art thou thy selfe, nowe art
thou what thou art, as wel by arte as nature. This driueling
loue is like a great naturall, that runs vp and downe to hide
his bable in a hole.
Stop there.
Why thou wouldst haue me stopp my tale against
the haire.
Thou wouldst haue made thy tale too long?
Tut man thou art deceiued, I meant to make it
short, for I was come to the whole depth of my tale? and
meant indeed to occupie the argument no longer.
Heers goodly geare.
A saile, a saile, a saile.
Two, two, a shirt and a smocke.
Peter, pree thee giue me my fan.
Pree thee doo good Peter, to hide her face: for
her fanne is the fairer of the two.
God ye goodmorrow Gentlemen.
God ye good den faire Gentlewoman.
Is it godye gooden I pray you.
Tis no lesse I assure you, for the baudie hand of
the diall is euen now vpon the pricke of noone.
Fie, what a man is this?
A Gentleman Nurse, that God hath made for
himselfe to marre.
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?
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.
Well said.
Yea, is the worst well? mas well noted, wisely, wisely.
If you be he sir, I desire some conference with ye.
O, belike she meanes to inuite him to supper.
So ho. A baud, a baud, a baud.
Why what hast found man?
No hare sir, vnlesse it be a hare in a lenten pye,
that is somewhat stale and hoare ere it be eaten.
He walkes by them, and sings.
And an olde hare hore, and an olde hare hore
is verie good meate in Lent:
But a hare thats hoare is too much for a score,
if it hore ere it be spent.
Youl come to your fathers to supper?
I will.
Farewell ancient Ladie, farewell sweete Ladie.
Marry farewell. Pray what saucie merchant was
this that was so full of his roperipe?
A gentleman Nurse that loues to heare himselfe
talke, and will speake more in an houre than hee will stand
to in a month.
If hee stand to anie thing against mee, Ile take
him downe if he were lustier than he is: if I cannot take him
downe, Ile finde them that shall: I am none of his flurt gills, I am none of his skaines mates.
And thou like a knaue must stand by, and see euerie Iacke
vse me at his pleasure.
I see no bodie vse you at his pleasure, if I had, I
would soone haue drawen: you know my toole is as soone
out as anothers if I see time and place.
Now afore God he hath so vext me, that euerie
member about me quivers: scuruie Iacke. But as I said, my
Ladie bad me seeke ye out, and what shee bad me tell yee,
that Ile keepe to my selfe: but if you should lead her into a
fooles paradice as they saye, it were a verie grosse kinde of
behauiour as they say, for the Gentlewoman is yong. Now
if you should deale doubly with her, it were verie weake
dealing, and not to be offered to anie Gentlewoman.
Nurse, commend me to thy Ladie, tell her I protest.
Goodheart: yfaith Ile tell her so: oh she will be
a ioyfull woman.
That you doo protest: which (as I take it) is a
Gentlemanlike proffer.
No, not a penie truly.
Well, to morrow morning she shall not faile.
Peter, take my fanne, and goe before.
Romeo, nay, alas you cannot chuse a man. Hees
no bodie, he is not the Flower of curtesie, he is not a proper
man: and for a hand, and a foote, and a baudie, wel go thy
way wench, thou hast it ifaith, Lord, Lord, how my head
beates?
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
drawer, when indeed there is no need.
Am I like such a one?
Go too, thou art as hot a Iacke being mooude,
and as soone mooude to be moodie, and as soone moodie to
be mooud.
And what too?
Nay, and there were two such, wee should haue
none shortly. Didst not thou fall out with a man for cracking 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 thy dogge that laye a sleepe in the Sunne ? With a
Taylor for wearing his new dublet before Easter: and
with another for tying his new shoes with olde ribands.
And yet thou wilt forbid me of quarrelling.
By my head heere comes a Capolet.
By my heele I care not.
But one word with one of vs? You had best couple
it with somewhat,and make it a word and a blow.
I am apt enough to that if I have occasion.
Could you not take occasion?
Consort Zwounes consort? the slave wil make fidlers of vs. If you doe sirra, look for nothing but discord: For
heeres my fiddle-sticke.
Nothing King of Cates, but borrow one of your
nine liues, therefore come drawe your rapier out of your
scabard, least mine be about your eares ere you be aware.
Stay Tibalt, hould Mercutio: Benuolio beate
downe their weapons.
Is he gone, hath hee nothing? A poxe on your
houses.
Noe not so deepe as a Well, nor so wide as a
barne doore, but it will serue I warrant. What meant you to
come betweene vs? I was hurt vnder your arme.
I did all for the best.
A poxe of your houses, I am fairely drest. Sirra
goe fetch me a Surgeon.
I goe my Lord.
I am pepperd for this world, I am sped yfaith, he
hath made wormes meate of me, & ye aske for me to morrow you shall finde me a graue-man. A poxe of your houses,
I shall be fairely mounted vpon foure mens shoulders: For
your house of the Mountegues and the Capolets: and then
some peasantly rogue, some Sexton, some base slave shall
write my Epitapth, that Tybalt came and broke the Princes
Lawes, and Mercutio was slaine for the first and second
cause. Wher's the Surgeon?
Hee's come sir.
Now heele keepe a mumbling in my guts on the
other side, come Benuolio, lend me thy hand: a poxe of your
houses.
Wher's he that slue Mercutio, Tybalt that villaine?
Ah Nurse what comfort? what counsell canst thou
giue me.
Heere forsooth.
I warrant you Sir, let me alone for that, Ile knowe
them by licking their fingers.
Ah Sir, tis an ill Cooke cannot licke his owne fingers.
I by my troth Mistresse is it, it had need be mended.
Alack alack what shal I doe, come Fidlers play me
some mery dumpe.
A sir, this is no time to play.
You will not then?
No marry will wee.
Then will I giue it you, and soundly to.
What will you giue vs?
The fidler, Ile re you, Ile fa you Ile sol you.
If you re vs and fa vs, we will note you.
I will put vp my Iron dagger, and beate you with
my wodden wit. Come on Simon found Pot, Ile pose you,
Lets heare.
When griping griefe the heart doth wound,
And dolefull dumps the minde oppresse:
Then musique with her siluer sound,
Why siluer sound? Why siluer sound?
I thinke because musicke hath a sweet sound.
Pretie, what say you Mathew minikine?
I thinke because Musitions sound for siluer.
Prettie too: come, what say you?
I say nothing.
I thinke so, Ile speake for you because you are the
Singer. I saye Siluer sound, because such Fellowes as you
haue sildome Golde for sounding. Farewell Fidlers, farewell.
Farewell and be hangd: come lets goe.
Hold take you this, and put it in anie liquid thing
you will, and it will serue had you the liues of twenty men.
I will my Lord.