First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter one Citizen at one doore, and another at the | Enter one Citizen at one door, and another at the | | R3 II.iii.1.1 | |
| other. | other | | R3 II.iii.1.2 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| Cit. Good morrow Neighbour, whether away so fast? | Good morrow, neighbour. Whither away so fast? | morrow (n.) morning | R3 II.iii.1 | |
| 2. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
| Cit. I promise you, I scarsely know my selfe: | I promise you, I scarcely know myself. | promise (v.)assure, declare [to], tell plainly | R3 II.iii.2 | |
| Heare you the newes abroad? | Hear you the news abroad? | | R3 II.iii.3.1 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| Yes, that the King is dead. | Yes, that the King is dead. | | R3 II.iii.3.2 | |
| 2. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
| Ill newes byrlady, seldome comes the better: | Ill news, by'r Lady – seldom comes the better. | ill (adj.)bad, adverse, unfavourable | R3 II.iii.4 | |
| I feare, I feare, 'twill proue a giddy world. | I fear, I fear 'twill prove a giddy world. | giddy (adj.)mad, crazy, insane | R3 II.iii.5 | |
| Enter another Citizen. | Enter another Citizen | | R3 II.iii.6 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Neighbours, God speed. | Neighbours, God speed! | | R3 II.iii.6.1 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| Giue you good morrow sir. | Give you good morrow, sir. | | R3 II.iii.6.2 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Doth the newes hold of good king Edwards death? | Doth the news hold of good King Edward's death? | | R3 II.iii.7 | |
| 2. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
| I sir, it is too true, God helpe the while. | Ay, sir, it is too true. God help the while! | | R3 II.iii.8 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Then Masters looke to see a troublous world. | Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. | troublous (adj.)troubled, disturbed, confused | R3 II.iii.9 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| No, no, by Gods good grace, his Son shall reigne. | No, no! By God's good grace his son shall reign. | | R3 II.iii.10 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Woe to that Land that's gouern'd by a Childe. | Woe to that land that's governed by a child! | | R3 II.iii.11 | |
| 2. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
| In him there is a hope of Gouernment, | In him there is a hope of government, | | R3 II.iii.12 | |
| Which in his nonage, counsell vnder him, | Which, in his nonage, council under him, | nonage (n.)minority, period of legal infancy | R3 II.iii.13 | |
| And in his full and ripened yeares, himselfe | And, in his full and ripened years, himself, | | R3 II.iii.14 | |
| No doubt shall then, and till then gouerne well. | No doubt shall then, and till then, govern well. | | R3 II.iii.15 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| So stood the State, when Henry the sixt | So stood the state when Henry the Sixth | | R3 II.iii.16 | |
| Was crown'd in Paris, but at nine months old. | Was crowned in Paris but at nine months old. | | R3 II.iii.17 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Stood the State so? No, no, good friends, God wot | Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot! | wot (v.)learn, know, be told | R3 II.iii.18 | |
| For then this Land was famously enrich'd | For then this land was famously enriched | famously (adv.)gloriously, with renown | R3 II.iii.19 | |
| With politike graue Counsell; then the King | With politic grave counsel; then the King | politic (adj.)prudent, cautious, discreet, shrewd | R3 II.iii.20 | |
| Had vertuous Vnkles to protect his Grace. | Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace. | | R3 II.iii.21 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| Why so hath this, both by his Father and Mother. | Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother. | | R3 II.iii.22 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Better it were they all came by his Father: | Better it were they all came by his father, | | R3 II.iii.23 | |
| Or by his Father there were none at all: | Or by his father there were none at all; | | R3 II.iii.24 | |
| For emulation, who shall now be neerest, | For emulation who shall now be nearest | emulation (n.)ambitious rivalry, contention, conflict | R3 II.iii.25 | |
| | near (adj.)close to the throne [in order of succession], near relation | | |
| Will touch vs all too neere, if God preuent not. | Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not. | near (adv.)closely, intimately, seriously | R3 II.iii.26 | |
| | touch (v.)wound, hurt, injure | | |
| O full of danger is the Duke of Glouster, | O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester, | | R3 II.iii.27 | |
| And the Queenes Sons, and Brothers, haught and proud: | And the Queen's sons and brothers haught and proud; | haught (adj.)haughty, arrogant, high and mighty | R3 II.iii.28 | |
| And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule, | And were they to be ruled, and not to rule, | | R3 II.iii.29 | |
| This sickly Land, might solace as before. | This sickly land might solace as before. | solace (v.)take comfort, be happy, cheer [oneself] | R3 II.iii.30 | |
| 1. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
| Come, come, we feare the worst: all will be well. | Come, come, we fear the worst. All shall be well. | | R3 II.iii.31 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| When Clouds are seen, wisemen put on their clokes; | When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks; | | R3 II.iii.32 | |
| When great leaues fall, then Winter is at hand; | When great leaves fall, the winter is at hand; | | R3 II.iii.33 | |
| When the Sun sets, who doth not looke for night? | When the sun sets, who doth not look for night? | | R3 II.iii.34 | |
| Vntimely stormes, makes men expect a Dearth: | Untimely storms makes men expect a dearth. | untimely (adj.)premature, coming before its time | R3 II.iii.35 | |
| All may be well; but if God sort it so, | All may be well; but if God sort it so, | sort (v.)choose, find, arrange | R3 II.iii.36 | |
| 'Tis more then we deserue, or I expect. | 'Tis more than we deserve or I expect. | | R3 II.iii.37 | |
| 2. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
| Truly, the hearts of men are full of feare: | Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear; | | R3 II.iii.38 | |
| You cannot reason (almost) with a man, | You cannot reason almost with a man | reason (v.)talk, speak, converse | R3 II.iii.39 | |
| That lookes not heauily, and full of dread. | That looks not heavily and full of dread. | heavily (adv.)sorrowfully, sadly, gloomily | R3 II.iii.40 | |
| 3. | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| Before the dayes of Change, still is it so, | Before the days of change, still is it so. | | R3 II.iii.41 | |
| By a diuine instinct, mens mindes mistrust | By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust | | R3 II.iii.42 | |
| Pursuing danger: as by proofe we see | Ensuing danger; as by proof we see | proof (n.)experience, actual practice, tried knowledge | R3 II.iii.43 | |
| The Water swell before a boyst'rous storme: | The water swell before a boisterous storm. | boisterous (adj.)tumultuous, violent, tempestuous | R3 II.iii.44 | |
| But leaue it all to God. Whither away? | But leave it all to God. Whither away? | | R3 II.iii.45 | |
| 2 | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
| Marry we were sent for to the Iustices. | Marry, we were sent for to the justices. | marry (int.)[exclamation] by Mary | R3 II.iii.46 | |
| 3 | THIRD CITIZEN | | | |
| And so was I: Ile beare you company. | And so was I. I'll bear you company. | | R3 II.iii.47 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | R3 II.iii.47 | |