No better term than this, thou art a villain.- Mer. O calm, difhonourable, vile fubmiffion! Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk ? Tyb. What wouldst thou have with me? Mer. Good King of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal; and as you fhall ufe me hereafter, dry-beat the reft of the eight, Will you pluck your fword out of his pilche by the ears? Make hafte, left mine be about your ears * ere it be out. Tyb. I am for you. [Drawing. Rom. Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. Mer. Come, Sir, your paffado. [Mercutio and Tybalt fight. Rom. Draw, Benvolio-beat down their weaponsGentlemen-- -for fhame, forbear this outrage Tybalt-Mercutio-the Prince exprefly hath Forbidden bandying in Verona streets. Hold, Tybalt, good Mercutio. Mer. I am hurt [Exit Tybalt. A plague of both the houses! I am sped : Is he gone, and hath nothing? Ben. What, art thou hurt? Will you pluck your fword out of the Pilcher by the ears?] We should read Pilche, which fignifies a Cloke or a Coat of Skins, meaning the Scabbard. Warb. -Mer. Mer. Ay, ay, a feratch, a fcratch; marry, 'tis enough. Where is mypa ge? go, villain, fetch a furgeon. Rom. Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much. Mer. No, tis not fo deep as a well, nor fo wide as a church-door, but 'tis enough, 'twill ferve: ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am pepper'd, I warrant, for this world: a plague of both your houses! What? a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death? a braggart, a rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic? why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm. Rom. I thought all for the best. Mer. Help me into fome house, Benvolio, Or I fhall faint; a plague o' both your houfes! I have it, and fouudly too. Plague o' your houses! [Exeunt Mercutio and Benvolio. Rom. HIS Gentleman, the Prince's near allie, In my behalf; my reputation ftain'd Enter Benvolio. Ben. O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mecutio's dead; That gallant spirit hath aspir'd the clouds, Which too untimely here did fcorn the earth. Rom. This day's black fate on more days does de This but begins the woe, others must end. Enter Tybalt.. [pend; Ben. Here comes the furious Tybalt back again. Rom. Alive? in Triumph? and Mercutio flain? Away Away to heav'n, refpective lenity,.. Tyb. Thou wretched boy, that didft confort him here, Shalt with him hence,.. Rom. This hall determine that. Ben, Romeo, away, begone: [They fight, Tybalt falls. The citizens are up, and Tybalt flain Stand not amaz'd; the Prince will doom thee death, If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away. Cit. Rom. I am fortune's fool. W SCENE Enter Citizens. HICH way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he? Ben. There lies that Tybalt. Cit. Up, Sir, go with me: I charge thee in the Prince's name, obey, Enter Prince, Montague, Capulet, their Wives, &c. Prince. Where are the vile beginners of this fray Ben. O noble Prince, I can discover all Th' unlucky manage of this fatal brawl: There lies the man, flain by young Romeo, That flew thy kinfman, brave Mercutio. La. Cap. Tybalt my coufin! O my brother's child! Unhappy fight! alas, the blood is fpill'd Of my dear kinsman- -Prince, as thou art true, For blood of ours, fhed blood of Montague. Prince. Benvolio, who began this fray?, ? Ben. Ben. Tybalt here flain, whom Romeo's hand did flay: Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink How nice the quarrel was, and urg'd withal Your high difpleasure: all this uttered With gentle breath, calm look, knees humble bow'd, Could not take truce with the unruly spleen Of Tybalt, deaf to peace; but that he tilts With piercing fteel at bold Mercutio's breaft; Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point, And with a martial scorn, with one hand beats Cold death afide, and with the other fends It back to Tybalt, whofe dexterity Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud, Hold, friends! friends, part! and, fwifter than his tongue, His agil arm beats down their fatal points, And 'twixt them rufhes; underneath whose arm Of flout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled; La. Cap. He is a kinfman to the Montague. Prince. Romeo flew him, he flew Mercutio; friend; His fault concludes but what the law fhould end, Prince. Prince. And for that offence, Immediately we do exile him hence: I have an intereft in your heats' proceeding, I will be deaf to pleading and excuses, Nor tears nor prayers fhall purchase out abuses; [Exeunt. Changes to an Apartment in Capulet's Houfe. Jul. G ALLOP apace, you firey-footed steeds, As Phaeton, would whip you to the weft, And bring in cloudy night immediately. Hood my unmann'd blood baiting in my cheeks, Come, night, come, Romeo! come, thou day in night, Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-brow'd night! Give |