No better term than this, thou art a villain.-
Rom. Tybalt, the reafon that I have to love thee
Doth much excufe the appertaining rage
To fuch a Greeting: villain I am none.
Therefore, farewel; I fee, thou know'ft me not.
Tyb. Boy, this fhall not excufe the Injuries
That thou haft done me, therefore turn and draw.
Rom. I do proteft, I never injur'd thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devife ;
'Till thou shalt know the reafon of my love.
And fo, good Capulet, (whofe name I tender
As dearly as my own,) be fatisfied.

Mer. O calm, difhonourable, vile fubmiffion!
Ah la Stoccata carries it away.

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!
They have made worms-meat of me,

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
With Tybalt's flander; Tybalt, that an hour
Hath been my coufin: O fweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,
And in my temper foftned valour's fteel.

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,..
And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now!,
Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,
That late thou gav'ft me; for Mercutio's foul
Is but a little way above our heads,
Staying for thine to keep him company:
Or thou or I, or both, must go with him.36

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.
Ben. Why doft thou ftay?

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
An envious thruft from Tybalt hit the life

Of flout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,
And to't they go like lightning: for ere I
Could draw to part them, was fout Tybalt flain;
And as he fell, did Romeo turn to fly :
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

La. Cap. He is a kinfman to the Montague.
Affection makes him falfe, he speaks not true.
Some twenty of them fought in this black ftrife,
And all thofe twenty could but kill one life.
I beg for juftice, which thou, Prince, must give;
Romeo flew Tybalt, Romeo muft not live.

Prince. Romeo flew him, he flew Mercutio;
Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?
La. Mont. Not Romeo, Prince, he was Mercutio's

friend;

His fault concludes but what the law fhould end,
The life of Tybalt.

Prince.

Prince. And for that offence,

Immediately we do exile him hence:

I have an intereft in your heats' proceeding,
My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a bleeding;
But I'll amerce you with fo ftrange a fine,
That you fhall all repent the lofs of mine.

I will be deaf to pleading and excuses,

Nor tears nor prayers fhall purchase out abuses;
Therefore ufe none; let Romeo hence in hafte,
Elfe, when he's found, that hour is his laft.
Bear hence this body, and attend our will:
Mercy but murders, pardoning thofe that kill.

[Exeunt.

Changes to an Apartment in Capulet's Houfe.
Enter Juliet alone.

Jul. G

ALLOP apace, you firey-footed steeds,
Tow'rds Phabus' manfion;fuch a waggoner,

As Phaeton, would whip you to the weft,

And bring in cloudy night immediately.
Spread thy clofe curtain, love performing Night,
That th' Run-away's eyes may wink; and Romeo
Leap to thefe arms, untalk'd of and unseen.
Lovers can fee to do their am'rous rites
By their own beauties: or, if love be blind,
It beft agrees with night. Come, civil night,
Thou fober-fuited matron, all in black,
And learn me how to lose a winning match,
Play'd for a pair of stainless maidenheads.

Hood my unmann'd blood baiting in my cheeks,
With thy black mantle; 'till ftrange love, grown bold,
Thinks true love acted, fimple modefty.

Come, night, come, Romeo! come, thou day in night,
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night,
Whiter than, fnow upon a raven's back:

Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-brow'd

night!

Give