Your worship, in that sense, may call him-man.

Tyb. Romeo, the hate I bear thee, can afford
No better term than this—Thou art a villain. 61

Rom. Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting :-Villain I am none;
Therefore, farewel; I see, thou know'st me not.

Tyb. Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me; therefore turn, and draw.

Rom. I. do protest, I never injur'd thee ;
But love thee better than thou canst devise,
'Till thou shalt know the reason of my love : 70
And so, good Capulet,--which name I tender
As dearly as my own,-be satisfied.

Mer. O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
A 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 shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears ? make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.

88 Tyb. I am for you.

[Drawing.
Rom. Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
Mer. Come, sir, your passado. [They fight.

Rom. Draw, Benvolio ;
Beat down their weapons :- Gentlemen, for shame
Forbear this outrage ;-Tybalt--Mercutio

The

The prince expressly hath forbid this bandying
In Verona streets :-hold, Tybalt ;-good Mercutio.

[Exit TYBALT. Mer. I am hurt ;

92 A plague o' both the houses !-I am sped: Is he gone, and hath nothing?

Ben. What, art thou hurt?
Mer. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch ; marry, 'tis

enough.-
Where is my page ?-go, villain, fetch a surgeon.

[Exit Page. Rom. Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

Mer. No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for me to-morrow,

and you shall find me a grave man. I am pepper'd, I warrant, for this world :-A plague o'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 arithme. tick! Why, the devil, came you between us ? I was hurt under your arm?

106 Rom. I thought all for the best,

Mer. Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or I shall faint.- A plague o' both your houses !
They have made worm's meat of me:
I have it, and soundly too :-Your houses!

Exeunt MERCUTIo, and BENVOLIO.
Rom. This gentleman, the prince's near ally,
My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf; my reputation stain'd

With Tybalt's slander, Tybalt, that an hour
Hath been my kinsman : sweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,
And in my temper soften’d valour's steel.

Re-enter BENVOLIO.

120

Ben. O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead; That gallant spirit hath aspir'd the clouds, Which too untimely here did scorn the earth. Rom. This day's black fate on more days doth de

pend; This but begins the woe, others must end.

Re-enter TYBALT.

Ben. Here comes the furious Tybalt back again. 2: Rom. · Alive! in triumph! and Mercutio slain ! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now ! Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again, That late. thon gav'st me; for Mercutio's soul Is but a little way above our heads,

130 Staying for thine to keep him company; Or thou, or:1, or both, shall follow him. Tyb. Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him

here, Shalt with him hence. Rom. This shall determine that.

They fight, TYBALT falls. Ben. Romeo, away, be gone ! The citizens are-up, and Tybalt slain :

Stand

Stand not amaz’d :-the prince will doon, thee death,
If thou art taken :-hence !-be gone !-away!
Rom, O! I am fortune's fool !

140 Ben. Why dost thou stay?

Exit Romeo,

Enter Citizens, &c.
Cit. Which 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,

3c.

150

Prin. Where are the vile beginners of this fray?

Ben. O noble prince, I can discover all
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
La. Cap. Tybalt, my cousin !-O my brother's

child !
O prince!-0 husband!-O, the blood is spill’d
Of my dear kinsman !- Prince, as thou art true,
For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.-
O cousin, cousin !

Prin. Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?
Ben. Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did

slay;
Romeo that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urg'd withal

G

Your

160

a

Your high displeasure: all this uttered
With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly

bow'd,
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen.
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast;
Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside, and with the other sends
It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
Retorts it : Romeo he cries aloud,

170 Hold, friends! friends, part! and, swifter than his

tongue,
His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
And 'twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt nied;
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,
And to't they go like lightning ; for, ere Į
Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain ;
And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly:
This is the truth, or let Benyolio die.

La. Cap.. He is a kinsman to the Montague,
Affection makes him false, he speaks not true ;
Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
And all those twenty could but kill one life :
I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give;
Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live,
Prin. Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio ;

Who

180