Romeo. Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.-- Gentlemen, for shame! forbear this outrage!-- Tybalt,--Mercutio,--the prince expressly hath Forbid this bandying in Verona streets.-- Hold, Tybalt!--good Mercutio!-- [Exeunt Tybalt with his Partizans.]
Mercutio. I am hurt;-- A plague o' both your houses!--I am sped.-- Is he gone, and hath nothing?
Benvolio. What, art thou hurt?
Mercutio. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.-- Where is my page?--go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
[Exit Page.]
Romeo. Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
Mercutio. 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 peppered, I warrant, for this world.--A plague o' both your houses!--Zounds, 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.
Romeo. I thought all for the best.
Mercutio. Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall faint.--A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me: I have it, and soundly too.--Your houses!
[Exit Mercutio and Benvolio.]
Romeo. 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.--O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate And in my temper soften'd valour's steel.
[Re-enter Benvolio.]
Benvolio. O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead! That gallant spirit hath aspir'd the clouds, Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.
Romeo. This day's black fate on more days doth depend; This but begins the woe others must end.
Benvolio. Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
Romeo. Alive in triumph! and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven respective lenity, And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now!--
[Re-enter Tybalt.]
Now, Tybalt, take the 'villain' back again That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.
Tybalt. Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, Shalt with him hence.
Romeo. This shall determine that.
[They fight; Tybalt falls.]
Benvolio. Romeo, away, be gone! The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.-- Stand not amaz'd. The prince will doom thee death If thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away!
Romeo. O, I am fortune's fool!
Benvolio. Why dost thou stay?
[Exit Romeo.]
[Enter Citizens, &c.]
1 Citizen. Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?
Benvolio. There lies that Tybalt.
1 Citizen. Up, sir, go with me; I charge thee in the prince's name obey.
[Enter Prince, attended; Montague, Capulet, their Wives, and others.]
Prince. Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
Benvolio. 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.
Lady Capulet. Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child!-- O prince!--O 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!
Prince. Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?
