Ben. Part, fools!

[Beating down their weapons. Put up your swords; you know not what you do.

Enter TYBAlt.

Tyb. What! art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Ben. I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me.

Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the

word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.

Have at thee, coward.

[They fight. Enter several Persons of both Houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs.

I Cit. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat

them down!

Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!

Enter CAPULET, in his gown.

Cap. What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!

Enter MONTAGUE and Lady Montague.

Mon. Thou villain Capulet!-Hold me not; let me go.

Enter PRINCE, with his Train.

Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,-
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.-
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,

Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens

Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,

To wield old partisans, in hands as old,

Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate :
If ever you disturb our streets again,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away;

You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
[Exeunt PRINCE and Attendants; CAPULET,
Lady CAPULET, TYBALT, Citizens, and
Servants.

Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach ?—
Speak, nephew,—were you by, when it began?
Ben. Here were the servants of your adversary
And yours close fighting ere I did approach:
I drew to part them; in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared.
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came more and more, and fought on part and part,
Till the prince came, who parted either part.

La. Mon. O, where is Romeo? saw you him today?

Right glad I am he was not at this fray.

Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun Peered forth the golden window of the east, A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad; Where, underneath the grove of sycamore That westward rooteth from the city's side, So early walking did I see your son: Towards him I made; but he was ware of me, And stole into the covert of the wood.

Mon. Many a morning hath he there been seen, With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew, Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs: But all so soon as the all-cheering sun Should in the farthest east begin to draw

The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out,
And makes himself an artificial night:

Black and portentous must this humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the cause? Mon. I neither know it, nor can learn of him. Ben. Have you importuned him by any means? Mon. Both by myself and many other friends: But he, his own affections' counsellor,

Is to himself I will not say how true

But to himself so secret and so close,

So far from sounding and discovery,

As is the bud bit with an envious worm

Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,

Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.

Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, We would as willingly give cure as know.

Enter ROMEO, at a distance.

Ben. See, where he comes: so please you, step

aside,

I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.

Mon. I would thou wert so happy by thy stay, To hear true shrift.-Come, madam, let's away. [Exeunt MONTAGUE and Lady.

Ben. Good morrow, cousin.
Rom.

Ben. But new struck nine.
Rom.

Is the day so young?

Ay me! sad hours seem long.

Was that my father that went hence so fast?

Ben. It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's

hours?

Rom. Not having that which having makes them

short.