But my true love is grown to such excess,
I cannot sum up half my sum of wealth.
Fri. L. Come, come with me,

work;

and we will make short

For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone
Till holy church incorporate two in one.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Verona. A public place.

Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants. Ben. I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire: The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,

And if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

Mer. Thou art like one of those fellows that, when he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table, and says, "God send me no need of thee!" and, by the operation of the second cup, draws it on the drawer, when, indeed, there is no need.

Ben.

Am I like such a fellow?

Mer. Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy; and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.

Ben. And what to?

Mer. Nay, an there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more or a hair less in his beard than thou hast: thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes; what eye, but such an eye, would spy out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat; and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in the street, because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun: didst thou not fall out with a tailor

for wearing his new doublet before Easter? with another, for tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling!

Ben. An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter. Mer. The fee-simple! O simple!

Ben. By my head, here come the Capulets.
Mer. By my heel, I care not.

Enter TYBALT and others.

Tyb. Follow me close, for I will speak to them. Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.

Mer. And but one word with one of us? couple it with something; make it a word and a blow.

Tyb. You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me occasion.

Mer. Could you not take some occasion without giving? Tyb. Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,

Mer. Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!

Ben. We talk here in the public haunt of men: Either withdraw unto some private place,

And reason coldly of your grievances,

Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.

Mer. Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;

I will not budge for no man's pleasure, İ.
Tyb. Well, peace be with you, sir:

Enter ROMEO.

here comes my man

Mer. But I'll be hang'd, sir, if he wear your livery:
Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
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.

--

Rom. Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage

To such a greeting:

villain am I none:

Therefore farewell; 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:
And so, good Capulet,

-

which name I tender

As dearly as my own, be satisfied.

Mer. O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!

Alla stoccata carries it away.

Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

Tyb. What wouldst thou have with me?

[Draws.

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, mine be about your ears ere it be out.

Tyb. I am for you.

Rom. Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.

Mer. Come, sir, your passado.

lest

[Drawing.

[They fight.

Rom. Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.

Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!

Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath
Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:

Hold, Tybalt! - good Mercutio,

[Exeunt Tybalt and his Friends.

-

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 churchdoor; 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.

Rom. I thought all for the best.

Or I shall faint.

your

Mer. Help me into some house, Benvolio,
A plague o' both houses!
They have made worms'-meat of me: I have it,
And soundly too: — your houses!

[Exit, led by Benvolio and Servants.

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: O sweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,
And in my temper soften'd valour's steel!

Re-enter BENVOLIO.

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 depend;

This but begins the woe others must end.

Ben. Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
Rom. 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 gav'st 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.

Tyb. Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, Shalt with him hence.

This shall determine that.

[They fight; Tybalt falls.

Rom.

Ben. 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!

Rom. O, I am fortune's fool!

Ben.

Why dost thou stay?

[Exit Romeo.

Enter Citizens and Officers.

First Off. Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?

Ben. There lies that Tybalt.

First Off.

Up, sir, go with me;

I charge thee in the prince's name, obey.

Enter Prince, attended; MONTAGUE, Capulet, Lady Montague,
LADY CAPULET, and others.

Prin. 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, slain by young Romeo,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.

La. Cap. Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child! -
O prince! O husband!

Of

my

dear kinsman!

- O, the blood is spilt

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, bade him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urg'd withal
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