Rom. I do protest, I never injur'd thee, Mer. O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! 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 fword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out. Tyb. I am for you. [Drawing: Rom. Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. [Mercutio and Tybalt fight. Rom. Draw, Benvolio, -beat down their weaponsGentlemen-for shame, forbear this outrage Tybalt-Mercutio-the Prince expresly hath Forbidden bandying in Verona streets. Hold, Tybalt,good Mercutio. Mer. I am hurt [Exit Tybalt. A plague on both the houses! I am sped. Ben. What, art thou hurt? Mer. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough. Where is my page? go, villain, fetch a furgeon. Rom. Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much. Mer. No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor fo wide as a church-door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Afk for 9 Will you pluck your fword out of bis PILCHER by the ears?) We should read PILCHE, which fignifies a cloke or coat of skins, meaning the scabbard. WARBURTON. me me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am pepper'd, I warrant, for this world. A plague on 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 arithmetick? Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm. Rom. I thought all for the best. Mer. Help me into some house, Benvolio, I have it, and foundly too. Plague o' your houses! SCENE II. ! Rom. This Gentleman, the Prince's near allie, Enter Benvolio. Ben. O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead; Rom. This day's black fate on more days does depend; This but begins the woe, others must end. This day's black fate on more days does depend;] This day's unhappy destiny bangs over the days yet to come. There will yet be more mischief. Enter Enter Tybalt. Ben. Here comes the furious Tybalt back again. Away to heav'n, respective lenity, Tyb. Thou, wretched boy, that didst confort him here, Shalt with him hence. Rom. This shall determine that. [They fight, Tybalt falls. Ben. Romeo, away. Begone: The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain Stand not amaz'd. The Prince will doom thee death, If thou art taken. Hence. Begone. Rom. Oh! I am fortune's fool. Ben. Why dost thou stay ? SCENE III. Enter Citizens. Away. [Exit Romeo. Cit. Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio ? * Oh! I am fortune's fool.] I am always running in the way of evil fortune, like the fool in a VOL. VIII. play. Thou art death's fool: in Measure for Measure. See Dr. Warburton's Note. F Cit. Cit. Up, Sir. Go with me. Enter Prince, Montague, Capulet, their Wives, &c. Prin. Where are the vile beginners of this fray ? La. Cap. Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's Prince, child! O-coufin-husband-O-the blood is spill'd Of my dear kinsman. Prince, as thou art true, Prin. Benvolio, who began this fray? Ben. Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did flay; Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd, Hold, friends! friends, part! and, swifter than his tongue, His agile arm beats down their fatal points, La. Cap. He is a kinsman to the Montagues, Prin. Romeo flew him, he flew Mercutio; friend; His fault concludes but what the law should end, Prin. And for that offence, Immediately we do exile him hence : *I have an interest in your hearts' proceeding, My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a bleeding; $ Affection makes him false.] The charge of falshood on Bentivolis, though produced at hazard, is very just. The authour, who seems to intend the character of Bentivolio as good, meant perhaps to shew, how the best minds, in a state of faction and difcord, are detorted to criminal partiality. But 6 I have an interest in your hearts' proceeding,] Sir Th. Hanmer faw that this line gave no sense, and therefore put, by a very easy change, I have an interest in your beat's proceeding. Which is undoubtedly better than the old reading which Dr. Warburton has followed; but the fenfe F2 |