Mon. Thou villain Capulet!—Hold me not, let me go.[47]
La. Mon. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.[48]
Enter Prince Escalus, with his train.
Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,—[49] 80
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands[50]
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,[51] 85
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,[52]
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens[53] 90
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,[54]
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,[55]
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:[55][56]
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. 95
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our farther pleasure in this case,[57]
To old Free-town, our common judgement-place. 100
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.[58]
[Exeunt all but Montague, Lady Montague, and Benvolio.
Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?[59]
Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
Ben. Here were the servants of your adversary
And yours close fighting ere I did approach: 105
I drew to part them: in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared;
Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head, and cut the winds,[60]
Who, nothing hurt withal, hiss'd him in scorn:[61] 110
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,[62]
Came more and more, and fought on part and part,
Till the prince came, who parted either part.[63]
La. Mon. O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day?[64]
Right glad I am he was not at this fray.[65] 115
Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun
Peer'd forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad:[66]
Where, underneath the grove of sycamore[67]
That westward rooteth from the city's side,[68] 120
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:
I, measuring his affections by my own,
Which then most sought where most might not be found,[69] 125
Being one too many by my weary self,[70]
Pursued my humour, not pursuing his,[71]
And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me.[72]
Mon. Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew,[73] 130
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs:[74]
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the farthest east begin to draw[75]
The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son, 135
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,[76]
Unless good counsel may the cause remove. 140