 | Romeo and Juliet |  |
SCENE II.
Manent Mountague and Benvolio.Moun.
Who set this antient 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 Tibalt, with his sword prepar'd,
Which as he breath'd defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head, and cut the winds.
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came more and more, and fought on part and part,
'Till the Prince came.
Moun.
O where is Romeo?
Right glad am I, he was not at this fray.
Ben.
My lord, an hour before the worshipp'd sun
Peep'd through the golden window of the East,
A troubled mind drew me to walk abroad;
Where underneath the grove of sycamour,
That westward rooteth from this city side,
So early walking did I see your son.
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And stole into the covert of the wood.
I measuring his affections by my own,
(That most are busied when they're most alone,)
Pursu'd my humour, not pursuing him,
And gladly shunn'd, who gladly fled from me.
Moun.
Many a morning hath he there been seen
With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew;
But all so soon as the all-chearing 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 day-light 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?
Moun.
I neither know it, nor can learn it of him.
Ben.
Have you importun'd him by any means?
Moun.
Both by myself and many other friends;
But he, his own affection's 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.
Ben.
So please you, Sir, Mercutio and myself
Are most near to him; be't that our years,
Statures, births, fortunes, studies, inclinations,
Measure the rule of his, I know not; but
Friendship still loves to sort him with his like.
We will attempt upon his privacy,
And could we learn from whence his sorrows grow,
We would as willingly give cure, as knowledge.
Moun.
'Twill bind us to you: good Benvolio, go.
Ben.
We'll know his grievance, or be hard denied.
[Exeunt severally.
| Romeo and Juliet | |