_Enter_ Prince, _attended_; MONTAGUE, CAPULET, _their_ Wives, _and others_. _Prin._ Where are the vile beginners of this fray?[802] _Ben._ O noble prince, I can discover all[803] The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl: There lies the man, slain by young Romeo, 140 That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.[804] _La. Cap._ Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child![805] O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt[806] Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true, For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague. 145 O cousin, cousin![807] _Prin._ Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?[808] _Ben._ Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay; Romeo that spoke him fair, bid him bethink[809] How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal 150 Your high displeasure: all this uttered With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd,[810] Could not take truce with the unruly spleen[811] Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts[812] With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast; 155 Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point, And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats Cold death aside, and with the other sends It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud,[813] 160 'Hold, friends! friends, part!' and, swifter than his tongue, His agile arm beats down their fatal points,[814] And 'twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled: 165 But by and by comes back to Romeo, Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,[815] And to't they go like lightning: for, ere I[816] Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain; And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly;[817] 170 This is the truth, or let Benvolio die. _La. Cap._ He is a kinsman to the Montague,[804][818] Affection makes him false, he speaks not true: Some twenty of them fought in this black strife, And all those twenty could but kill one life. 175 I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give; Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live. _Prin._ Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio; Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?[819] _Mon._ Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's friend;[820] 180 His fault concludes but what the law should end, The life of Tybalt.