at last she concludedith a sigh, thou wast the properest man in Italy. Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said, she cared not. D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, D. Pedro. But when shall we set the savage bull's horns on the sensible Benedick's head? Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Be-matter: and, masters, do not forget to specify, when nedick, the married man? Bene. Fare you well, boy; you know my mind; I will leave you now to your gossip-like humour; you break jests, as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thanked, hurt not.-My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you:I must discontinue your company:your brother, the bastard, is fled from Messina: you have, among you, killed a sweet and innocent lady; for my lord Lackbeard,there,he and I shall meet;and till then, peace be with him! [Exit Benedick, D. Pedro. He is in earnest. Claud. In most profound earnest; and, I'll warrant you, for the love of Beatrice. D. Pedro. And hath challenged thee? D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to such a man. D. Pedro. But, soft you, let be; pluck up, my heart, and be sad! Did he not say, my brother was fled? Dogb. Come, you, sir; if justice cannot tame you, she shall ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance: nay, an you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must be look ed to. D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one! time and place shall serve, that I am an ass! Re-enter LEONATO and ANTONIO, with the Sexton. I Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord! D. Pedro.Officers, what offence have these men done? Dogb. Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves. D. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence;sixth and lastly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge. Mine innocent child? Bora. Yea, even I alone. Leon. No, not so, villain; thou bely'st thyself; Claud. Rightly reasoned, and in his own division; and, by my troth, there's one meaning well suited. D. Pedro. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? This learned constable is too cunning to be understood. What's your offence? D. Pedro. By my soul, nor I; I Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, I Claud. O, noble sir, Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me! Bora. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer; do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought Bora. No, by my soul, she was not; to light; who, in the night, overheard me confessing Nor knew not what she did, when she spoke to me; to this man, how Don John, your brother, incensed me But always hath been just and virtuous, to slander the lady Hero; how you were brought into In any thing that I do know by her. the orchard, and saw me court Margaret in Hero's gar- Dogb. Moreover, sir, (which, indeed, is not under ments; how you disgraced her, when you should white and black,) this plaintiff here, the offender, did marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which call me ass : I beseech you, let it be remembered in his I had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to punishment! And also, the watch heard them talk of my shame: the lady is dead upon mine and my mas-one Deformed: they say, he wears a key in his ear, ter's false accusation; and, briefly, I desire nothing and a lock hanging by it; and borrows money in God's name; the which he hath used so long, and never paid, but the reward of a villain. that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend no- Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner, and I Bene. O, stay but till then! Beat. Then, is spoken; fare you well now!—and yet, ere I go, let me go with that I came for, which is, with knowing what hath passed between you and Claudio. Bene. Only foul words;and thereupon I will kiss thee. Beat. Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed. Bene. Thou hast frighted the word out of his right sense, so forcible is thy wit: but I must tell thee plainDogb. Ileave an arrant knave with your worship; ly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I which, I beseech your worship, to correct yourself, must shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a for the example of others. God keep your worship; I coward. And, I pray thee now, tell me, for which of wish your worship well; God restore you to health; I my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? humbly give you leave to depart ; and if a a merry meet- Beat. For them altogether; which maintained so ing may be wished, God prohibit it!- Come, neigh-politic a state of evil, that they will not admit any [Exeunt Dogberry, Verges, andWatch. good part to intermingle with them. But for which of Leon. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell! my good parts did you first suffer love for me? Ant.Farewell, my lords; we look for you to-morrow. Bene. Suffer love; a good epithet! I do suffer love, D. Pedro. We will not fail. indeed, for I love thee against my wi bour. Claud. To-night I'll mourn with Hero. [Exeunt Don Pedro and Claudio. Leon. Bring you these fellows on; we'll talk with Margaret, How her acquaintance grew with this lewd fellow. [Exeunt. Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who, I think, hath legs. [Exit Margaret. Bene. And therefore will come. The god of love, That sits above, And knows me, and knows me, How pitiful Ideserve, [Singing.] I mean, in singing; but in loving, -Leander the good Enter BEATRICE. I will. Beat.In spite of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart! If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for yours; for will never love that which my friend hates. Bene. Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably. Beat. It appears not in this confession: there's not one wise man among twenty that will praise himself. Bene. Au old, an old instance, Beatrice, that lived in the time of good neighbours: if a man do not erect in this age his own tomb, ere he dies, he shall live no longer in monument, than the bell rings,and the widow weeps. Beat. And how long is that, think you? Bene. Question?-Why, an hour in clamour, and a quarter in rheum! Therefore it is most expedient for the wise, (if Don Worm, his conscience, find no impediment to the contrary,) to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself. So much for praising myself, (who, I myself will bear witness, is praise-worthy,) and now tell me, How doth your cousin? Beat. Very ill. Bene. And how do you? Bene. Serve God, love me,and mend: there will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste. Enter URSULA. Urs. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yonder's old coil at home: it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the Prince and Claudio mightily abused; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone will you come presently? Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior? Bene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and, moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The inside of a church. Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato? Done to death by slanderous tongues Gives her fame, which never dies: [Affixing it. Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn! The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle day, Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey! And then to Leonato's we will go. SCENE IV.-A room in Leonato's house. Friar. Did I not tell you, she was innocent? Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, As once Europa did at lusty Jove, When he would play the noble beast in love. And some such strange bull leapt your father's cow, Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them. In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked. Claud. For this I owe you: here come other reckonings. Which is the lady, I must seize upon? Ant. This same is she, and I do give you her. Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take her hand I Here comes the prince, and Claudio. Claud. Give me your hand before this holy friar; Hero. And when I lived, I was your other wife: And when you loved, you were my other husband. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero, that is dead! Claud. I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiop. the matter, Which is Beatrice? Beat. I answer to that name; [Unmasking.] what Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. No, no more than reason. Bene. Why, then your uncle, and the prince, and Claudio, Have been deceived; for they swore you did. Bene. No, no more than reason. Beat. Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula, man. Claud. And I'll be sworn upon't, that he loves her; Hero. And here's another, Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket, Bene. A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts!-Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity! Beat. I would not deny you; but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion; and, partly, to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption. Bene. Peace, I will stop your mouth. [Kissing her, D.Pedro. How dost thou, Benedick, the married man? Bene. I'll tell thee what, prince; a college of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humour: dost thou think, I care for a satire, or an epigram? No: if a man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do purpose to dance, ere we are married, that we may lighten our own marry, I will think nothing to any purpose, that the hearts, and our wives' heels! world can say against it; and therefore never flout at Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play, music!thing, and this is my conclusion. For thy part, Clau-Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife! dio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou there is no staff more reverend, than one tipped with art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my horn. cousin! Claud. I had well hoped, thou would'st have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of question, thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee. Bene. Come, come, we are friends:- let's have al Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina. Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow! I'll devise thee brave punishments for him.-Strike up, pipers! [Dance. Exeunt. ants. The. Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Long withering out a young man's revenue. Four nights will quickly dream away the time; The. Go, Philostrate, Enter ECEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS. The. Thanks, good Egens! What's the news with Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! thee? Lge. Full of vexation come I, with complaint Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; To stubborn harshness: - and, my gracious duke, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens; But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice, Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes. In such a presence here to plead my thoughts: The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty. For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself I must employ you in some bussiness [Exeunt Thes. Hip. Ege. Dem. and train. The course of true love never did run smooth: Her. O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to low! Her. Ifthen true lovers have been ever cross'd, Then let us teach our trial patience, As due to love, as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs, The. Take time to pause: and, by the next new moon, Wishes, and tears, poor fancy's followers. (The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, For everlasting bond of fellowship,) Upon that day either prepare to die, For disobedience to your father's will; Or else, to wed Demetrius, as he would; Dem. Relent, sweet Hermia!-And, Lysander, yield Lys. You have her father's love, Demetrius; Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love; Lys. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, And, which is more than all these boasts can be, The. I must confess, that I have heard so much, My mind did lose it.-But, Demetrius, come; I have some private schooling for you both. Lys. A good persuasion; therefore, hear me,Hermia! Of great revenue, and she hath no child: I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow, |