Midnight, assist our moan; Help us to sigh and groan, Heavily, heavily: Graves, yawn, and yield your dead, Till death be uttered, Heavily, heavily. Claud. Now, unto thy bones good night! D. Pedro. Good morrow, masters; put your torches out. Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. Thanks to you all, and leave us; fare you well. Claud. And, Hymen, now with luckier issue speed's [Exeunt. SCENE IV.A Room in LEONATO's House. Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, FRIAR, and HERO. Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent? Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accus'd her, Upon the error that you heard debated : But Margaret was in some fault for this, Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves; And when I send for you, come hither mask'd: F The prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour [Exeunt ladies. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them.- Leon. That eye my daughter lent her; 'tis most true. But, for my will, my will is, your good will In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. Here comes the prince, and Claudio. And my help. Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants. D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly. [Exit ANTONIO. D. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what's the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness? Claud. I think he thinks upon the savage bull. Tush, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, Re-enter ANTONIO with the Ladies masked. Which is the lady I must seize upon? Ant. This same is she, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then she's mine. Sweet, let me see your face. Leon. No, that you shall not till you take her hand Before this friar, and swear to marry her. Claud. Give me your hand before this holy friar; I am your husband, if you like of me. Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other wife: [Unmasking. And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero! Hero. Nothing certainer: One Hero died 'belied;' but I do live, And surely as I live, I am a maid. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead! Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd. Friar. All this amazement can I qualify; When, after that the holy rites are ended, I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death: And to the chapel let us presently. Bene. Soft and fair, friar.-Which is Beatrice? What is your will? Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. [Unmasking. Why, no; no more than reason. Bene. Why, then your uncle, and the prince, and Claudio Have been deceived; for they swore you did. Beat. Do not you love me? Troth, no; no more than reason. Bene. Bene. They swore that you were almost sick for me. Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me. Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman. A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashion'd to Beatrice. 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 wit-crackers 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 propose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it ; and therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.-For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin. Claud. I had well hoped thou wouldst 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 a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives' heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterward. Bene. First, of my word; therefore, play, music !-Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn. 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. |