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: And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero! Hero. Nothing certainer: One Hero died defiled; but I do live; And surely as I live, I am a maid. 59 [Unmasking. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead! 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? will? Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. Why, no; no more than reason. 70 What is your Bene. Why, then your uncle and the Prince and Claudio Have been deceived; they swore you did. Beat. Do not you love me? Bene. 80 Troth, no; no more than reason Beat. Why, then my cousin Margaret and Ursula Are much deceived; for they did swear you did. Bene. They swore that you were almost sick for me. Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me. Bene. 'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me? Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense. Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman. Claud. And I'll be sworn upon 't that he loves her; For here's a paper written in his hand, A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashion'd to Beatrice. 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 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 purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it; and therefore never flout an 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 unbruis'd and love my cousin. 108 Claud. I had well hop'd thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgell'd 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 tipp'd with horn. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, 120 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. 119 tipp'd with horn. One of the countless allusions to cuckoldry as the inevitable consequence of marriage. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. INTRODUCTION. THIS Comedy was first published in 1598, in which year also it is mentioned by Francis Meres. But the title page of this quarto edition tells us that it is therein set forth "newly corrected and augmented;" and in a little poem called Alba, which was published in 1598, Robert Tofte says: "Love's Labour Lost! I once did see a play Ycleped so; so called to my paine." The word "once” shows that in 1598 Tofte's pain was not recent. To this external evidence that in 1598 Love's Labour's Lost had been written some years, there is added the supporting internal evidence of its construction, its style, and its versification. The latter particularly, in its use of rhyme, and in its comparatively constrained rhythm, shows that this comedy is one of its author's very earliest works. Yet, even as we have it, we must remember it is corrected and augmented. Hence there is a general consent among the critical students of Shakespeare that this is probably his very first wholly original dramatic work. That it was produced nearly ten years before the quarto edition was published, I feel very sure. The style of those passages which are themselves evidence that they were written on the revision and augmentation, shows that this could not have taken place earlier than 1597 or 1598. No tale or play of which this comedy is an adaptation has been discovered. But without a doubt there was such a tale or play, and of French origin. Not only is the whole air and cast of the piece as French as the names of the personages and the scene of the action, but verbal vestiges of a French predecessor are surely to be seen in the Princess's command"Break up this capon," in the appearance on two occasions of the strong French negative point, and in the use of seigneur instead of signior. As to the period of the action, it may possibly be the reign of Charles, King of Navarre, who surrendered the Castle of Cherbourg and certain lordships to the King of France for the Duchy of Nemours and the promise of 200,000 gold crowns. 23 |