Hero. Is it not Hero? Who can blot that name Into a pit of ink! that the wide sea With any just reproach? Hero. I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord. I am sorry you must hear; upon mine honour, D. John. Fie, fie! they are Claud. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been, D. John. Come, let us go: these things, come Smother her spirits up. [Exeunt Don Pedro, Don John, and Claudio. Bene. How doth the lady? Beat. Dead, I think ;-help, uncle Hero! why, Hero!-Uncle!-Signior Benedick! friar! thing Cry shame upon her? Could she here deny (1) Too free of tongue. (2) Attractive, Hath drops too few to wash her clean again; Sir, sir, be patient: Beat. O, on my soul, my cousin is belied! made, Which was before barr'd up with ribs of iron! For I have only been silent so long, Leon. Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accused of? none: If I know more of any man alive, Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant, princes. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of honour; Leon. I know not; if they speak but truth of her, These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honour, The proudest of them shall well hear of it. Nor fortune made such havoc of my means, Friar. Maintain a mourning ostentation; Leon. What shall become of this? What will Friar. Marry, this, well carried, shall on her Change slander to remorse; that is some good: That what we have we prize not to the worth, dio: When he shall hear she died upon his words, And every lovely organ of her life Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit, Beat. As strange as the thing I know not: it were as possible for me to say, I loved nothing so well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing:-I am sorry for my cousin. Bene. By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me. Bene. I will swear by it, that you love me; and I will make him eat it, that says, I love not you. Beat. Will you not eat your word? Bene. With no sauce that can be devised to it: I protest I love thee. Beat. Why then, God forgive me! Bene. What offence, sweet Beatrice? Beat. You have staid me in a happy hour; I was about to protest I loved you. Bene. And do it with all thy heart. Beat. I love you with so much of my heart, that Clau-none is left to protest. Than when she liv'd indeed :-then shall he mourn Leon. Being that I flow in grief, Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee, Bene. Ha! not for the wide world. Beat. You kill me to deny it: farewell. Bene. Tarry, sweet Beatrice. Beat. I am gone, though I am here ;-there is no love in you:-nay, I pray you, let me go. Bene. Beatrice, Beat. In faith I will go. Bene. We'll be friends first. Beat. You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy. Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy? Beat. Is he not approv'd in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?-0, that I were a man!-What! bear her in hands until they come to take hands; and then with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour,-O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. Bene. Hear me, Beatrice; Beat. Talk with a man out at a window? a proper saying! Bene. Nay but, Beatrice; Beat. Sweet Hero!-she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone. Bene. Beat Beat. Princes, and counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect; a sweet gallant, surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as HercuPerhaps, is but prolong'd; have patience, and les, that only tells a lie, and swears it:-I cannot endure. [Exe. Friar, Hero, and Leon. be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woBene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this man with grieving. cure. Come, lady, die to live: this wedding day, while? Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer. Bene. I will not desire that. Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me, that would right her! Bene. Is there any way to show such friendship? Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: by this hand I love thee. Beat. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it. Bene. Think you in your soul the count Claudio hath wronged Hero? Beat. Yea, as sure as I have a thought, or a soul. Bene. Enough, I am engaged, I will challenge him; I will kiss your hand, and so leave you: by this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account: as you hear of me, so think of ine. Go, comfort Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as your cousin: I must say, she is dead; and so farcyou; is not that strange? well. Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours. [Exeunt. (6) Noblemen. (7) A nobleman made out of sugar (8) Ceremony. SCENE II-A prison. Enter Dogberry, Verges, and Sexton, in gowns; and the Watch, with Conrade and Borachio. Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appeared? Verg. Let them be in band. Dogb. God's my life! where's the sexton? let him write down-the prince's oflicer, coxcomb.-Thou naughty varlet! Verg. O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton!Come, bind them:—— Con. Away you are an ass, you are an ass. Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibi-thou not suspect my years ?-O that he were here to write me down-an ass!-but, masters, rememtion to examine. Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be ber, that I am an ass; though it be not written examined? let them come before master constable, down, yet forget not that I am an ass :-No, thou Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me.-villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow; What is your name, friend? and, which is more, an officer; and, which is more, Bora. Borachio. Dogb. Pray write down-Borachio.Yours, a householder: and, which is more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any is in Messina; and one that sirrah? go to; and a fellow that hath had losses; and one Con-that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him :-Bring him away. Ŏ, that I had been writ down-an ass. [Exeunt. Con. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow enough, Conrade. Dogb. Write down-master gentleman rade.-Masters, do you serve God? Con. Bora. Yea, sir, we hope. Dogb. Write down-that they hope they serve God:-and write God first; for God defend but God should go before such villains!-Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false ACT V. knaves; and it will go near to be thought so shortly. SCENE I.-Before Leonato's house. How answer you for yourselves? Con. Marry, sir, we say we are none. Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but will go about with him.-Come you hither, sirrah; a word in your ear, sir; I say to you, it is thought you are false knaves. Bora. Sir, I say to you, we are none. Dogb. Well, stand aside.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale: have you writ down-that they arel none? Sexton, Master constable, you go not the way to examine; you must call forth the watch that are their accusers. in Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eftest way:-Let the watch come forth:-Masters, I charge you, the prince's name, accuse these men. 1 Watch. This man said, sir, that Don John, the prince's brother, was a villain. Leonato and Antonio. Enter Ant. If you go on thus, you will kill yourself; And 'tis not wisdom, thus to second grief Against yourself. Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, Bring me a father, that so lov'd his child, Measure his wo the length and breadth of mine, Dogb. Write down-prince John a villain.Why this is flat perjury, to call a prince's villain. Bora. Master constable, Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like But there is no such man: For, brother, men thy look, I promise thee. Can counsel, and speak comfort to that grief Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it, thou-Their counsel turns to passion, which before Sexton. What heard you him say else? 2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a sand ducats of Don John, for accusing the lady Would give preceptial medicine to rage, Hero wrongfully. Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed. 1 Watch. And that Count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her. Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What else? 2 Watch. This is all. Fetter strong madness in a silken thread, Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. For there was never yet philosopher, Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stolen That could endure the tooth-ach patiently; away; Hero was in this manner accused, in this However they have writ the style of gods, very manner refused, and upon the grief of this, And made a pish at chance and sufferance. Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself: suddenly died.-Master constable, let these men Make those, that do offend you, suffer too. be bound, and brought to Leonato's; I will go [Exit. before, and show him their examination. Leon. There thou speak'st reason: nay, I will do so. Dogb. Come, let them be opinioned. (2) Admonition. (1) Bond. My soul doth tell me, Hero is belied; And all of them, that thus dishonour her. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio. Ant. Here comes the prince, and Claudio, hastily. Good day to both of you. Are you so hasty now?-well, all is one. old man. Ant. If he could right himself with quarrelling, Some of us would lie low. Marry, Thou, thou dost wrong me; thou dissembler, thou: Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy sword, Marry, beshrew my hand, I say, thou hast belied mine innocent child; And she lies buried with her ancestors: Leon. Thine, Claudio; thine I say. D. Pedro. You say not right, old man. Leon. My lord, my lord, I'll prove it on his body, if he dare; Despite his nice fence, and his active practice,' His May of youth, and bloom of lustyhood. Claud. Away, I will not have to do with you. Leon. Canst thou so daff me? Thou hast kill'd niece; And she is dead, slander'd to death by villains; them, yea, Or some of us will smart for it. No?And shall, [Exeunt Leonato and Antonio. Enter Benedick. D. Pedro. See, sec, here comes the man we went to seek. Claud. Now, signior! what news? D. Pedro. Welcome, signior: You are almost come to part almost a fray. Claud. We had like to have had our two noses snapped off with two old men without teeth. D. Pedro, Leonato and his brother: What think'st thou? Had we fought, I doubt, we should have been too young for them. Bene. In a false quarrel there is no true valour. I came to seek you both. Claud. We have been up and down to seck thee; for we are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: Wilt thou use thy wit? Bene. It is in my scabbard; shall I draw it? D. Pedro. Dost thou wear thy wit by thy side? Claud. Never any did so, though very many have been beside their wit.-I will bid thee draw as we do the minstrels; draw, to pleasure us. D. Pedro. As I am an honest man, he looks pale: Art thou sick or angry ? Claud. What! courage, man! What though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care. Bene. Sir, I shall meet your wit in the career, an you charge it against me:-I pray you, choose another subject. Claud. Nay, then give him another staff; this last was broke cross. D. Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more: I think, he be angry indeed. Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle.' Bene. Shall I speak a word in your ear? Claud. God bless me from a challenge! Bene. You are a villain; I jest not :-I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare:-Do me right, or I will protest your cowardice. You have killed a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you: Let me hear from you. Claud. Well, I will meet you, so I may have good cheer. D. Pedro. What, a feast? a feast? Claud. I'faith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calf's-head and a capon; the which if I do not carve most curiously, say, my knife's naugnt.Shall I not find a woodcock too? Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily. D. Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice praised thy wit the other day: I said, thou hadst a fine wit; True, says she, a fine little one: No, said I, a great wit; Right, says she, a great gross one: Nay, said I, a good wit: Just, said she, it hurts nobody: (3) To give a challenge. (4) Invited. Nay, said I, the gentleman is wise; Certain, said kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: she, a wise gentleman: Nay, said I, he hath the what your wisdoms could not discover, these shaltongues; That I believe, said she, for he swore a low fools have brought to light; who, in the night, thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore overheard me confessing to this man, how Don on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue; John your brother incensed me to slander the lady there's two tongues. Thus did she, an hour toge- Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, ther, trans-shape thy particular virtues; yet, at and saw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; last, she concluded with a sigh, thou wast the pro- how you disgraced her, when you should marry perest man in Italy. her: my villany they have upon record; which I Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to said, she cared not. my shame: the lady is dead upon mine and my master's false accusation; and, briefly, I desire nothing but the reward of a villain. D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly: the old man's daughter told us all. Claud. All, all; and moreover, God saw him when he was hid in the garden. 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 Benedick the married man. of D. Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through Claud. I have drunk poison whiles he utter'd it. it. D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of trea- Bene. Fare you well, boy; you know my mind; you break jests as braggarts do their blades, which, Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear God be thanked, hurt not.-My lord, for your many In the rare semblance that I lov'd it first. courtesies I thank you: I must discontinue your Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this company; your brother, the bastard, is fled from time our Sexton hath reformed signior Leonato of Messina: you have, among you, killed a sweet and the matter: and masters, do not forget to specify, innocent lady for my lord Lack-beard, there, he when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass. and I shall meet; and till then, peace be with him. Verg. Here, here comes master signior Leonato, [Exit Benedick, and the Sexton too. D. Pedro. He is in carnest. D. Pedro. And hath challenged thee? D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when hef Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to such a man. Re-enter Leonato and Antonio, with the Sexton. Leon. Which is the villain? Let me see his eyes; That when I note another man like him, I may avoid him: Which of these is he? me. Leon. Art thou the slave, that with thy breath D. Pedro. But, soft you, let be; pluck up, my heart, and be sad! Did he not say my brother was A third is fled, that had a hand in it :fled? I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death; Dogb. Come, you, sir; if justice cannot tame Record it with your high and worthy deeds; you, she shall ne'er weigh more reasons in her ba-'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it. lance; nay. an you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must be looked to. D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one! Claud. Hearken to 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? Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, D. Pedro. By my soul, nor I; I Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, That were impossible; but, I pray you both, Possess the people in Messina here How innocent she died: and, if your love Can labour ought in sad invention, Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb, And sing it to her bones; sing it to-night :Claud. Rightly reasoned, and in his own divi-To-morrow morning come you to my house; sion; 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? Bora, Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer; do you hear me, and let this count (2) Incited. (1) Serious. And since you could not be my son-in-law, (3) Command, (4) Acquaint. |