Dogb. Go, good partner, go; get you to Francis Seacoal; bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the gaol we are now to examination these men. Verg. And we must do it wisely. Dogb. We will spare for no wit, I warrant you; here's that shall drive some of them to a non com: only get the learned writer to set down our excommunication, and meet me at the gaol. [Exeunt. ACT IV. Friar. If either of you know any inward impediment, why you should not be conjoined, I charge you on your souls to utter it. Claud. Know you any, Hero? Friar. Know you any, count? Leon I dare make his answer; none. Claud. O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do, not knowing what they do! Bene. How now! Interjections? Why then, some be of laughing, as, ha! ha! he! Claud. Stand thee by, friar.-Father, by your leave: Will you with free and unconstrained soul Give me this maid, your daughter? Leon. As freely, son, as God did give her me. Claud. And what have I to give you back, whose worth May counterpoise this rich and precious gift? D. Pedro. Nothing, unless you render her again. Claud. Sweet prince, you learn me noble thankful ness. There, Leonato; take her back again : Give not this rotten orange to your friend; To witness simple virtue? Would you not swear, Not to be married, Claud. I know what you would say: if I have known her, You'll say, she did embrace me as a husband, And so extenuate the 'forehand sin: No, Leonato, I never tempted her with word too large; But, as a brother to his sister, showed Bashful sincerity, and comely love. Hero. And seem'd I ever otherwise to you? As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown; Hero. Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide? I stand dishonour'd, that have gone about true. Bene. This looks not like a nuptial. Hero. Claud. Leonato, stand I here? True? O God! Is this the prince? Is this the prince's brother? Leon. All this is so; but what of this, my lord? Claud. Let me but move one question to your daughter, And, by that fatherly and kindly power Leon. I charge thee do so, as thou art my child. Marry, that can Hero: Hero. I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord. John. Fie, fie! they are not to be nam'd, my lord, Not to be spoke of; There is not chastity enough in language, Claud. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been, Friar. Have comfort, lady. Leon. Dost thou look up? Friar. Leon. Wherefore? thing Yea; wherefore should she not? Cry shame upon her? Could she here deny O, one too much by thee! Why had I one? Bene. Beat. O, on my soul, my cousin is belied! Which was before barr'd up with ribs of iron! For I have only been silent so long, And given way unto this cross of fortune, A thousand blushing apparitions To start into her face; a thousand innocent shames, In angel whiteness, beat away those blushes; Under some blighting error. Friar, it cannot be. Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accus'd of? Hero. They know, that do accuse me: I know none. If I know more of any man alive, Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant, Friar. There is some strange misprision in the princes. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of honour; And if their wisdoms be misled in this, The practice of it lives in John the bastard, Whose spirits toil in fraud and villainies. Leon. I know not. If they speak but truth of her, Nor fortune made such havoc of my means, Friar. Leon. What shall become of this? What will this do? And every lovely organ of her life Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit, Into the eye and prospect of his soul, Than when she liv'd indeed :-then shall he mourn, No, though he thought his accusation true. But if all aim but this be levell'd false, Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you: Leon. Being that I flow in grief, The smallest twine may lead me. Friar. "Tis well consented: presently away, For to strange sores strangely they strain the cure.Come, lady, die to live: this wedding day, Perhaps, is but prolong'd: have patience, and endure. [Exeunt Friar, HERO, and LEONATO. Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this 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. Bene. Surely, I do believe your fair cousin is wronged. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her! Bene. Is there any way to show such friendship? Beat. A very even way, but no such friend. Bene. May a man do it? Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours. Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange? It were Beat. As strange as the thing I know not. 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. Beat. Do not swear by it, and eat it. 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? Beat. Princes, and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count, count confect; a sweet gallant, surely! O, that I were a man for his sake! or that Í had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesy, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving. 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 I leave you. By this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account. As you hear of me, so think of me. Go, comfort your cousin : I must say she is dead; and so, farewell. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Prison. Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and Sexton, in gowns; and Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? let them come before master constable. Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me.-What Bene. With no sauce that can be devised to it. I is your name, friend? protest, I love thee. Beat. Why then, God forgive me! Beat. You have stayed 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 none is left to protest. Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee. Beat. Kill Claudio. 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 approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?O, that I were a man!-What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour,─O God, Bora. Borachio. Dogb. Pray write down Borachio.-—Yours, sirrah ? Con. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is Conrade. Dogb. Write down master gentleman Conrade. 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 knaves, and it will go near to be thought so shortly. How answer you for yourselves? Con. Marry, sir, we say we are none. Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I 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 are none ? Sexton. Master constable, you go not the way examine: you must call forth the watch that are their accusers. to Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eftest way.-Let the watch come forth.-Masters, I charge you, in the prince's name, accuse these men. 1 Watch. This man said, sir, that Don John, the prince's brother, was a villain. Dogb. Write down-prince John a villain.—Why, this is flat perjury, to call a prince's brother villain. Bora. Master constable, Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace: I do not like thy look, I promise thee. Sexton. What heard you him say else? 2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of Don John, for accusing the lady 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. Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stolen away: Hero was in this manner accused, in this very manner refused, and, upon the grief of this, suddenly died. Master constable, let these men be bound, and Dogb. Come, let them be opinioned. Bora. Hands off, coxcomb! Dogb. God's my life! where's the sexton? let him write down the prince's officer, coxcomb.-Come, bind them.-Thou naughty varlet! Con. Away! you are an ass; you are an ass. Dogb. Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years?-O, that he were here to write me down an ass!-but, masters, remember, that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass.-No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow; and, which is more, an officer; and, which is more, a householder; and, which is more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any is in Messina; and one that knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath had leases; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him. Bring him away. O, that I had been writ down an ass! [Exeunt. t SCENE I.-Before LEONATO's House. Enter LEONATO and ANTONIO. 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, Which falls into mine ears as profitless As water in a sieve. Give not me counsel; Nor let no comforter delight mine ear, But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine: Bring me a father that so lov'd his child, Whose joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine, And bid him speak to me of patience; ACT V. Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, But there is no such man; for, brother, men Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. Claud. Marry, beshrew my hand, Leon. Tush, tush, man! never fleer and jest at me: I say, thou hast belied mine innocent child: Thy slander hath gone through and through her heart, And she lies buried with her ancestors, Thine, Claudio; thine, I say. My lord, my lord, I'll prove it on his body, if he dare, If thou kill'st me, boy, thou shalt kill a man. Ant. He shall kill two of us, and men indeed : But that's no matter; let him kill one first :Win me and wear me,-let him answer me.Come, follow me, boy! come, sir boy, come, follow me. Sir boy, I'll whip you from your foining fence; Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will. Leon. Brother Ant. Content yourself. God knows, I lov'd my niece; And she is dead; slander'd to death by villains, That dare as well answer a man, indeed, As I dare take a serpent by the tongue. Boys, apes, braggarts, Jacks, milksops !— Leon. 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. 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 Brother Antony-calf's-head and capers, the which if I do not carve most curiously, say my knife's naught.—Shall I not find a woodcock too? Ant. Hold you content. What, man! I know them; yea, And what they weigh, even to the utmost scruple: Leon. But, brother Antony- Come, 'tis no matter: Do not you meddle, let me deal in this. D. Pedro. Gentlemen both, we will not wake your patience. My heart is sorry for your daughter's death; D. Pedro. Leon. I will not hear you. No? 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," said 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:" "Nay," said I, "the gentleman is wise:" “Certain,” said she, "a wise gentleman:" "Nay," said I," he hath the tongues:" "That I believe," said she, "for he swore a thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore on Tuesday morning: there's a double tongue; there's two tongues." Thus did she, an hour together, trans-shape thy particular virtues; yet at last she concluded with 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, 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!" I Bene. Fare you well, boy: you know my mind. 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 Lack-beard, 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. |