And on my eyelids shall conjecture hang, Leon. Hath no man's dagger here a point for me? D. John. Come, let us go; these things, come thus to light, 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! Leon. O fate, take not away thy heavy hand! Death is the fairest cover for her shame, That may be wish'd for. Thou seest, that all the grace that she hath left, Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accus'd of? Friar. Have comfort, lady. Dost thou look up? thing Cry shame upon her? Could she here deny For my part, I am so attir'd in wonder, 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, 1 Disposition of things. 2 Sullied. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of honour; Leon. I know not; If they speak but truth of her; Nor fortune made such havock of my means, Friar. Pause a while, Leon. What shall become of this? What will this do? Friar. Marry, this, well carried, shall on her behalf And every lovely organ of her life Into the eye and prospect of his soul, Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries. Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you : And though, you know, my inwardness 5 and love Is very much unto the prince and Claudio, 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. Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely. Bene. Surely, I do believe your fair cousin is wrong'd. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me, that would right her! Bene. Is there any way to show such friendship? 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? 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, heaven 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 none is left to protest. Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee. Bene. Ha! not for the wide world. Beat. You kill me to deny it: Farewell. > Intimacy. There is Beat. I am gone, though I am here. 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, 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. Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect 7; 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 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 leave you: By this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account : As you hear of me, so think of me. your cousin: I must say, she is dead; well. Go, comfort and so, fare[Exeunt. Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and Sexton, in gowns; 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 is your name, friend? Bora. Borachio. Dogb. Pray write down- Yours, sirral? Con. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is Conrade. Dogb. Write down-master gentleman Conrade. Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves; and it will go near to be 1 Watch. This man said, sir, that Don John, the them: 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. Thou naughty varlet! Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like yet forget not that I am an ass: — 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. Sexton. What else, fellow? 1 Watch. And that count Claudio did mean upon his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her. 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, - 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 losses; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him: Bring him away. O, that I had been writ down ACT V. 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, But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine. Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, sorrow, wag! and hem, when he should groan; But there is no such man: For, brother, men No, no: 'tis all men's office to speak patience To be so moral, when he shall endure Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself; My soul doth tell me, Hero is belied; Claud. Marry, beshrew my hand, If it should give your age such cause of fear: Leon. Tush, tush, man, never fleer and jest at me: What I have done being young, or what would do, I say, thou hast belied mine innocent child; And she lies buried with her ancestors: Thine, Claudio; thine, I say. 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, boy, follow me: Sir boy, I'll whip you from your foining 9 fence; Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will. Brother, away: - I will be heard; Ant. Or some of us will smart for it. [Exeunt LEONATO and ANTONIO. Enter BENEDICK. D. Pedro. See, see; here comes the man we went to seek. Claud. Now, signior! what news? Bene. Good day, my lord. 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 seek 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. Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle. Bene. Shall I speak a word in your ear? Claud. Heaven 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 naught. 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: 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 par hurt not. 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 - 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. D. Pedro. And hath challenged thee. D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit! Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and the Watch, with CONRADE and BORACHIO. saw me court Margaret in Hero's garment; how you disgraced her, when you should marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which I had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to 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. Runs not this speech like iron through your blood? Claud. I have drunk poison, whiles he utter'd it. D. Pedro. But did my brother set thee on to this? Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it. D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery: -- And fled he is upon this villainy. Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this time our sexton hath reformed signior Leonato of the matter: And, masters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass. Verg. Here, here comes master signior Leonato, and the sexton too. 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? Bora. If you would know your wronger, look on me. Leon. Art thou the slave, that with thy breath hast kill'd 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 Mine innocent child? heart, and be sad! Did he not say, my brother was Bora. Yea, even I alone. fled? Leon. No, not so, villain; thou bely'st thyself; Here stand a pair of honourable men. A third is fled, that had a hand in it: I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death; Record it with your high and worthy deeds; 'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it. 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 looked to. D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one! 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? 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? 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 to light; who, in the night, overheard me confessing to this man, how don John your brother incensed me to slander the lady Hero: how you were brought into the orchard, and Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, D. Pedro. By my soul, nor I; Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, Claud. O, noble sir, Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me! I do embrace your offer; and dispose For henceforth of poor Claudio. 3 Acquaint |