Bene. Question? Why, an hour in clamour, and a quarter in rheum: Therefore it is most expedient for the wise (if Don Worm his conscience, find no impediment to the contrary), to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself: So much for praising myself (who, I myself will bear witness, is praise-worthy` and now tell me, How doth your cousin? Beat. Very ill. Bene. And how do you? Beat. Very ill too. Bene. Serve God, love me, and mend: there will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste. Enter URSULA. Urs. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yonder's old coil* at nome: it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone: Will you come presently? Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior? Bene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and, moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's. SCENE III.-The inside of a Church. [Exeunt. Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and ATTENDANTS with Music and Tapers. Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato ? Atten. It is, my lord. Claud. [Reads from a scroll.] Done to death by slanderous tongues Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn. [Affixing it. D. Pedro. Good morrow, masters; put your torches out: Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey: Claud. And, Hymen, now with luckier issue speeds SCENE IV-A Room in LEONATO's House. [Exeunt. Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, URSULA, FRIAR, and HERO. Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent? Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accused 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. [Exeunt Ladies. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them. Signor Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. Leon. That eye my daughter lent her; "Tis most true. In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. Here comes the prince and Claudio. Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants. D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly. We here attend you; are you yet determined [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, And all Europa shall rejoice at thee; As once Europa did at lusty Jove, When he would play the noble beast in love. Bene. Bull Jove, Sir, had an amiable low; And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow, Much like to you, for you have just his bleat. Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked. Claud. For this I owe you: here comes other reckonings. 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. 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 lived, I was your other wife: [Unmasking And when you loved, 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. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead! Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived. 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: Meantime, let wonder seem familiar, And to the chapel let us presently. Bene. Soft and fair, friar.-Which is Beatrice? Beat. I answer to that name; [Unmasking.] What is your will? Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. 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? Bene. 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? Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman. A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, 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 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 afterwards. Bene. First o' 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. * Because. [Dance. [Exeunt. SCENE. Athens, and a Wood not far from it. ACT I. SCENE I-Athens. A Room in the Palace of THESEUS. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants. Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Long withering out a young man's revenue. Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in nights; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow New bent in heaven, shall behold the night The. Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Atherian youth to merriments; |