Margaret.

Benedick.

Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth; it catches.

Margaret.

And therefore will come.

The god of love,

That sits above,

And knows me, and knows me,

How pitiful I deserve,

[Singing.

I mean, in singing; but in loving, Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of panders, and a whole book full of these quondam carpet-mongers, whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse, why, they were never so truly turned over and over as my poor self, in love. Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme; I have tried: I can find out no rhyme tolady" but "baby," an innocent rhyme; for scorn," "horn," a hard rhyme; for school," fool," a babbling rhyme-very ominous endings. No, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms

Enter Beabice.

Sweet Beatrice, would'st thou come when I called thee?

Beatrice.

Yea, signior; and depart when you bid me. Benedick.

O, stay but till then!

Beatrice.

"Then" is spoken; fare you well now:- and yet, ere I go, let me go with that I came for; which is with knowing what hath passed between you and Claudio.

Benedick.

Suffer love! a good epithet. I do suffer love, indeed, for I love thee against my will. Beatrice.

In spite of your heart, I think. Alas, poor heart! If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for yours; for I will never love that which my friend hates. Benedick.

Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.
Beatrice.

It appears not in this confession: there's not one wise man among twenty that will praise himself. Benedick.

An old, an old instance, Beatrice, that lived in the time of good neighbours. If a man do not erect, in this age, his own tomb ere he dies, he shall live no longer in monument, than the bell rings, and the widow weeps.

Beatrice.

thee.

Beatrice.

Death, in guerdon of her wrongs,

Gives her fame which never dies.
So the life, that died with shame,
Lives in death with glorious fame.
Hang thou there upon the tomb,
Praising her when I am dumb.-

Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.
Song.

Pardon, goddess of the night,
Those that slow thy virgin knight;
For the which, with songs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.
Midnight, assist our moan;
Help us to sigh and groan,
Heavily, heavily:

Graves, yawn, and yield your dead,
Till death be uttered,

Heavily, heavily.

Claudio.

Now, unto thy bones good night !
Yearly will I do this rite.
Don Pedro.

Good morrow, masters: put your torches out. The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle day,

Before the wheels of Phœbus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. Thanks to you all, and leave us: fare you well.

Claudio.

Good morrow, masters: each his several way.
Don Pedro.

Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds;
And then to Leonato's we will go.

Claudio.

And Hymen now with luckier issue speeds, Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe!

[Exeunt,

SCENE IV. A Room in Leonato's House.
Enter Leonato, Antonio, Benedick, Beatrice,
Ursula, Friar, and Hero.
Friar.

Did I not tell you she was innocent ?
Leonato.

So are the prince and Claudio, who accus'd her
Upon the error that you heard debated:
But Margaret was in some fault for this,
Although against her will, as it appears
In the true course of all the question.

Antonio.

Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Benedick.

And so am I, being else by faith enforc'd To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. Leonato.

Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves. And, when I send for you, come hither mask'd: The prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour To visit me You know your office, brother; You must be father to your brother's daughter, And give her to young Claudio. [Exeunt Ladies. Antonio.

Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
Benedick.

Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.
Friar.

To do what, signior?

Benedick.

To bind me, or undo me; one of them.-

[cow,

Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;
And some such strange buil leap'd your father's
And got a calf in that same noble feat,
Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.

Re-enter Antonio with the Ladies masked.
Claudio.

For this I owe you: here come other reckon. Which is the lady I must seize upon ? [ings. Leonato.

This same is she, and I do give you her.
Claudio.

Why, then she's mine.-Sweet, let me see your face.

LET fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live register'd upon our brazen tombs,
And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
When, spite of cormorant devouring time,
Th' endeavour of this present breath may buy
That honour, which shall bate his scythe's keen
And make us heirs of all eternity. [edge,
Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are,
That war against your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's desires,-
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force.
Navarre shall be the wonder of the world:
Our court shall be a little Academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.
You three, Biron, Dumaine, and Longaville,
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me,
My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes,
That are recorded in this schedule here:

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names,

That his own hand may strike his honour down,
That violates the smallest branch herein.
If you are arm'd to do, as sworn to do,
Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep it too.

Longaville

I am resolv'd: 'tis but a three years' fast. The mind shall banquet, though the body pine: Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits.

Dumaine.

My loving lord, Dumaine is mortified. The grosser manner of these world's delights He throws upon the gross world's baser slaves: To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die, With all these living in philosophy.

Biron.

I can but say their protestation over; So much, dear liege, I have already sworn, That is, to live and study here three years. But there are other strict observances; As, not to see a woman in that term, Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there: And, one day in a week to touch no food, And but one meal on every day beside, The which, I hope, is not enrolled there: And then, to sleep but three hours in the night, And not be seen to wink of all the day, When I was wont to think no harm all night, And make a dark night, too, of half the day, Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there. Not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep. O! these are barren tasks, too hard to keep,

King.

Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these.

Biron.

Let me say no, my liege, and if you please. I only swore to study with your grace, And stay here in your court for three years' space. Longaville.

You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest.

Biron.

By yea, and nay, sir, then I swore in jest. What is the end of study, let me know?

King.

At Christmas I no more desire a rose,

Come on, then I will swear to study so,
To know the thing I am forbid to know;
As thus, to study where I well may dine,
When I to feast expressly am forbid ;
Or study where to meet some mistress fine,

When mistresses from common sense are hid;
Or, having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it, and not break my troth.
If study's gain be thus, and this be so,
Study knows that which yet it doth not know.
Swear me to this, and I will ne'er say no.

King.

These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight.

Biron.

Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain,

Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain: As painfully to pore upon a book, fwhile

To seek the light of truth; while truth the Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look:

Light, seeking light. doth light of light beguile. So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes. Study me how to please the eye indeed,

By fixing it upon a fairer eye;
Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,

And give him light that it was blinded by. Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, [looks: That will not be deep-search'd with saucy Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights, Than those that walk, and wot not what they

Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! Longaville.

He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding.

Biron.

The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding.

Dumaine.

How follows that?

Biron.

But like of each thing that in season grows.
So you, to study now it is too late,
Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate.

King.

Well, sit you out: go home, Biron: adieu! Biron.

No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with

A dangerous law against gentility! [Reads.] Item, "If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise."—

This article, my liege. yourself must break ;
For, well you know, here comes in embassy
The French king's daughter with yourself to
speak,-

A maid of grace, and complete majesty.-
About surrender up of Aquitain

To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Therefore, this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes th' admired princess hither. King.

What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot.

Biron.

In reason nothing.

Biron.
Something, then, in rhyme.
King.

Biron is like an envious sneaping frost,
That bites the first-born infants of the spring.
Biron.

Well, say I am: why should proud summer boast,

Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I joy in any abortive birth?