As once Europa did at lusty Jove, father's cow, When he would play the noble beast in love. Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked 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. LEON. No, that you shall not, till you take her hand 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. 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. 53 seize upon] a legal term for "take possession of." 63 defiled] This is the reading of the Quarto; the word is omitted in the Folios, no doubt by a printer's error. 50 60 FRIAR. All this amazement can I qualify; BENE. Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice? 70 What is Why, no; no more than reason. BENE. Why, then your uncle, and the prince, and Claudio Have been deceived; they swore you did. BEAT. Do not you love me? BENE. Troth, 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. 80 BENE. 'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me? BEAT. No, truly, but in friendly recompence. LEON. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman. CLAUD. And I'll be sworn upon 't that he loves her; For here's a paper, written in his hand, A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashion'd to Beatrice. HERO. And here's another, 70 Meantime... familiar] For the present, let us regard these wonderful occurrences as ordinary events. 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 witcrackers 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, a' shall wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do purpose 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. 90 98 108 LEON. We'll have dancing afterward. BENE. First, of 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, 120 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. [Dance. [Exeunt. 119 staff... tipped with horn] Such a staff was commonly carried by veterans holding dignified offices. There is an obvious quibble suggested by the risk of wearing horns, on account of their wives' frailty, which husbands were always supposed to run. |