Although against her will, as it appears Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, [Exeunt Ladies. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them. Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. Leon. That eye my daughter lent her: 'T is most true. But, for my will, my will is, your good will In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. [Here comes the prince, and Claudio.] And my help. Enter Don PEDRO and CLAUDIO with Attendants. D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly. Leon. Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio; We here attend you. Are you yet determin'd To-day to marry with my brother's daughter? Claud. I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope. Leon. Call her forth, brother, here's the friar ready. [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, 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 come 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. 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 liv'd, I was your other wife: And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero? Hero. Nothing certainer; One Hero died [defil'd;] but I do live, And, surely as I live, I am a maid. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead! [Unmasking. Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd. When, after that the holy rites are ended, I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death: 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. Why 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. Troth no, no more than reason. Beat. Why then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula, Are much deceiv'd; 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. 'T is no such matter:--Then you do not love me? Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense. 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, 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. VOL. I. K 2 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 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. 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. [Dance. [Exeunt. SCENE I.-Navarre. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. King. 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, The endeavour of this present breath may buy That honour, which shall bate his scythe's keen edge, Therefore, brave conquerors!--for so you are, And the huge army of the world's desires,- Still and contemplative in living art. You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville, Have sworn for three years' term to live with me, Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names; That his own hand may strike his honour down, Long. I am resolv'd: 't is but a three years' fast: Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified. Biron. I can but say their protestation over, King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. And stay here in your court for three years' space. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from: common sense? King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so, To know the thing I am forbid to know: When mistresses from common sense are hid: |