That I am forc'd to lay my reverence by I say thou hast belied mine innocent child! Thy slander hath gone through and through her heart, 70 And she lies buried with her ancestors, Claud. Away! I will not have to do with you. Leon. Canst thou so daff me? Thou hast kill'd my child. 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. 81 Win me and wear me; let him answer me. Come, follow me, boy; come, sir boy, come, follow me. Sir boy, I'll whip you from your foining fence; Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will. Leon. Brother,— 85 Ant. Content yourself. God knows I lov'd my niece; And she is dead, slander'd to death by villains, 90 Brother Antony,Ant. Hold you content. What, man! I know them, yea, And what they weigh, even to the utmost scruple, Scambling, out-facing, fashion-monging boys, That lie and cog and flout, deprave and slan der, 95 Bene. Shall I speak a word in your ear? Claud. God bless me from a challenge! Bene. [Aside to Claudio.] 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 kill'd a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you. Let me hear from you. 151 Claud. Well, I will meet you, so I may have good cheer. 154 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. 66 66 159 D. Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the other day. I said, thou hadst a fine wit. "True," said 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 [185 gentleman is wise." "Certain," said she, 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 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, God be thanked, hurt not. My [190 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 kill'd a sweet and innocent lady. For my Lord Lackbeard there, he and I shall meet; and, till then, peace be with him. [198 [Exit.] 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 challeng'd thee? 200 Claud. Most sincerely. D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is when he goes in his doublet and hose and leaves off his wit! 204 D. Pedro. Who 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? 235 Bora. Sweet Prince, let me go no farther 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 [240 man how Don John your brother incensed me to slander the Lady Hero, how you were brought into the orchard and saw me court Margaret in Hero's garments, how you disgrac'd her, when you should marry her. My villainy 245 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. 251 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. 256 That, when I note another man like him, Leon. Art thou the slave that with thy breath hast kill'd Mine innocent child? Here stand a pair of honourable men, A third is fled, that had a hand in it. 275 I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death. Record it with your high and worthy deeds. 'T was bravely done, if you bethink you of it. 280 Claud. I know not how to pray your patience; Yet I must speak. Choose your revenge your self; Impose me to what penance your invention But always hath been just and virtuous In any thing that I do know by her. $11 Dog. Moreover, sir, which indeed is not under white and black, this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me ass. I beseech you, let it [315 be rememb❜red in his punishment. And also, the watch heard them talk of one Deformed. They say he wears a key in his ear and a lock hanging by it, and borrows money in God's name, the which he hath used so long and never paid [s20 that now men grow hard-hearted and will lend nothing for God's sake. Pray you, examine him upon that point. Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. 324 Dog. Your worship speaks like a most thankful and reverend youth, and I praise God for Bene. If you use them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with a vice; and they are dangerous weapons for maids. Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I think hath legs. [Exit Margaret. Bene. And therefore will come. [Sings.] The god of love, That sits above, And knows me, and knows me, How pitiful I deserve, 25 29 I mean in singing; but in loving, Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of panders, and a whole bookful of these quondam carpet-mongers, whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse, why, they were never so truly turn'd over and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I cannot show it in [35 rhyme. I have tried. I can find out no rhyme to lady " 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. 66 Enter BEATRICE. 41 Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I call'd thee? Beat. Yea, signior, and depart when you bid me. Beat. "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 pass'd between you and Claudio. Beat. Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkiss'd. Bene. Thou hast frighted the word out of his right sense, so forcible is thy wit. But I [55 must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a coward. And, I pray thee now, tell me for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? 61 Beat. For them all together, which maintained so politic a state of evil that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them. But for which of my good parts did you first suffer love for me? 66 A Lord. It is, my lord. EPITAPH. "Done to death by slanderous tongues Was the Hero that here lies. 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." 10 Hang thou there upon the tomb, Praising her when I am dumb. Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn. Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. Thanks to you all, and leave us. Fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, masters. Each his several way. D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds; And then to Leonato's we will go. Claud. And Hymen now with luckier issue speed 's Than this for whom we rend'red woe. up this [Exeunt. [SCENE IV. A room in Leonato's house.] Enter LEONATO, old man [ANTONIO], BENEDICK, BEATRICE] MARGARET, ÜRSULA, FRIAR FRANCIS, and HERO. Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent? Leon. So are the Prince and Claudio, who accus'd her Upon the error that you heard debated. Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Bene. And so am I, being else by faith enfore'd To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, 10 |