Leon. By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell what to think of it but that she loves him with an enraged affection: it is past the infinite of thought. 113 D. Pedro. May be she doth but counterfeit. Leon. O God! counterfeit! There was never counterfeit of passion came so near the life of passion as she discovers it. D. Pedro. Why, what effects of passion shows she? 120 Claud. [Aside.] Bait the hook well: this fish will bite. Leon. What effects, my lord? She will sit you; [To CLAUDIO.] You heard my daughter tell you how. 125 Leon. This says she now when she is beginning to write to him; for she'll be up twenty times a night, and there will she sit in her smock till she have writ a sheet of paper: my daughter tells us all. 149 so; and the ecstasy hath so much overborne her, D. Pedro. It were good that Benedick knew of it by some other, if she will not discover it. 172 Claud. To what end? he would but make a sport of it and torment the poor lady worse. D. Pedro. An he should, it were an alms to hang him. She's an excellent sweet lady, and, out of all suspicion, she is virtuous. Claud. And she is exceeding wise. D. Pedro. In everything but in loving Bene diek. 177 180 Leon. O! my lord, wisdom and blood combating in so tender a body, we have ten proofs to one that blood hath the victory. I am sorry for her, as I have just cause, being her uncle and her guardian. 185 D. Pedro. I would she had bestowed this dotage on me; I would have daffed all other respects and made her half myself. I pray you, tell Benedick of it, and hear what a' will say. 189 Leon. Were it good, think you? Claud. Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says she will die if he love her not, and she will die ere she make her love known, and she will die if he woo her, rather than she will bate one breath of her accustomed crossness. 195 D. Pedro. He hath indeed a good outward happiness. Claud. 'Fore God, and in my mind, very wise D. Pedro. He doth indeed show some spark that are like wit. 20 Leon. And I take him to be valiant. Claud. Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I D. Pedro. As Hector, I assure you: and i remember a pretty jest your daughter told us of. the managing of quarrels you may say he i Leon. O! when she had writ it, and was read-wise; for either he avoids them with great dis ing it over, she found Benedick and Beatrice be-cretion, or undertakes them with a most Chris tween the sheet? Claud. That. 155 tian-like fear. 21 Leon. If he do fear God, a' must necessaril keep peace: if he break the peace, he ought enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling. Leon. O! she tore the letter into a thousand halfpence; railed at herself, that she should be so immodest to write to one that she knew would D. Pedro. And so will he do; for the ma flout her: 'I measure him,' says she, 'by my own doth fear God, howsoever it seems not in him i spirit; for I should flout him, if he writ to me; some large jests he will make. Well, I am sor yea, though I love him, I should.' 161 for your niece. Shall we go seek Benedick, a Claud. Then down upon her knees she falls, tell him of her love? weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses; 'O sweet Benedick! God give me patience!' 165 Leon. She doth indeed; my daughter says 2 Claud. Never tell him, my lord: let her we it out with good counsel. Leon. Nay, that's impossible: she may we her heart out first. 2 Leon. My lord, will you walk? dinner is ready. Claud. [Aside.] If he do not dote on her upon this, I will never trust my expectation. D. Pedro. [Aside.] Let there be the same net spread for her; and that must your daughter and her gentlewoman carry. The sport will be, when they hold one an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter: that's the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumbshow. Let us send her to call him in to dinner. [Exeunt DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and LEONATO. Bene. [Advancing from the arbour.] This can be no trick: the conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it seems, her affections have their full bent. Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured: they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy are they that hear their detractions, and can put them to rending. They say the lady is fair: 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous: 'tis so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me: by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because I have railed so long against marriage; but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age. Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humour? No; the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day! she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in her. Enter BEATRICE. 266 Bene. Ha! 'Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner,' there's a double meaning in that. I took no more pains for those thanks than you took pains to thank me,' that's as much as to say, Any pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks. If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture. [Exit. АСТ III. 4 SCENE I.-LEONATO's Garden. Enter HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA. Hero. Good Margaret, run thee to the parlour; There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the prince and Claudio: Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Ursula Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse Is all of her; say that thou overheard'st us, And bid her steal into the pleached bower, Where honey-suckles, ripen'd by the sun, Forbid the sun to enter; like favourites, Made proud by princes, that advance their pride Against that power that bred it. There will she hide her, 8 12 16 To listen our propose. This is thy office; Enter BEATRICE, behind. 20 Now begin; For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs 24 Close by the ground, to hear our conference. Urs. The pleasant'st angling is to see the fish Cut with her golden oars the silver stream, And greedily devour the treacherous bait: 28 So angle we for Beatrice; who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture. Fear you not my part of the dialogue. Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing 32 Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it. No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful; Urs. But are you sure 36 Hero. O god of love! I know he doth deserve All matter else seems weak. She cannot love, Urs. 52 Sure, I think so; saw man, Hero. Why, every day, to-morrow. Come, I'll show thee some attires, and have thy counsel 10% Hero. If it prove so, then loving goes by haps: How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd, If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antick, If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds; Urs. Sure, sure, such carping is not com- [Exit SCENE II.-A Room in LEONATO's House. Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and LEONATO. D. Pedro. I do but stay till your marriage b Heró. No; not to be so odd and from all consummate, and then go I toward Arragon. Claud. I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you' vouchsafe me. D. Pedro. Nay, that would be as great a soi in the new gloss of your marriage, as to show child his new coat and forbid him to wear it. will only be bold with Benedick for his company for, from the crown of his head to the sole of hi foot, he is all mirth: he hath twice or thrice cu Cupid's bow-string, and the little hangman dar not shoot at him. He hath a heart as sound a a bell, and his tongue is the clapper; for wha his heart thinks his tongue speaks. Bene. Gallants, I am not as I have been. D. Pedro. What! sigh for the tooth-ache? Leon. Where is but a humour or a worm? Bene. Well, every one can master a grief but be that has it. Cland. Yet say I, he is in love. 29 D. Pedro. There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange daguises; as, to be a Dutchman to-day, a Frenchman to-morrow, or in the shape of two countries at once, as a German from the waist downward, sicps, and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet. Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is. 39 Claud. If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs: a' brushes his hat & mornings; what should that bode? D. Pedro. Hath any man seen him at the barber's? 44 D. Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they say of him. Claud. Nay, but his jesting spirit; which is 20 crept into a lute-string, and new-governed by stops. D. Pedro. Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for m. Conclude, conclude he is in love. 64 Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him. D. Pedro. That would I know too: I warrant, te that knows him not. Cland. Yes, and his ill conditions; and in despite of all, dies for him. 69 D. Pedro. She shall be buried with her face pwards. Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ache. Old signior, walk aside with me: I have studied D. John. You may think I love you not: let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifest. For my brother, I think he holds you well, and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your ensuing marriage; surely suit ill-spent, and labour ill bestowed! D. Pedro. Why, what's the matter? 104 D. John. I came hither to tell you; and circumstances shortened, for she hath been too long a talking of,-the lady is disloyal. Claud. Who, Hero? 108 D. John. Even she: Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero. Claud. Disloyal? D. John. The word's too good to paint out her wickedness; I could say, she were worse: think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till further warrant: go but with me to-night, you shall see her chamber-window entered, even the night before her wedding-day: if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind. Claud. May this be so? 120 D. John. If you dare not trust that you see, confess not that you know. If you will follow me, I will show you enough; and when you have seen more and heard more, proceed accordingly. Claud. If I see any thing to-night why I should not marry her to-morrow, in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I shame her. D. Pedro. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her. 132 D. John. I will disparage her no further till you are my witnesses: bear it coldly but till midnight, and let the issue show itself. Dogb. Why, you speak like an ancient and most quiet watchman, for I cannot see hov sleeping should offend; only have a care tha your bills be not stolen. Well, you are to cal at all the alehouses, and bid those that ar drunk get them to bed. Watch. How if they will not? 4 Dogb. Why then, let them alone till they ar 136 sober: if they make you not then the bette answer, you may say they are not the men yo took them for. D. Pedro. O day untowardly turned! [Exeunt. Sec. Watch. Both which, Master constable,Dogb. You have: I knew it would be your answer. Well, for your favour, sir, why, give God thanks, and make no boast of it; and for your writing and reading, let that appear when there is no need of such vanity. You are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for the constable of the watch; therefore bear you the lanthorn. This is your charge: you shall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man stand, in the prince's name. 29 Watch. How, if a' will not stand? Dogb. Why, then, take no note of him, but let him go; and presently call the rest of the watch together, and thank God you are rid of a knave. Verg. If he will not stand when he is bidden, he is none of the prince's subjects. 33 Dogb. True, and they are to meddle with none but the prince's subjects. You shall also make no noise in the streets: for, for the watch to babble and to talk is most tolerable and not to be endured. Sec. Watch. We will rather sleep than talk: we know what belongs to a watch. Watch. Well, sir. 5 Dogb. If you meet a thief, you may suspec him, by virtue of your office, to be no true man and, for such kind of men, the less you meddl or make with them, why, the more is for you honesty. 5 Sec. Watch. If we know him to be a thie shall we not lay hands on him? Dogb. Truly, by your office, you may; but think they that touch pitch will be defiled. Th most peaceable way for you, if you do take thief, is, to let him show himself what he is an steal out of your company. 6 Verg. You have been always called a mercifu man, partner. Dogb. Truly, I would not hang a dog by my wil much more a man who hath any honesty in hin Verg. If you hear a child cry in the nigh you must call to the nurse and bid her still it Sec. Watch. How if the nurse be asleep an will not hear us? Dogb. Why, then, depart in peace, and let th child wake her with crying; for the ewe that wi not hear her lamb when it baes, will never a swer a calf when he bleats. Verg. 'Tis very true. Yo Dogb. This is the end of the charge. constable, are to present the prince's own pe son: if you meet the prince in the night, yo may stay him. Verg. Nay, by 'r lady, that I think, a' canno Dogb. Five shillings to one on 't, with ar man that knows the statues, he may stay hir marry, not without the prince be willing; fc indeed, the watch ought to offend no man, a it is an offence to stay a man against his will Verg. By 'r lady, I think it be so. Dogb. Ha, ah, ha! Well, masters, good nigh an there be any matter of weight chances, c up me: keep your fellows' counsels and yo own, and good night. Come, neighbour. Sec. Watch. Well, masters, we hear our charg let us go sit here upon the church-bench till tw and then all go to bed. Dogb. One word more, honest neighbours. 40 pray you, watch about Signior Leonato's do |