What kind of catechizing call you this? Claud. To make you answer truly to your name, Hero. Is it not Hero? who can blot that name With any just reproach? Claud. Marry, that can Hero; Hero her felf can blot out Hero's virtue. Hero. I talk'd with no man at that hour, my Lord. John. Fie, fie, they are not to be nam'd, my Lord, Not to be spoken of; There is not chastity enough in language, Without offence, to utter them: thus, pretty lady, Claud. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been, Leon. Hath no man's dagger here a point for me? John. Come, let us go; these things, come thus to light, Smother her spirits up. [Exeunt D. Pedro, D. John and Claud. Bene. How doth the lady? Beat. Beat. Dead, I think; help, uncle. Hero! why, Hero! uncle! Signior Benedick! friar! Leon. O fate! take not away thy heavy hand ; Death is the faireft cover for her shame, That may be wifh'd for. Beat. How now, coufin Hero? Friar. Have comfort, Lady. Leon. Doft thou look up? Friar. Yea, wherefore should she not? Leon. Wherefore? why, doth not every earthly thing Do not live, Hero, do not ope thine eyes : Valuing of her; why the, O, fhe is fall'n Hath drops too few to wash her clean again; Bene. Sir, Sir, be patient; For my part, I am fo attir'd in wonder, I know not what to say. Beat. O, on my foul, my coufin is bely'd. Leon. Leon. Confirm'd, confirm'd! O, That is ftronger made, Which was before barr'd up with ribs of iron. For I have only been filent fo long, And given way unto this courfe of fortune, A thousand blufhing apparitions To ftart into her face; a thousand innocent shames Leon. Friar, it cannot be; Thou feeft, that all the grace, that she hath left, A fin of perjury; fhe not denies it: Why feek'ft thou then to cover with excufe That, which appears in proper nakedness ? Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accus'd of? Hero. They know, that do accufe me; I know none: If I know more of any man alive, Than that which maiden modefty doth warrant, Prove you that any man with me convers'd Maintain'd the change of words with any creature, Friar. There is fome ftrange mifprition in the Princes. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of honour, And if their wisdoms be mif led in this, The The Practice of it lives in John the bastard, Leon. I know not: if they speak but truth of her, These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honour, The proudeft of them fhall well hear of it. Time hath not yet fo dry'd this blood of mine, Nor fortune made fuch havock of my means, And let my counsel fway you in this cafe. And publish it, that the is dead, indeed: That appertain unto a burial. Leon. What fhall become of this? what will this do? Friar. Marry, this, well carry'd, shall on her behalf Change flander to remorfe; that is fome good: But not for that dream I on this ftrange course, But on this travel look for greater birth: She dying, as it must be so maintain'd, Upon the inftant that she was accus'd, Shall be lamented, pity'd, and excus'd, Of every hearer: for it fo falls out, (14) Your Daughter bere the Princefs (left for dead)] But how comes Hero to start up a Princefs here? We have no Intimation of her Father being a Prince; and this is the first and only Time that She is complimented with this Dignity. The Remotion of a fingle Letter, and of the Parenthefis, will bring her to her own Rank, and the Place to its true Meaning. Your Daughter bere the Princes left for dead. i. e. Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon; and his Bastard Brother who is like wife call'd a prince. That That what we have we prize not to the worth, And every lovely organ of her life Shall come apparel'd in more precious habit : More moving, delicate, and full of life, Into the eye and profpect of his foul, Than when she liv'd indeed. Then fhall he mourn, And wish, he had not fo accufed her; Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries. Should with your-body. Leon. Being that I flow in grief, The smallest twine may lead me. Friar. 'Tis well confented, presently away; For to ftrange fores, ftrangely they ftrain the cure. Come, lady, die to live; this wedding day, Perhaps, is but prolong'd: have patience and en- dure. [Exeunt. Manent |