bear her in hand until they come to take hands ;| Beat. Talk with a man out at a window?-a Bene. Nay, but, Beatrice ; Beat. Sweet Hero!-she is wrong'd, fhe is flander'd, the is undone. Bene. Beat 5 10 [A& 4. Scene 2. God should go before fuch villains !—Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves, and it will go near to be thought fo fhortly: How answer you for yourselves? Conr. Marry, fir, we fay, we are none. Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I affure you; but I will go about with him.-Come you hither, firrah; a word in your ear, fir; I fay to you, it is thought you are false knaves. Bora. Sir, fay to you, we are none. Dogb. Well, ftand afide.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale :-Have you writ down-that they are none? Sexton. Mafter conftable, you go not the way Beat. Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-comfect; a sweet gallant, furely! O that I were a man for his fake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my 15 to examine; you must call the watch that are their fake! But manhood is melted into courtefies, valour into compliment, and men are only turn'd into accufers. tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lye, and fwears it :I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will 20 die a woman with grieving. Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: By this hand, I love thee. Beat. Ufe it for my love fome other way than fwearing by it. Bene. Think you in your foul, the count Claudio hath wrong'd Hero? Beat. Yea, as fure as I have a thought, or a foul. Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the efteft 2 way :-) the watch come forth: Mafters, I charge you in - Let the prince's name accuse these men. Enter Watchmen. 1 Watch. This man faid, fir, that Don John, the prince's brother, was a villain. Dogb. Write down-prince John a villain :Why this is flat perjury, to call a prince's brother 25-villain. Bene. Enough, I am engag'd, I will challenge 30 your coufin! I muft fay, she is dead; and fo fare- SCENE II. A Prifon. [Exeunt. 35 Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the Town 40 Dog. Is our whole diffembly appear'd? bition to examine. Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? let them come before mafter conftable. Bora. Mafter conftable, Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise thec. Sexton. What heard you him say else? 2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thoufands ducats of Don John, for accufing the lady Hero wrongfully. Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed. Sexton. What else, fellow? 1 Watch. And that count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to difgrace Hero before the whole affembly, and not marry her. Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What else? 2 Watch. This is all. Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can away; Hero was in this manner accus'd, in this deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stolen very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this, fuddenly dy'd.-Master constable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato's; I will go before, and fhew him their examination. Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me.-50 Degb. Come, let them be opinion'd. What is your name, friend? Both. Yea, fir, we hope. Dogb. Write down-that they hope they ferve 60 member, that I am an afs; though it be not writGod:-and write God first; for God defend but Iten down, yet forget not that I am an ass :-No, * County, from the French Comte, was anciently used to fignify a nobleman. readieft way. 2 i. e. the quickest or thou thou villain, thou art full of piety, as fhall bel Jone that knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath had loffes; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him:-Bring him away. O, that I had been writ down—an afs !— [Exeunt. SCENE I. Before Leonato's Houfe. Enter Leonato and Antonio. ACT V. [F you go on thus you will kill yourself; Ant. is not wifdom, thus to fecond grief Against yourself. Less. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, Which falls into mine ears as profitless As water in a fieve: give not me counsel; Nor let no comforter delight mine ear, But fuch a one whose wrongs do fuit with mine. Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, groan; But there is no fuch man: For, brother, men Ant.Therein do men from children nothing differ. And that shall Claudio know, so shall the prince, 15 And all of them that thus difhonour her. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio. 20 25 Ant. Here comes the prince, and Claudio, haftily. Pedro. Good den, good den. Claud. Good day to both of you. Leon. Hear you, my lords, Pedro. We have fome hafte, Leonato. Leon. Some hafte, my lord ?-well, fare you well, my lord : Are you so hasty now?-well, all is one. [man. Pedro. Nay, do not quarrel with us, good old Ant. If he could right himself with quarrelling, Some of us would lye low. [bler, thou! Claud. Who wrongs him? Leon. Marry, thou doft wrong me, thou diffem30 Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy sword, I fear thee not. 35 Claud. Marry, befhrew my hand, If it should give your age fuch cause of fear: What I have done being young, or what would do, I fay, thou haft bely'd mine innocent child, [heart, 45 Thy flander hath gone through and through her And the lyes bury'd with her ancestors: 50 O, in a tomb where scandal never slept, Leon. Thine, Claudio; thine, I say. I'll prove it on his body, if he dare; Defpight his nice fence, and his active practice, 55 His May of youth, and bloom of luftyhood. Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself; That is, than admonition. Claud. Away, I will not have to do with you. Leon. Canft thou fo daffe me? Thou haft kill'd my child; If thou kill'ft me, boy, thou fhalt kill a man. Ant. He fhall kill two of us, and men indeed: But that's no matter; let him kill one firft; > That is, canst thou so put me off & Win me and wear me,-let him answer me :- Leon. Brother, [niece; 5 IO Ant. Hold you content; What, man! I know Leon. But, brother Anthony, Ant. Come, 'tis no matter; 20 Do not you meddle, let me deal in this. [patience. You are almoft come to part almost a fray. fnapt off with two old men without teeth. Pedru. Leonato and his brother: What think'ft thou? had we fought, I doubt, we should have been too young for thein. Bene. In a falfe quarrel there is no true valour. I came to feek you both. Claud. We have been up and down to feek thee: for we are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: Wilt thou ufe thy wit? Bene. It is in my fcabbard: Shall I draw it? Pedro. Doit thou wear thy wit by thy fide? Claud. Never any did fo, though very many have been befide their wit.-I will bid thee draw, as we do the minstrels; draw, to pleasure us. Pedro. As I am an honest man, he looks pale :Art thou fick or angry? Claud. What! courage, man! What though care kill'd a cat, thou haft mettle enough in thee to kill care. Bene. Sir, I fhall meet your wit in the career, if you charge it against me :-I pray you, chuse another fubject. Claud. Nay, then give him another staff; this last was broke cross 3. Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more; I think, he be angry indeed. Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle 4. Bene. Shall I fpeak a word in your ear? Bene. 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 proteft your cowardice. You have kill'd a sweet lady, and her death fhall fall heavy on you :-Let me hear from you. Claud. Well, I will meet you, fo I may have good cheer. Pedro. What, a feast? a feast? Claud. I' faith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calves-head and a capon; the which if I do not carve moft curiously, fay my knife's naught.-Shall I not find a woodcock too? Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily. Pedro. I'll tell thee, how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the other day: I faid, thou hadst a fine wit; True, fays the, a fine little one; No, faid I, a great suit; Right, faid fhe, a great grofs one; Nay, said I, a good 30 wit; Juft, fays the, it burts no body; Nay, faid I, the gentleman is wife; Certain, faid he, a wife gentleman; Nay, faid I, he hath the tongues; That I believe, faid the, for be favore a thing to me on Monday night, which be forfwore on Tuesday morning; there's a double 35 tongue, there's tavo tongues. Thus did the, an hour together, tranf-shape thy particular virtues; yet, at laft, the concluded with a figh, thou waft the propereft man in Italy. Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said, 40 the car'd not. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly; the old man's daughter told us all. Claud. All, all; and moreover, God jaw him when 45 he was bid in the garden. 1501 Pedro. But when fhall we fet the favage bull's horns on the fenfible Benedick's head? Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man. Bene. Fare you well, boy; you know my mind; I will leave you now to your goffip-like humour: you break jefts as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thanked, hurt not.-My lord, for your many courtefies I thank you; I must discontinue your 55 company: your brother, the baftard, is fled from A foin is a thrust or push with a weapon. vifits about among his friends to get a dinner. Meffina; you have, among you, kill'd a sweet 60 Pedro. He is in earnest. proverb now ftill in ufe, If he be angry, let him turn the buckle of his girdle; the meaning of which is, If he is in an ill humour, let him continue fo till he is in a better. Claud Claud. In most profound earnest; and, I'll warrant you, for the love of Beatrice. Pedro. And hath challeng'd thee? Claud. Moft fincerely. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hofe, and leaves off his wit1! Enter Dogberry, Verges, Conrade and Borachio guarded. Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to fuch a man. Pedre. But, foft you, let be; pluck up my heart, and be fad: Did he not fay, my brother was fled? Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare femblance that I lov'd it first. Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this time our fexton hath reform'd fignior Leonato of 5 the matter: And, mafters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass. Verg. Here, here comes mafter fignior Leonato, and the fexton too. ΙΟ Dagb. Come you, fir, if justice cannot tame you, fhe fhall ne'er weigh more reafons in her balance: nay, an you be a curfing hypocrite once, you must 15 be look'd to. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one! Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord! Record it with your high and worthy deeds: 'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it. Pedro. Officers, what offence have these men done? 20|1 thank you, princes, for my daughter's death; Dogb. Marry, fir, they have committed falfe report; moreover, they have fpoken untruths; fecondarily, they are flanders; fixth and laftly, they have bely'd a lady; thirdly, they have verify`d unjuft things: and, to conclude, they are lying 25 koaves. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; fixth and laitly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge? Claud. Rightly reafon'd, and in his own divifion; and, by my troth, there's one meaning well fuited 2. Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, Pedro. By my foul, nor I; And yet, to fatisfy this good old man, 30I would bend under any heavy weight That he'll enjoin me to. Pedro. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned 35 conftable is too cunning to be understood: What's your offence? Bera. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine anfwer; do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceiv'd even your very eyes:49 what your wisdoms could not difcover, thefe fhallow fools have brought to light; who, in the night,} overheard me confeffing to this man, how Don John your brother incens'd me to flander the lady Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, 45 and faw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you difgrac'd her, when you should marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which I had rather feal with my death, than repeat over to my fhame the lady is dead upon mine and my maf-50 ter's falfe accufation; and briefly, I defire nothing but the reward of a villain. Pedro. Runs not this fpeech like iron through your blood? Claad. I have drunk poison, whiles he utter'd it. Pedro. But did my brother fet thee on to this? Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery :And fied he is upon this villainy. 55 Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, That were impoffible; but, I pray you both, Poffefs the people in Meffina here How innocent the dy'd; and, if your love Can labour aught in fad invention, Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb, And fing it to her bones; fing it to-night ;To-morrow morning come you to my house; And fince you could not be my son-in-law, Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daughter, Almoft the copy of my child that's dead,' And the alone is heir to both of us; Give her the right you should have given her cousin, And fo dies my revenge. Claud. O noble fir, Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me! Leon. To-morrow then I will expect your coming; Bora. No, by my foul, fhe was not; Nor knew not what she did, when the spoke to me; Dogb. Moreover, fir, (which, indeed, is not under * Dr. Warburton fays, it was esteemed a mark of levity and want of becoming gravity, at that time, to go in the doublet and bofe, and leave off the cloak, to which this well-turned expreffien alludes. The thought is, that love makes a man as ridiculous, and expofes him as naked as being in the doublet and hofe without a cloak. 2 Thát is, put into many rhodes, or fhapes. white and black) this plaintiff here, the offender,} Dogb. Your worship speaks like a most thankful and reverend youth; and I praise God for you. Leon. There's for thy pains. Dogb. God fave the foundation! Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prifoner, and I thank thee. 15 Dogb. I leave an arrant knave with your worfhip; which, I befeech your worship to correct yourself, for the example of others. God keep 20 your worship; I wish your worship well; God reftore you to health: humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wifh'd, God prohibit it.-Come, neighbour. [Exeunt. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell. 25 morrow. SCENE II. A Room in Leonato's House. Enter Benedick and Margaret, meeting. Bene. Pray thee, fweet miftrefs Margaret, deferve well at my hands, by helping me to the speech of Beatrice. Marg. Will you then write me a fonnet in praife of my beauty? Bene. In fo high a style, Margaret, that no man living fhall come over it; for, in most comely truth, thou deservest it. Marg. To have no man come over 2 me? why, fhall I always keep below stairs? Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth, it catches. 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, The god of love, That fits above, And knows me, and knows me, I mean in finging; but in loving,-Leander the good fwimmer, Troilus the first employer of pandars, and a whole book full of these quondam carpet-mongers, whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verfe, why, they were never fo truly turn'd over and over, as my poor felf, in love: Marry, I cannot fhew it in rhime; I have try'd; I can find out no rhime to lady but baby, an innocent rhime, for fcorn, ben, a hard rhime; for School, fool, a babbling rhime; very ominous endings: No, I was not born under a rhiming planet, for I cannot woo in feftival terms. Enter Beatrice. Sweet Beatrice, would'ft thou come when I call Beat. Yea, fignior, and depart when you bid me. Beat. Then, is fpoken; fare you well now :30 and yet ere I go, let me go with that I came for, which is, with knowing what hath past between you and Claudio. 35 40 45 Marg. And your's as blunt as the fencer's foils, 50 which hit, but hurt not. Bene. A moft manly wit, Margaret, it will not hurt a woman; and fo, I pray thee, call Beatrice: I give thee the bucklers 3. Beat. Only foul words; and thereupon I will kifs thee. Beat. Foul words are but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkifs'd. Bene. Thou haft frighted the word out of its right fenfe, fo forcible is thy wit: But I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I muft fhortly hear from him, or I will fubfcribe him a coward. And, I pray thee now, tell me, for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? Beat. For them all together; which maintain'd fo politick a ftate 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? Bene. Suffer love; a good epithet! I do fuffer love, indeed, for I love thee against my will. Beat. In fpight of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart! If yoù fpight it for my fake, I will pight it for yours; for I will never love that Marg. Give us the swords, we have bucklers of 55 which my friend hates. our own. 1 Dr. Warburton comments on this paffage as follows:-" There could not be a pleasanter ridicule on the fashion, than the constable's defcant on his own blunder. They heard the confpirators fatyrize · the fashion, whom they took to be a man firnamed, Deformed. This the conftable applies with exquifite humour to the courtiers, in a description of one of the most fantastical fashions of that time, the men's wearing rings in their ears, and indulging a favorite lock of hair which was brought before, and tied with ribbons, and called a love-lock. Against this fashion William Prynne wrote his treatise, called, The Unlovelynefs of Love-Locks." 2 To come over probably means here the fame as to overcome, in its moft fignificant fenfe, when applied to a woman. 3 Meaning, I yield. |