Friar. If either of you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoined, 135 charge you, on your souls, to utter it. Claud. Know you any, Hero? Hero. None, my lord.

Friar. Know you any, count?

Leon. I dare make his answer, none.

Claud. O, what men dare do! what men may

do! what

Men daily do! not knowing what they do!

Leon. What do you mean, my lord?

Claud. Not to be marry'd, not knit my soul To an approved wanton.

Leon. Dear my lord,

If you in your own proof,

Have vanquish'd the resistance of her youth,
And made defeat of her virginity,-

Claud. I know what you would say; if I have
known her,

You'll say, she did embrace me as a husband,
And so extenuate the forehand sin:

No, Leonato,

I never tempted her with word too large;
But, as a brother to his sister, shew'd
Bashful sincerity and comely love.

Hero. And seem'd I ever otherwise to you?
Claud. Out on thy seeming! I will write
against it:

40
You seem to me as Dian in her orb;
As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown;
But you are more intemperate in your blood
Than Venus, or those pamper'd animals
That rage in savage-sensuality.
[wide?
Hero. Is my lord well, that he doth speak so
Leon. Sweet prince, why speak not you?
Pedro. What should I speak?

Bene. How now! Interjections? Why, then some be of laughing, as, ha! ha! he! [leave; 45 Claud. Stand thee by, friar:-Father, by your Will you with free and unconstrained soul Give me this maid, your daughter?

Leon. As freely, son, as God did give her me.
Claud. And what have I to give you back, 50
whose worth

May counterpoise this rich and precious gift?
Pedro. Nothing, unless you render her again.
Claud. Sweet prince, you learn me noble thank-
fulness.

There, Leonato, take her back again;
Give not this rotten orange to your friend;
She's but the sign and semblance of her honour:
Behold, how like a maid she blushes here:
O, what authority and shew of truth

Çan cunning sin cover itself withal!

Comes not that blood, as ́modest evidence,

155

I stand dishonour'd, that have gone about
To link my dear friend to a common stale.

Leon. Are these things spoken, or do Ibut dream?
John. Sir, they are spoken, and these things are
Bene. This looks not like a nuptial.
Hero. True, O God!

Claud. Leonato, stand I here?

[true.

i. e. A lascivious bed. i. e. your own experiment or trial of her. i. e. Natural power.

Leon.

1151

25

Cland. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been,
If half thy outward graces had been plac'd
About the thoughts and counsels of thy heart!
But, fare thee well, most foul, most fair! farewell
Thou pure impiety, and impious purity!
For thee I'll lock up all the gates of love,
And on my eye-lids shall conjecture hang,
To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm,
And never shall it more be gracious.
Leon. Hath no man's dagger here a point for 35
Beat. Why, how now, cousin, wherefore sink]
you down?
[Hero swoons.

John. Come, let us go: these things come thus Smother her spirits up. [to light, [Exeunt Don Pedro, Don John, and Claudio. 40 Bene. How doth the lady?

Beat. Dead, I think ;-Help, uncle :— Hero! why, Hero!-uncle!-signior Benedick!| -friar!

Leon. O fate! take not away thy heavy hand! 45 Death is the fairest cover for her shame,

150

60

Meaning, the story which is too plainly discovered Frame here signifies, scheme, order, or disposition of things.

The practice of it lives in John the bastard,
Whose spirits toil in frame of villainies.

Ther,

Leon. I know not; If they speak but truth of
These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her ho-
The proudest of them shall well hear of it. [nour,
Time hath not yet so dry'd this blood of mine,
Nor age so eat up my invention,
Nor fortune made such havock of my means,
Nor my bad life reft me so much of friends,
But they shall find, awak'd in such a kind,
Both strength of limb, and policy of mind,
Ability of means, and choice of friends,
To quit me of them thoroughly.
Friar. Pause awhile,

And let my counsel sway you in this case.
Your daughter here the princes left for dead;
Let her awhile be secretly kept in,
And publish it, that she is dead indeed;
Maintain a mourning ostentation';
And on your family's old monument
Hang mournful epitaphs, and do all rites
That appertain unto à burial,

[this do Leon. What shall become of this? What will Friar. Marry, this well carry'd, shall on her behalf

Change slander to remorse; that is some good:
But not for that, dream I on this strange course,
But on this travail look for greater birth.
She dying, as it must be so maintain'd,
Upon the instant that she was accus'd,
Shall be lamented, pity'd, and excus'd,
Of every hearer: For it so falls out,

5

110

[15]

That what we have we prize not to the worth,
Whiles we enjoy it; but being lack'd and lost,
Why, then we rack' the value; then we find
The virtue that possession would not shew us
Whiles it was ours:-So will it fare with Claudio;|
When he shall hear she dy'd upon his words, -
The idea of her life shall sweetly creep
Into his study of imagination;

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 prospect of his soul, [mourn,

Yet, by mine honour, I will deaf in this
As secretly, and justly, as your soul
Should with your body.

Leon. Being that I flown grief,
The smallest twine may lead me.

Friar. Tis well consented; presently away: For to strange sores strangely they strain the cure.

Come, lady, die to live: this wedding-day,

Perhaps, is but prolong'd; have patience,
and endure.
[Exeunt.

Manent Benedick and Beatrice. [while?
Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this
Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer.
Bene, I will not desire that.

Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely. Bene. Surely, I do believe your fair cousin is wrong'd.

Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve 20 of me, that would right her!

25

Bene. Is there any way to shew such friendship?
Beat. A very even way, but no such friend.
Bene. May a man do it?

Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours.
Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as
you; Is not that strange?

Beat. As strange as the thing I know not: It were as possible for me to say, I loved nothing so well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie 30 not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing:--I am sorry for my cousin.

Bene. By my sword, Beatrice, thou lov'st me.
Beat. Do not swear by it, and eat it.

Bene. I will swear by it, that you love me; and 35I will make him eat it, that says, I love not you.. Beat. Will you not eat your word?

40

Than when she liv'd indeed:-Then shall he 45
(If ever love had interest in his liver)
And wish he had not so accus'd her:
No, though he thought his accusation true.
Let this be so, and doubt not but success

Will fashion the event in better shape
Than I can lay it down in likelihood.
But if all aim but this be levell'd false,
The supposition of the lady's death
Will quench the wonder of her infamy:
And, if it sort not well, you may conceal her
(As best befits her wounded reputation)
In some reclusive and religious life,
Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries.
Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you :
And though, you know, my inwardness and love
Is very much unto the prince and Claudio,

1 Ostentation here signifies show or appearance. rach-rents.

50

551

Bene. With no sauce that can be devis'd to it: I protest, I love thee.

Beat. Why then, God forgive me!

Bene. What offence, sweet Beatrice?

Beat. You have staid me in a happy hour; I

was about to protest, I lov'd you.

Bene. And do it with all thy heart.

Beat. I love you with so much of my heart, that none is left to protest.

Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee.

Beat. Kill Claudio.

Bene. Ha! not for the wide world.

Beat. You kill me to deny it: Farewell.

Bene. Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, though I am here;—There

is no love in you:-nay, I pray you, let me go. Bene. Beatrice,

Beat. In faith, I will go.

Bene. We'll be friends first.

Beat. You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy.

Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy?

Beat. Is he not approved in the height a vil60 lain, that hath slander'd, scorn'd, dishonour'd my kinswoman?-0, that I were a man!-What,

bear her in hand until they come to take hands; and then with publick accusation, uncover'd slander, unmitigated rancour,—O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. Bene. Hear me, Beatrice!

Beat. Talk with a man out at a window?-a proper saying!

Bene. Nay, but Beatrice;

Beat. Sweet Hero!-she is wrong'd, she is slander'd, shę is undone.

Bene. Beat

5

10

Beat. Princes and counties'! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-comfect; a sweet gallant, surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my 15 sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turn'd into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lye, and swears it :-I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore 120 will die a woman with grieving.

Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: By this hand, I love thee.

Beat. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.

Bene. Think you in your soul, the count Claudio hath wrong'd Hero?

Beat. Yea, as sure as I have thought, or a soul.

God should go before such villains!-Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves, and it will go near to be thought so shortly: How answer you for yourselves?

Conr. Marry, sir, we say, we are none.

Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him.-Come you hither, sirrah; a word in your ear, sir; I say to you, it is thought you are false knaves.

Bora. Sir, I say to you, we are none.

Dogb. Well, stand aside.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale:-Have you writ down—that they are none?

Sexton. Master constable, you go not the way to examine; you must call the watch that are their accusers.

Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eftest' way :-
Let the watch come forth: Masters, I charge you
in the prince's name accuse these men.
Enter Watchmen.

1 Watch. This man said, sir, 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.

Beat. Enough, I am engag'd, I will challenge 30 him; I will kiss your hand, and so leave you:By this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account: As you hear of me, so think of me. Go comfort your cousin! I must say, she is dead: and so farewell. [Exeunt. 35

SCENE II.

A Prison.

40

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the
Town Clerk and Sexton in gowns.
Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appear'd?
Verg. O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton!
Sexton. Which be the malefactors?
Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner.
Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhi-45

bition to examine.

Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? let them come before master constable.

Bora. Master constable,

Dogb. Pray thee, feilow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise thee.

Sexton. What heard you him say else?

2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thou sand ducats of Don John, for accusing the lady Hero wrongfully.

Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.
Verg. Yea, by the mass, that it is.

Sexton. What else, fellow?

1 Watch. And that count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her.

Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this.

Sexton. What else?

2 Watch. This is all.

Serton. And this is more, masters, than you can leny. Prince John is this morning secretly stolen away; Hero was in this manner accus'd, in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this, suddenly dy'd.-Master constable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato's; I will go before, and shew him their examination. [Exit.

Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me. 50 Dogb, Come, let them be opinion'd. What is your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

Dogb. Pray, write down-Borachio.-Yours, sirrah?

Conr. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is 55 Conrade.

Dogb. Write down-master_gentleman Conrade.-Masters, do you serve God?

Both. Yea, sir, we hope.

Verg. Let them be in hand.'

Conr. Off, coxcomb!

Dogb. God's my life! where's the sexton? let him write down-the prince's officer, coxcomb.Come, bind them:-Thou naughty varlet!

Conr. Away! you are an ass, you are an ass. Degb. Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years?-0 that he were here to write me down-anass!-but, masters, remem

Dogb. Write down-that they hope they serve 60 ber, that I am an ass; though it be not written God:-and write God first; for God defend but down, yet forget not that I am an ass:---No,

1

County, from the French comte, was anciently used to signify a nobleman. ? i. e. the quickest or readiest way.

thou

ACT V.

[drunk 35
Patch grief with proverbs; make misfortune
With candle-wasters; bring him yet to me,
And I of him will gather patience.

But there is no such man: For, brother, men
Can counsel, and give comfort to that grief
Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it,
Their counsel turns to passion, which before
Would give preceptial medicine to rage,
Fetter strong madness in a silken thread,
Charm ach with air, and agony with words:
No, no; 'tis all men's office to speak patience
To those that wring under the load of sorrow;
But no man's virtue, nor sufficiency,

To be so moral, when he shall endure

55

The like himself: therefore, give me no counsel: 50
My griefs cry louder than advertisement'. [differ.
Aut. Therein do men from children nothing
Leon. I pray thee, peace; I will be flesh and
For there was never yet philosopher,
That could endure the tooth-ach patiently,
However they have writ the style of gods,
And made a pish at chance and sufferance.
Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself;
Make those that do offend you, suffer too. [so.
Leon. There thou speak'st reason: nay, I will do 60
My soul doth tell me, Hero is bely'd;

That is, than admonition.