I mean in singing; but in loving, Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of pandars, and a whole book full of these quondam carpetmongers, 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 shew it in rhime; I have try'd; I can find out no rhime to lady but baby, an inno, cent rhime; for scorn, horn, 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 festival terms.→→

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Sweet Beatrice, would'st thou come when I call thee? Beat. Yea, signior, and depart when you bid me. Bene. O, stay but till then! 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 past between you and Claudio.

Bene. Only foul words; and thereupon I will kiss thee.

Beat. Foul words are 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 its right sense, so forcible is thy wit: But, I 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?

Beat. For them all together; which maintain'd so politick 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?

Bene. Suffer love; a good epithet! I do suffer love, indeed, for I love thee against my will.

Beat. In spight of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart! If you spight it for my sake, I will spight it for yours; for I will never love that, which my

friend hates.

Bene. Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably. Beat. It appears not in this confession; there's not one wise man among twenty, that will praise himself.

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Bene. An old, an old instance, Beatrice, that liv'd in the time of good neighbours: if a man do not erect in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he shall live no longer in monument, than the bell rings, and the widow weeps.

Beat And how long is that, think you ?
Bene. Question?

Why, an hour in clamour,

and

and a quarter in rheum: Therefore it is most expedient for the wise (if don Worm, his conscience, find no impediment to the contrary), to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself: So much for praising myself (who, I myself will bear witness is praise-worthy), and now tell me, How doth your cousin ?

Beat. Very ill

Bene. And how do you?

Beat. Very ill too.

435

Bene, Serve God, love me, and mend: there will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste

Enter URSULA.

yon

Urs. Madam, you must come to your uncle; "der's old coil at home:" it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accus'd, the prince and Claudio mightily abus'd; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone: "Will you come presently?" Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior?

Bene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be bury'd in thy eyes; and, moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

"A Church.

Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and "Attendants with Music and Tapers.

Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato ?

"Atten. It is, my lord.

Iiij

450

"CLAUDIO

"CLAUDIO reads.

"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 dy'd with shame,
"Lives in death with glorious fame.

"Hang thou there upon the tomb, "Praising her when I am dumb.—

Now musick sound, and sing your solemn hymn,

"SON G.

"Pardon, Goddess of the night,
"Those that slew thy virgin knight;
"For the which, with songs of woe,
"Round about her tomb they go.

"Midnight, assist our moan;
"Help us to sigh and groan,
"Heavily, heavily:

"Graves yawn and yield your dead,

"Till death be uttered,

"Heavily, heavily.

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"Claud. Now, unto thy bones good night! 470 "Yearly will I do this rite.

"Pedro. Good morrow, masters; put your torches

out:

"The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle

day

"Before

"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.

"Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other

LEONATO'S House.

Enter LEONATO, BENEDICK,

MARGARET, URSULA, ANTONIO, Friar and HERO.

Friar. Did not I tell you she was innocent?
Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accus'd

her,
Upon the error that you heard debated:
But Margaret was in some fault for this;
Although against her will, as it appears
"In the true course of all the question."

Ant, Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Bene. And so am I, being else by faith enforc'd

499

To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.
Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all,
Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves;

And,