Isab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghostly father, belike:-Who knows that Lodowick? Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord, And to set on this wretched woman here I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! Duke. We did believe no less. But at this instant he is sick, my lord, Intended 'gainst lord Angelo) came I hither, man (To justify this worthy nobleman, Until my husband bid me. Duke. What, are you married? Duke. Mari. Duke. A widow then? Mari. And, five years since, there was some speech of Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, Upon my faith and honour. Noble prince, As there comes light from heaven, and words from breath, As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, But Tuesday night last gone, in his garden-house, Ang. Are you a maid? Neither, my lord. Why, you Are nothing then-Neither maid, widow, nor wife 7 Lucio. My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife. Duke. Silence that fellow; I would he had some canse To prattle for himself. Lucio. Well, my lord. Duke. Though they would swear down each particular Were testimonies against his worth and credit, That's seal'd in approbation 7-You, lord Es calus, Mari. My lord, 1 do confess I ne'er was mar- Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains ried; And, I confess, besides, I am no maid: I have known my husband; yet my husband knows not, That ever he knew me. To find out this abuse, whence 'tis deriv'd.- F. Peter. Would, he were here, my lord; for Lucio. He was drunk then, my lord; it can be Hath set the women on to this complaint; Your provost knows the place where he abiles And he may fetch him. Duke. Go, do it instantly. [Exit Provost. And you, my nobie and well-warranted cousin, Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, Do with your injuries as seems you best, in any chastisement: I for a while But faults so countenanc'd, that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison. Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior well Determined upon these slanderers. Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Exit Duke. Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villanous speeches of the duke. Escal. We shall entreat you to abide here till he come, and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow. Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word. Escal. Call that same Isabel here once again; To an Attendant.] I would speak with her; Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her. Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report. Escal. Say you? Lucio. Marry, sir, I think if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publickly, she'll be ashamed. Re-enter Officers, with Isabella, the Duke, in the Friar's habit, and Provost. Escal. I will go darkly to work with her. Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight. Escal. Come on, mistress: [ To Isabella.] here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said. Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here, with the provost. Escal. In very good time:-speak not you to him, till we call upon you. Lucio. Mum. Escal. How! know you where you are? Duke. Respect to your great place! and let the devil Be sometimes honour'd for his burning throne:Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak. Escal. The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak; Look, you speak justly. Duke. Boldly at least:-But O, poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox? Good night to your redress. Is the duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to retort your manifest appeal, And put your trial in the villain's mouth, Which here you come to accuse. Lucio. This is the rascal: this is he I spoke of. Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar! Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man; but in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain? And then to glance from him to the duke himself; To tax him with injustice? Take him hence; To the rack with him:-We'll touze you joint by joint, But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust? Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of? Lucio. "Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman bald-pate: Do you know me? Duke. I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison in the absence of the duke. Lucio. O, did you so? and do you remember what you said of the duke? Duke. Most notedly, sir. Lucio. Do you so, sir? And was the duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? Duke. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and much more, much worse. Lucio. Ó thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches? Duke. I protest, I love the duke, as I love my. 1 self. Ang, Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses. Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal-Away with him to prison:-Where is the provost 7-Away with him to prison; lay bolts enough upon him:-Let him speak no more:Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion. [The Provost lays hands on the Duke. Duke. Stay, sir; stay a while. Ang. What! resists he? Help him, Lucio. Lucio. Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir; Why, you bald-pated lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, with a pox to you! show your sheepbiting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off? [Pulls off the Friar's hood, and discovers the Duke. Duke. Thou art the first knave that e'er made a duke. First, Provost, let me bail these gentle threeSneak not away, sir; [To Lucio.] for the friar and you Must have a word anon:-lay hold on him. Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, Ang. O my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, To think I can be undiscernible, When I perceive, your grace, like power divine, Hath look'd upon my passes: Then, good prince, No longer session hold upon my shan.e, But let my trial be mine own confession; Immediate sentence then, and sequent death, Is all the grace I beg. Duke. Come hither, Mariana;Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman? Ang. I was, my lord. Duke. Go, take her hence, and marry her instantly. Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again:-Go with him, Provost. [Exeunt Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost. Escal. My lord, I am more amazed at his dis honour, Than at the strangeness of it. Duke. Come hither, Isabel: Your friar is now your prince: As I was then You are pardon'd, Isabel: That life is better life, past fearing death, Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort, So happy is your brother. Re-enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost. Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd brother (Being criminal, in double violation vantage: We do condemn thee to the very block Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; Intents but merely thoughts. Merely, my lord. say. I have bethought me of another fault :- Duke. For which I do discharge you of your Pardon me, noble lord: What's he? His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would, thou had'st done so by Clan dio. Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him. Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure: Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like That I crave death more willingly than mercy; haste Away with him. Mari. Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, O, my dear lord, Mari. Ó, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my part; Lend me your knees, and, all my life to come, Isabel, Most bounteous sir, [Kneeling. "Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it. Re-enter Provost, Barnardine, Claudio, and Juliet. Duke. Which is that Barnardine? But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all; Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd, That should have died when Claudio lost his head; As like almost to Claudio, as himself. Unmuffles Claudio. Duke. If he be like your brother, [To Isabel. Ja.] for his sake Is he pardoned; And, for your lovely sake, I find an apt remission in myself: One all of luxury, an ass, a madman; Lucio. Faith, my lord, I spoke it but accord- Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.ing to the trick: If you will hang me for it, you She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you re may, but I had rather it would please you I might be whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.- 1 Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now, made you a duke; good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold. Duke. Upon mine honour thou shalt marry her. store. Joy to you, Mariana -love her, Angelo; I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.- ACT I. HERO, Daughter to Leonato. [Exeunt. MARGARET, Gentlewomen attending on Messengers, Watch, and Attendants. SCENE-Messina. SCENE I. Before Leonato's House. Enter Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, and others, with a Messenger. Leonato. I learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Messina. Mess. He is very near by this; he was not three leagues off when I left him. Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action? Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio. Mess. I know none of that name, lady; there was none such in the army of any sort. Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece? Hero. My cousin means signior Benedick of Padua. Mess. O, he is returned; and as pleasant as ever he was. Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina, and challenged Cupid at the flight: and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.-I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, 1 promised to eat all of his killing. Leon. 'Faith, niece, you tax signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. Mess. He hath done good service, lady, in these Mess. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: He hath borne him-wars. self beyond the promise of his age; doing, in the Beat. You had musty victual, and he hath holp figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath, to eat it: he is a very valiant trencher-man, he indeed, better bettered expectation, than you hath an excellent stomach. must expect of me to tell you how. Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will we very much glad of it. Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough, without a badge of bitterness Leon. Did he break out into tears? Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: There are no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping! Beat. I pray you, is signior Montanto returned from the wars or no? Mess. And a good soldier too, lady. Beat. And a good soldier to a lady:-But what is he to a lord? Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues. Beat. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man:-But for the stuffing,-Well, we are all mortal. Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt signior Benedick and her: they never meet, but there is a skirmish of wit between them. Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep him-your tongue; and so good a continuer: But self warm, let him bear it for a difference be- keep your way o' God's name; I have done. tween himself and his horse: for it is all the Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; 1 wealth that he hath left, to be known a reason- know you of old. able creature.-Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother. Mess. Is it possible? Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith out as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block. Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books. Beat. No: an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil.' Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio. Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured. Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady. Leon. You will never run mad, niece. Enter Don Pedro, attended by Balthazar and others, Don John, Claudio, and Benedick. D. Pedro. Good siguior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it. Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but, when you depart from me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave. D. Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly. I think, this is your daughter. Leon. Her mother hath many times told me so. Bene. Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her? Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child. D. Pedro. You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly, the lady fathers herself:-Be happy, lady! for you are like an honourable father." Bene. If Signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders, for all Messina, as like him as she is. Beat. I wonder, that you will still be talking, signior Benedick; no body marks you. Bene. What, my dear lady Disdain are you yet living? Beat. Is it possible disdain should die, while she hath such meet food to feed it, as signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence. D. Pedro. This is the sum of all, Leonato,signior Claudio, and signior Benedick,-my dear friend Leonato, hath invited you all. 1 tell him, we shall stay here at the least a month; and he heartily prays, some occasion may detain us longer; I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart. Leon. If you swear, my lord, you shall not be forsworn.-Let me bid you welcome, my lord, being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty. D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you. Leon. Please it your grace lead on? D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio. Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of signior Leonato ? Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her. Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex? Claud. No, I pray thee, speak in sober judg ment. for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise: only this commendation I can afford her; that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her. Claud. Thou thinkest I am in sport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou likest her. Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after her? Claud. Can the world buy such a jewel? Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. speak you this with a sad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack; to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you to go in the song? Bene. Why, i' faith, methinks she is too low But Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that ever 1 looked on." Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter; there's her cousin, an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope, you have no intent to turn husband; have you? Claud. I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. Bene. Is it come to this, i' faith 7 Hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again? Go to, i' faith; and thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and sigh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro Bene. Then is courtesy a turn-coat :-But it none. Beat. A dear happiness to women; they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God, and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me. Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face. Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were. Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher. Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than Deast of yours. Bene. I would, my horse had the speed of Re-enter Don Pedro. D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's? Bene. I would, your grace would constrain me to tell. D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance. Bene. You hear, count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on my allegiance,-mark you this, on my allegiance:-He is in love. With who?--now that is your grace's part.-Mark, how short his answer is:-With Hero, Leonato's short daughter. Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered. Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: it is not so, |