Marg, And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. Bene. A most manly wit, Margaret, it will not hurt Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I think, Bene. And therefore will come. The god of love, That sits above, And knows me, and knows me, How pitiful I deserve, [Singing. Bene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and, moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The Inside of a Church. Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato? I mean, in singing; but in loving.-Leander the Enter Beatrice. Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I called Beat. Yea, signior, and depart when you bid me. Beat. Then, is spoken; fare you well now:-and 'Done to death by slanderous tongues SONG. 'Pardon, Goddess of the night, Graves, yawn, and yield your dead, Claud. Now unto thy bones good night! D. Pedro. Good morrow, masters; put your torches Out: The wolves have prey'd: and look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray: Thanks to you all, and leave us; fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, masters; each his several [weeds; way. D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other [her, Bene. Thou hast frighted the word out of his 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 [Exeunt. of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? SCENE IV.-A Room in Leonato's House. Beat. For them all together; which maintained so Enter Leonato, Antonio, Benedick, Beatrice, politic 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 spite of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart! If you spite it for my sake, I will spite 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. Bene. An old, an old instance, Beatrice, that lived 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 bells ring, and the widow weeps. Beat. And how long is that, think you? Bene. Question?-Why, an hour in clamour, 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 praiseworthy,) and now tell me, How doth your cousin? Beat. Very ill. Bene. And how do you? Beat. Very ill too. Urs. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yonder 's old coil at home: it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accused; the prince and Claudio mightily abused; 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? Ursula, Friar, and Hero. Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them Enter Don Pedro and Claudio with Attendants. D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly. Leon. Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio; We here attend you. Are you yet determin'd To-day to marry with my brother's daughter? Claud. I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope. Leon. Call her forth, brother, here's the friar ready. [Exit Antonio. D. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick: Why, what's That you have such a February face, [the matter, So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness? Claud. I think he thinks upon the savage bull:Tush, fear not, man, we 'll tip thy horns with gold, And all Europa shall rejoice at thee; As once Europa did at lusty Jove, When he would play the noble beast in love. your face. Re-enter Antonio, with the Ladies masked. Claud. For this I owe you: here come other Which is the lady I must seize upon? [reckonings. Ant. This same is she, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then she 's mine: Sweet, let me see [hand Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take her her. Before this friar, and swear to marry Claud. Give me your hand before this holy friar; I am your husband, if you like of me. Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other wife: [Unmasking. And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero? Hero. [liv'd. Nothing certainer; Have been deceived; for they swore you did. Troth no, no more than reason. Beat. Why then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula, Are much deceiv'd; for they did swear you did. Bene. They swore that you were almost sick for me. Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me. [me? Bene. 'T is no such matter:-Then you do not love Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense. Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman. Claud. And I'll be sworn upon 't, that he loves For here 's a paper, written in his hand, [her; A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashion'd to Beatrice. Hero. And here's another, Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket, Containing her affection unto Benedick. Bene. A miracle; here's our own hands against our hearts!-Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity. Beat. I would not deny you;-but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion; and, partly, to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption. Bene. Peace, I will stop your mouth. [Kissing her. D. Pedro. How dost thou, Benedick the married man? Bene. I'll tell thee what, prince; a college of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humour: Dost thou think I care for a satire, or an epigram? No: if a man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome about him: In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any pur pose that the world can say against it; and therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclu sion.-For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin. Claud. I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of question, thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee. Bene. Come, come, we are friends :-let's have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives' heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play music.Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina. Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow; I'll devise thee brave punishments for him.--Strike up, pipers. [Dance. Exeunt. Our court shall be a little Academe, Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified. Biron. I can but say their protestation over, So much, dear liege, I have already sworn, That is, To live and study here three years. But there are other strict observances: As, not to see a woman in that term; Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there: And, one day in a week to touch no food, And but one meal on every day beside; The which, I hope, is not enrolled there : And then to sleep but three hours in the night, And not be seen to wink of all the day; (When I was wont to think no harm all night, And make a dark night too of half the day ;) Which, I hope well, is not enrolled there : O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep; Not to see ladies,-study,-fast,--not sleep. King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please; I only swore, to study with your grace, And stay here in your court for three years' space. Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest. Biron. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest. What is the end of study? let me know. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense? King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look: Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile : By fixing it upon a fairer eye; That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; weeding. Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the Dum. In reason nothing. Biron. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rhyme. Before the birds have any cause to sing? Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; So you, to study now it is too late, Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. King. Well, sit you out; go home, Biron; adieu! Biron. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you: And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day, Biron. [Reads.] Long. To fright them hence with that dread Biron. A dangerous law against gentility. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court shall possibly devise. This article, my liege, yourself must break; A maid of grace, and complete majesty,- To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father : Therefore this article is made in vain, [forgot. Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn So to the laws at large I write my name: [Subscribes. A man in all the world's new fashion planted, A man of complements, whom right and wrong For interim to our studies, shall relate, Enter Dull, with a letter, and Costard. Long. A high hope for a low heaven: God grant Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing? Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is in manner and form following. Now, sir, for the manner, -it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the forin,-in some form. Biron. For the following, sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; And God King. Will you hear this letter with attention? [Dull. Dull. Me, an 't shall please you; I am Antony "For Jaquenetta, (so is the weaker vessel called, Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard. King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, of the marking of it. King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench. Cost. I was taken with none, sir; I was taken with a damosel. King. Well, it was proclaimed damosel. Cest. Such is the simplicity of man to hearkening. It is so varied too; for it was proclaimed after the flesh. King. [Reads.] "Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole Cost. Not a word of Costard yet. "So it is, (virgin. Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid. King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, in And go we, lords, to put in practice, that King. Peace! Cost.-be to me, and every man that dares not [fight! Which each to other hath so strongly sworn. [Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumain. Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and lords will prove an idle scorn.Sirrah, come on. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Another part of the same. Cost of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was "So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the girl; and therefore, Welcome the sour cup of prosmost wholesome physic of thy health-giving air: perity! Affliction may one day smile again, and and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk, until then, Sit down, Sorrow! The time when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper. So much for the time when : Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon; it is ycleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest: But to the place where, it standeth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I see that low-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth, I Enter Armado and Moth. Arm. Boy, what sign is it, when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp. Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no. H Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender. Moth. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. Arm. Pretty, and apt. Moth. If she be made of white and red, By this you shall not know; Moth. How mean you, sir; I pretty, and my say-A Moth. Little pretty, because little: Wherefore apt? Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise. Moth. That an eel is quick. Arm. I do say, thou art quick in answers: Moth. I am answered, sir. Arm. I love not to be crossed. Moth. He speaks the mere contrary, crosses love not him. [Aside. Moth. How many is one thrice told? [tapster. Moth. Then, I am sure, you know how much the Arm. It doth amount to one more than two. Arm. True. Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and Moth. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since: but, I think, now 't is not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune. Arm. I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that Moth. To be whipped; and yet a better love than Enter Dull, Costard, and Jaquenetta. Arm. I will visit thee at the lodge. Moth. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study?r. I know where it is situate. Arm. A most fine figure! Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two; or Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion? Arm. Is that one of the four complexions? Moth. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit. Arm. Define, define, well-educated infant. Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty, and pathetical! Arm. I love thee. Faq. Lord, how wise you are!! Cost. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a full stomach. Arm. Thou shalt be heavily punished. Cost. I am more bound to you, than your fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded. Arm. Take away this villain; shut him up. Moth. Come, you transgressing slave; away. Cost. Let me not be pent up, sir; I will fast, being loose. [to prison. Moth. No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt Cost. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I have seen, some shall seeMoth. What shall some see? Cost. Nay nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too silent in their words; and, therefore, I will say nothing: I thank God, I have as little patience as another man; and, therefore, I can be quiet. [Ex. Moth and Cost. Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, (which is a great argument of falsehood,) if I love: And how can that be true love, which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil: there is no evil angel but love. Yet Sampson was so tempted; and he had an excellent strength: yet was Solomon so seduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause will not serve my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy; but his glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust rapier! be still drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me some extemporal god of rhyme, for, I am sure, I shall turn sonnet. Devise wit; write pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. Exit. |