She dying, as it must be so maintain'd, That what we have we prize not to the worth, Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit, (If ever love had interest in his liver,") No, though he thought his accusation true. But if all aim but this be levell'd false, 5 -we rack the value;] i. e. we exaggerate the value. The allusion is to rack-rents. The same kind of thought occurs in Antony and Cleopatra: 6 "What our contempts do often hurl from us, died upon his words,] i. e. died by them. So, in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "To die upon the hand I love so well." STEEVENS. (If ever love had interest in his liver,)] The liver, in conformity to ancient supposition, is frequently mentioned by Shakspeare as the seat of love. Thus Pistol represents Falstaff as loving Mrs. Ford-" with liver burning hot." STEEVENS. The supposition of the lady's death 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, Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this As secretly, and justly, as your soul Should with your body. Being that I flow in grief, LEON. FRIAR. 'Tis well consented; presently away; cure. Come, lady, die to live: this wedding day, Perhaps, is but prolong'd; have patience, and endure. 8 [Exeunt Friar, Hero, and LEONATO. BENE. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while? my inwardness-] i. e. intimacy. Thus Lucio, in Measure for Measure, speaking of the Duke, says-" I was an inward of his." Again, in King Richard III: " Who is most inward with the noble duke?" STEEVENS. 9 The smallest twine may lead me.] This is one of our author's observations upon life. Men overpowered with distress, eagerly listen to the first offers of relief, close with every scheme, and believe every promise. He that has no longer any confidence in himself, is glad to repose his trust in any other that will undertake to guide him. JOHNSON. Lady Beatrice, &c.] The poet, in my opinion, has shown a great deal of address in this scene. Beatrice here engages her K2 S BEAT. Yea, and I will weep a while longer. 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 of me, that would right her! BENE. Is there any way to show 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 not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing: -I am sorry for my cousin. BENE. By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me. BEAT. Do not swear by it, and eat it. BENE. I will swear by it, that you love me; and I will make him eat it, that says, I love not you. lover to revenge the injury done her cousin Hero: and without this very natural incident, considering the character of Beatrice, and that the story of her passion for Benedick was all a fable, she could never have been easily or naturally brought to confess she loved him, notwithstanding all the foregoing preparation. And yet, on this confession, in this very place, depended the whole success of the plot upon her and Benedick. For had she not owned her love here, they must have soon found out the trick, and then the design of bringing them together had been defeated; and she would never have owned a passion she had been only tricked into, had not her desire of revenging her cousin's wrong made her drop her capricious humour at once, WARBURTON, BEAT. Will you not eat your word? BENE. With no sauce that can be devised 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 loved 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. • I am gone, though I am here;] i. e. I am out of your mind already, though I remain here in person before you. STEEVENS. I cannot approve of Steevens's explanation of these words, and believe Beatrice means to say, "I am gone," that is, " I am lost to you, though I am here." In this sense Benedick takes them, and desires to be friends with her. M. MASON. Or, perhaps, my affection is withdrawn from you, though I am yet here. MALONE. BENE. Is Claudio thine enemy ? 3 BEAT. Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?-O, that I were a man!-What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands; and then with publick accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour, -O God, that I were a man ! I would eat his heart in the market-place.5 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 wronged, she is slandered, she is undone. BENE. Beat BEAT. Princes, and counties! Surely, a princely in the height a villain,] So, in King Henry VIII: " He's a traitor to the height." " In præcipiti vitium stetit." Juv. I. 149. STEEVENS. 4 - bear her in hand-] i. e. delude her by fair promises. So, in Macbeth: "How you were borne in hand, how cross'd," &c. STEEVENS. * I would eat his heart in the market-place.] A sentiment as savage is imputed to Achilles by Chapman, in his version of the 22d Iliad: to eate "Hunger for slaughter, and a hate that eates thy heart, "Thy foe's heart." With equal ferocity, Hecuba, speaking of Achilles, in the 24th Iliad, expresses a wish to employ her teeth on his liver. STEEVENS. - and counties!] County was the ancient general term for a nobleman. See a note on the County Paris in Romeo and Juliet. STEEVENS. |