Leon. No, not so, villain; thou beliest thyself: I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death: Claud. I know not how to pray your patience; D. Pedro. By my soul, nor I: And yet, to satisfy this good old man, I would bend under any heavy weight That he'll enjoin me to. Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, — That were impossible: but, I pray you both, Possess the people in Messina here 42. Impose me to. Impose upon me. 43. Possess. Used for 'put in possession of the knowledge of,' 'inform,' 'tell.' 44 Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb. This line, as also the passage in Act iv. sc. 1 ("On your family's old monument hang mournful epitaphs"), alludes to a kindly custom that formerly prevailed. Not only the relations of the dead, but those who revered them, placed these posthumous tributes near their last resting-place. Izaak Walton, in his "Life of Doctor Donne," records that "The next day after his burial, some one of the many lovers and admirers of his virtue and learning writ this epitaph, with a coal, on the wall over his grave: 'Reader! I am to let thee know Donne's body only lies below; For, could the earth his soul comprise, 45. She alone is heir to both of us. As Antonio's son is mentioned, Act i. sc. 2, we imagine this assertion, that the fictitious To-night I take my leave.-This naughty 46 man Bora. Dog. Moreover, sir (which indeed is not under white and black), this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me ass: I beseech you, let it be remembered in his punishment. And also, the watch heard them talk of one Deformed: they say he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it; 49 and borrows money in Heaven's name,-the which he hath used so long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for Heaven's sake: pray you, examine him upon that point. Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. Dog. Your worship speaks like a most thankful and reverend youth; and I praise Heaven for you. Leon. There's for thy pains. Dog. Heaven save the foundation! 49 Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner, and I thank thee. Dog. I leave an arrant knave with your worship; which I beseech your worship to correct yourself, for the example of others. Heaven keep your worship! I wish your worship well; Heaven restore you to health! I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wished, Heaven prohibit 50 it.-Come, neighbour. [Exeunt DOGBERRY, VERGES, and Watch. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell. Ant. Farewell, my lords: we look for you to morrow. D. Pedro. We will not fail. To-night I'll mourn with Hero. [Exeunt DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO. Hero is the old men's sole heir, to be equally a fiction; possibly invented by Leonato, with the instinctive feeling that it would induce mean Master Claudio to accept the proposed match,which he immediately does. Poor Claudio, indeed! A truly poor soul he is! 46. Naughty. This word had far greater force formerly than now; it came from expressing a thing good for naught, worthless. bad, and meant 'wicked,' 'evil,' 'corrupt.' 47. Pack'd. Joined as a conspirator; combined as an accomplice. 48. A key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it. The fashion of wearing long, dangling love-locks has been explained in Note 49, Act iii.; but Dogberry cannot conceive of a "lock" without a" key." 49. Heaven save the foundation! The usual phrase when alms were received at the gate of religious houses; and, probably, Dogberry uses "foundation" for 'founder.' 50. Prohibit. For 'promote.' Leon. Bring you these fellows on, We'll talk with Margaret, How her acquaintance grew with this lewds fellow. [Exeunt. SCENE II-LEONATO's garden. Enter BENEDICK and MARGARET, meeting. Bene. Pray thee, sweet Mistress Margaret, deserve well at my hands by helping me to the speech of Beatrice. Marg. Will you, then, write me a sonnet in praise of my beauty? 51. Lewd. Idle, ignorant, wicked. 52. Shall I always keep below stairs! From the apparent discrepancy in the first and last portions of this speech, some editors imagine that a word has been omitted; but the waiting Bene. In so high a style, Margaret, that no man living shall come over it; for, in most comely truth, thou deservest it. Marg. To have no man come over me! why, shall I always keep below stairs? 52 Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth,-it catches. Marg. And your's as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. Bene. A most manly wit, Margaret; it will not hurt a woman: and so, I pray thee, call Beatrice : I give thee the bucklers.53 woman seems to mean-Shall I always remain on the kitchen story? Shall I never be promoted to having a man woo me with his love-lies?' To "come over" is a phrase still in vulgar use for beguile,' 'deceive,' 'delude.' 53. I give thee the bucklers. A phrase borrowed from sword I mean in singing; but in loving,-Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of brokers, and a whole bookfull of these quondam carpetmongers, whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse,-why, they were never so truly turned over and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme; I have I can find out no rhyme to "lady" but "baby,"—an innocent rhyme; for "scorn," "horn," -a hard rhyme; for "school," "fool,”- -a babbling rhyme; very ominous endings: no, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.56 tried: so 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,57 Beatrice, that lived in the time of good neighbours.58 If a man he shall live no longer in monument than the bell do not erect in this age his own tomb ere he dies, rings and the widow weeps. Beat. And how long is that, think you? Bene. Question :59-why, an hour in clamour, and a quarter in rheum: 60 therefore is it most expedient for the wise (if Don Worm, his conscience, trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself. So find no impediment to the contrary) to be the witness, is praiseworthy. And now tell me, how much for praising myself, who, I myself will bear doth your cousin ? Beat. Very ill. Bene. Beat. And how do you? Very ill too. Bene. Serve God, love me, and mend. There will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste. Enter URSULA. 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 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 sub-presently? scribe 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 maintained and buckler practice; and, passing into current use, meant 'I yield,' I own myself defeated.' 54. The god of love, &c. This was the commencement of an old song of the time. 55. Quondam carpet-mongers. "Quondam" " is a word (generally used jocosely) for 'having formerly existed.' "Carpetmongers" has been said to have the same signification as 'carpet knights; that is, knights who have received knighthood on a carpet, in times of peace, by mere court favour. But, by "carpet-mongers," Benedick rather seems to mean those who are lovers of ease, frequenters of carpets, kneeling or lyingperhaps both, kneeling and telling lies-at ladies' feet. 56 Festival terms. Fine language; phraseology fit for a grand occasion. "Festival terms " here is like "speaks holiday" in "Merry Wives." See Note 10, Act iii. of that play. Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior? 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. 57. An old instance. Shakespeare sometimes uses the word "instance " for maxim or proverbial saying. 58. In the time of good neighbours. In the time when good fellowship and neighbourly feeling prevailed; when men would give credit to each other for their respective merits. 59. Question. Into this single word is colloquially condensed: 'That is your question-now comes my answer.' 60. Rheum. Shakespeare uses this word variously; here, and elsewhere, for the aqueous matter from the lachrymal glands, tears. 61. Old coil. "Old" signifies abundant, excessive; "coil" means confusion, bustle, uproar, noise, tumult. In Act iii. sc. 3, we have :-"The wedding being there to-morrow, there is a great coil to-night." See Note 23, Act i., "Two Gentlemen of Verona ;" and Note 56, Act i., "Merry Wives." SCENE III.--The inside of a church. Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and Attendants, with music and tapers. Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato ? Claud. [Reads from a scroll.] "Done to death 62 by slanderous tongues Was the Hero that here lies: Gives her fame which never dies. [Appending it; as EPITAPH. 62. Done to death. An old form of 'put to death;' originating, probably, in the French idiom, faire mourir. 63. Guerdon. Recompense, compensation. 64. Knight. Applied to maidens as well as to men, by poetical writers formerly; probably in its meaning of disciple or follower, as vowed to Diana the virgin goddess, who was addicted to the knightly sport of the chase. 65. Heavily, heavily. This is the reading of the Quarto here: which is given in the Folio, 'Heavenly, heavenly.' But it appears to us that "Heavily, heavily "is a repeated burthen to the song. 66. Margaret. In all the old copies, this character makes her appearance here; though most modern editors omit her name Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accus'd her Upon the error that you heard debated: Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.67 Bene. And so am I, being else by faith enforc'd To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves, And when I send for you, come hither mask'd. The prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour To visit me. You know your office, brother: You must be father to your brother's daughter, And give her to young Claudio. [Exeunt ladies. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think. F. Fran. To do what, signior? Bene. To bind me, or undo me; one of them.Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. Leon. That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most true. Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her. Leon. The sight whereof I think you had from me, From Claudio, and the prince: but what's your will? Bene. Your answer, sir, is enigmatical: Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants. from the list of those who now enter. But she has been acquitted of having willingly participated in the plot against her mistress's honour and peace, therefore the poet allowed her to take her place as usual by her lady's side in the last scene of the play. That she is spoken of in the third person by Leonato does not prove her absence any more than the Friar's saying of Hero, "Did I not tell you she was innocent?" proves Hero to be absent. The train of ladies seem to enter on the stage somewhat by themselves; as is shown by Leonato's addressing them specially, after speaking with the gentlemen around him, in the words-"Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all," &c. 67. All things sort so well. See Note 30, Act iv. 68. We here attend you. "Attend" was sometimes used in the sense of 'await,' 'expect ;' French, attendre. |