A sin of perjury; she not denies it: Why seek'st thou then to cover with excuse Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accused of? Hero. They know that do accuse me; I know none: If I know more of any man alive, Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant, Maintain'd the change of words with any creature, Friar. There is some strange misprision' in the princes. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of hortour; And if their wisdoms be misled in this, The practice of it lives in John the bastard, Leon. I know not; if they speak but truth of her, These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honour, The proudest of them shall well hear of it. Nor fortune made such havoc of my means, Pause a while, Friar. And publish it, that she is dead indeed: Maintain a mourning ostentation; (1) Misconception. Hang mournful epitaphs, and do all rites That appertain unto a burial. Leon. What shall become of this? What will this do? Friar. Marry, this, well carried, shall on her be half Change slander to remorse; that is some good: That what we have we prize not to the worth, And every lovely organ of her life Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit, More moving-delicate, and full of life, Into the eye and prospect of his soul, Than when she liv'd indeed :-then shall he mourn No, though he thought his accusation true. (1) While. (2) Over-rate. (3) By. Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries. Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you : As secretly, and justly, as your soul Leon. Being that I flow in grief, The smallest twine may lead me. Friar. 'Tis well consented; presently away; For to strange sores strangely they strain the cure. Come lady, die to live: this wedding day, Perhaps, is but prolong'd; have patience, and endure. [Exe. Friar, Hero, and Leon. Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while? 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 (1) Intimacy. me; and I will make him eat it, that says, I love not you. 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 fight with mine enemy. Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy? Beat. Is he not approv'd 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 public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour,-O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. 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 (1) Delude her with hopes. Beat. Princes, and counties!! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect;2 a sweet gallant, surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies,3 valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and swears it :-I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving. Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: by this hand I love thee. Beat. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it. Bene. Think you in your soul the count Claudio hath wronged Hero? Beat. Yea, as sure as I have a thought, or a soul. Bene. Enough, I am engaged, I will challenge him; I will kiss your hand, and so leave you: by this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account : as you hear of me, so think of me. Go, comfort your cousin: I must say, she is dead; and so farewell. [Exeunt. SCENE II-A prison. Enter Dogberry, Verges, and Sexton, in gowns; and the Watch, with Conrade and Borachio. Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appeared ? Verg. O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton! Sexton. Which be the malefactors? Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibition to examine. Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? let them come before master constable. Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me. (1) Noblemen. (2) A nobleman made out of sugar. (3) Ceremony. |