Who can blot that name Hero. Is it not Hero? With any just reproach? Clarul. Marry, that can Hero; Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue. What man was he talk'd with you yesternight Out at your window, betwixt twelve and one? Now, if you are a maid, answer to this. Hero. I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord. I am sorry you must hear; upon mine honour, D. John. Fie, fie! they are Not to be nam'd, my lord, not to be spoke of; There is not chastity enough in language, Without offence, to ufter them: thus, pretty lady, I am sorry for thy much misgovernment. Claud. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been, If half thy outward graces had been placed About thy thoughts, and counsels of thy heart! But, fare thee well, most foul, most fair! farewell, Thou pure impiety, and impious purity! For thee I'll lock up all the gates of love, And on my eye-lids shall conjecture hang, To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm, And never shall it more be gracious.2 Leon. Hath no man's dagger here a point for me? [Hero swoons. Beat. Why, how now, cousin? wherefore sink you down? D. John. Come, let us go: these things, come thus to light, Smother her spirits up. [Exeunt Don Pedro, Don John, and Claudio. Bene. How doth the lady? Beat. Dead, I think;-help, uncle ;Hero! why, Hero!-Uncle!-Signior Benedick!friar! Leon. O fate, take not away thy heavy hand! Death is the fairest cover for her shame, That may be wish'd for. Beat. How now, Friar. Have comfort, lady. Leon. cousin Hero? Dost thou look up? Friar. Yea; wherefore should she not? Leon. Wherefore? Why, doth not every earthly thing Cry shame upon her? Could she here deny (1) Too free of tongue. (2) Attractive, Into a pit of ink! that the wide sea Beat. O, on my soul, my cousin is belied! Leon. Confirm'd, confirm'd! O, that is stronger made, Which was before barr'd up with ribs of iron! For I have only been silent so long, Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accused of? none: If I know more of any man alive, Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant, Friar. There is some strange misprision in the princes. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of honour; And if their wisdoms be misled in this, The practice of it lives in John the bastard, Whose spirits toil in frame of villanies. 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, Friar. And publish it, that she is dead indeed. Maintain a mourning ostentation; Leon. What shall become of this? What will Friar. Marry, this, well carried, shall on her Change slander to remorse; that is some good: That what we have we prize not to the worth, dio: When he shall hear she died upon' his words, Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit, 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. Bene. I will swear by it, that you love 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 thec. 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 Clau-none is left to protest. Than when she liv'd indeed :-then shall he mourn No, though he thought his accusation true, Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you: Leon. Being that I flow in grief, Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee. 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. Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy? Beat. Is he not approv'd in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?-0, that I were a man!-What! bear her in hands until they come to take hands; and then with public accusation, uncovered slander, non.itigated 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 Beat. Princes, and counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect; 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, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as HercuPerhaps, is but prolong'd; have patience, and les, that only tells a lie, and swears it :-I cannot endure. [Exe. Friar, Hero, and Leon. be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woBene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this man with grieving. cure. Come, lady, die to live: this wedding day, while? Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me, that would right her! Bene. Is there any way to show such friendship? Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours. 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 inc. Go, comfort Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as your cousin: I must say, she is dead; and so fareyou; is not that strange? well. [Exeunt. (6) Noblemen. (7) A nobleman made out of sugar: (8) Ceremony. SCENE II-A prison. Enter Dogberry, Ver- Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appeared? Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Let them be in band. Dogb. God's my life! where's the sexton? let Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibi-thou not suspect my years ?-0 that he were here tion to examine. to write me down-an ass!-but, masters, remem Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be ber, that I am an ass; though it be not written examined? let them come before master constable. down, yet forget not that I am an ass :-No, thou Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me.-villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved What is your name, friend? upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow; and, which is more, an officer; and, which is more, Bora. Borachio. Con. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is Dogb. Pray write down-Borachio.-Yours, a householder: and, which is more, as pretty a sirrah ? piece of flesh as any is in Messina; and one that knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath had losses; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him :-Bring him away. O, that I had been writ down-an ass. [Exeunt. Conrade. Dogb. Write down-master gentleman Conrade.-Masters, do you serve God? Con. Bora. Yea, sir, we hope. Dogb. Write down-that they hope they serve God:-and write God first; for God defend but God should go before such villains!-Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false ACT V. knaves; and it will go near to be thought so shortly. SCENE I-Before Leonato's house. Enter How answer you for yourselves? Con. Marry, sir, we say we are none. Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him.-Come you hither, sirrah; a word in your ear, sir; I say to you, it is thought you are false knaves. Bora. Sir, I say to you, we are none. Dogb. Well, stand aside.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale: have you writ down--that they are none ? Sexton. Master constable, you go not the way to examine; you must call forth the watch that are their accusers. in Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eflest way:-Let the watch come forth:-Masters, I charge you, the prince's name, accuse these men. Leonato and Antonio. Ant. If you go on thus, you will kill yourself; And 'tis not wisdom, thus to second grief Against yourself. Leon. I pray thee, ccase thy counsel, Measure his wo the length and breadth of mine, 1 Watch. This man said, sir, that Don John, In every lineament, branch, shape, and form: the prince's brother, was a villain. If such a one will smile, and stroke his beard; Dogb. Write down-prince John a villain.-Cry-sorrow, wag! and hem, when he should grean, Why this is flat perjury, to call a prince's brother-Patch grief with proverbs: make misfortunes drunk With candle-wasters; bring him yet to me, And I of him will gather patience. villain. Bora. Master constable, Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like But there is no such man: For, brother, men thy look, I promise thee. Sexton. What heard you him say else? 2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducals of Don John, for accusing the lady Hero wrongfully. Can counsel, and speak comfort to that grief Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed. 1 Watch. And that Count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to disgrace Hero before the assembly, and not marry her. The like himself: therefore give me no counsel: Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into My griefs cry louder than advertisement. everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What else? 2 Watch. This is all. Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. Leon. I pray thee, peace: I will be flesh and blood; Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can For there was never yet philosopher, deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stolen That could endure the tooth-ach patiently; away; Hero was in this manner accused, in this However they have writ the style of gods, very manner refused, and upon the grief of this, And made a pish at chance and sufferance. suddenly died.-Master constable, let these men Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself: -be bound, and brought to Leonato's; I will go Make those, that do offend you, suffer too. before, and show him their examination. [Exit. Leon. There thou speak'st reason: nay, I will Dogb. Come, let them be opinioned. (1) Bond. (2) Admonition. do so. My soul doth tell me, Hero is belied; And all of them, that thus dishonour her. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio. Good day to both of you. Are you so hasty now?-well, all is one. old man. Ant. If he could right himself with quarrelling, Some of us would lic low. Claud. Who wrongs him? Leon. I say, thou hast belied mine innocent child; And she lies buried with her ancestors: Leon. Thine, Claudio; thine I say. Or some of us will smart for it. No?And shall, [Exeunt Leonato and Antonio. Enter Benedick. D. Pedro. See, see, here comes the man we went to seck. Claud. Now, signior! what news? Bene. Good day, my lord. D. Pedro. Welcome, signior: You are almost come to part almost a fray. Claud. We had like to have had our two noses snapped off with two old men without teeth. D. Pedro. Leonato and his brother: What think'st thou ? Had we fought, I doubt, we should have been too young for them. Bene. In a false quarrel there is no true valour. I came to seck you both. Claud. We have been up and down to seek thee; for we are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: Wilt thou use thy wit? Bene. It is in my scabbard; shall I draw it? D. Pedro. Dost thou wear thy wit by thy side? Claud. Never any did so, though very many have been beside their wit.-I will bid thee draw as we do the minstrels; draw, to pleasure us. D. Pedro. As I am an honest man, he looks pale: Art thou sick or angry? Claud, What! courage, man! What though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care. Bene. Sir, I shall meet your wit in the career, an you charge it against me-i pray you, choose another subject. Claud. Nay, then give him another staff; this last was broke cross. D. Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more: I think, he be angry indeed. Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle.' Bene. Shall I speak a word in your ear? Claud. God bless me from a challenge! Bene. You are a villain; I jest not:-I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare:-Do me right, or I will protest your cowardice. You have killed a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you: Let me hear from you. Claud. Well, I will meet you, so I may have good chcer. D. Pedro. What, a feast? a feast? Claud. Pfaith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calf's-head and a capon; the which if I do not carve most curiously, say, my knife's naugnt.Shall I not find a woodcock too? Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily. D. Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice praised thy wit the other day: I said, thou hadst a fine wit; True, says she, a fine little one: No, said I, a great wit; Right, says she, a great gross one: Nay, said I, a good wit: Jast, said she, it hurts nobody: Nay, said I, the gentleman is wise; Certain, said kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: she, a wise gentleman: Nay, said I, he hath the what your wisdoms could not discover, these shaltongues; That I believe, said she, for he swore a low fools have brought to light; who, in the night, thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore overheard me confessing to this man, how Don on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue; John your brother incensed me to slander the lady there's two longues. Thus did she, an hour toge-Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, ther, trans-shape thy particular virtues; yet, at and saw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; last, she concluded with a sigh, thou wast the pro- how you disgraced her, when you should marry her: my villany they have upon record; which I perest man in Italy. Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to my shame the lady is dead upon mine and my said, she cared not. master's false accusation; and, briefly, I desire nothing but the reward of a villain. D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly: the old man's daughter told us all. Claud. All, all; and moreover, God saw him when he was hid in the garden. D. Pedro. But when shall we set the savage bull's horns on the sensible Benedick's head? Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man. D. Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through your blood? Claud. I have drunk poison whiles he utter'd it. D. Pedro. But did my brother set thee on to this? Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it. D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery: Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear Bene. Fare you well, boy; you know my mind; I will leave you now to your gossip-like humour: And fled he is upon this villany. you break jests as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thanked, hurt not.-My lord, for your many In the rare semblance that I lov'd it urst. Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this courtesies I thank you: I must discontinue your company; your brother, the bastard, is fled from time our Sexton hath reformed signior Leonato of Messina: you have, among you, killed a sweet and the matter: and masters, do not forget to specify, innocent lady for my lord Lack-beard, there, he when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass. Verg. Here, here comes master signior Leonato, and I shall meet; and till then, peace be with him. [Exit Benedick, and the Sexton too. D. Pedro. He is in earnest. D. Pedro. And hath challenged thee? D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when hef Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to such a man. I Re-enter Leonato and Antonio, with the Sexton. me. Leon. Art thou the slave, that with thy breath Bora. D. Pedro. But, soft you, let be; pluck up, my heart, and be sad! Did he not say my brother was A third is fled, that had a hand in it :fled? I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death; Dogb. Come, you, sir; if justice cannot tame Record it with your high and worthy deeds you, she shall ne'er weigh more reasons in her ba-'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it. lance; nay an you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must be looked to. D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one! Claud. Hearken to their offence, my lord! D. Pedro. Oflicers, what offence have these men done? Dogb. Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things: and, to conclude, they are lying knaves. D. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; sixth and lastly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge? Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, I D. Pedro. By my soul, nor I; Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, That were impossible; but, I pray you both, Possess the people in Messina here How innocent she died: and, if your love Can labour ought in sad invention, Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb, And sing it to her bones; sing it to-night :Claud. Rightly reasoned, and in his own divi-To-morrow morning come you to my house; sion; and, by my, troth, there's one meaning well And since you could not be my son-in-law, suited. Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daughter, Almost the copy of my child that's dead, And she alone is heir to both of us; Give her the right you should have given her cousin, And so dies my revenge. Claud. O, noble sir, Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me! D. Pedro. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned constable is too cunning to be understood: What's your offence? Bora. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer; do you hear me, and let this count '1) Serious. (2) Incited. (3) Command. (4) Acquaint |