SCENE II.-Leonato's Garden. And sing it to her bones,-sing it to-night :-deserve well at my hands by helping me to Marg. Will you, then, write me a sonnet in 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? Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth,-it catches. Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daugh-praise of my beauty? Bora. to me; But always hath been just and virtuous, 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 a woman and so, I pray thee, call Beatrice: I give thee the bucklers. Marg. Give us the swords; we have bucklers of our own. Bene. If you use them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with a vice; and they are dangerous weapons for maids. Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I think hath legs. Bene. And therefore will come. [Exit Margaret. [Singing.] The god of love, That sits above, And knows me, and knows me, How pitiful I deserve, Dogb. Moreover, sir, (which, indeed, is not under white and black,) this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me a 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; and borrows money in God's name, -the which he hath used so I mean, in singing; but in loving, Leander long, and never paid, that now men grow the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for God's of panders, and a whole book-full of these sake: pray you, examine him upon that point. quondam carpet-mongers, whose names yet. Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest run smoothly in the even road of a blank pains. verse,-why, they were never so truly turned Dogh. Your worship speaks like a most over and over as my poor self, in love. Marry, thankful and reverend youth; and I praise I cannot show it in rhyme; I have tried: I God for you. Leon. There's for thy pains. can find out no rhyme to "lady but Dogb. God save the foundation! "baby,"-an innocent rhyme; for "scorn," Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner," horn," - a hard rhyme; for "school," and I thank thee. "fool,"―a babbling rhyme; very ominous endings: no, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.— Enter Beatrice. Dogb. I leave an arrant knave with your worship; which I beseech your worship to correct yourself, for the example of others. God keep your worship! I wish your worship well; God restore you to health! I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wished, God prohibit it !-Come, neighbour. [Exeunt Dogberry, Verges, and Watch. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell. [to-morrow. Ant. Farewell, my lords: we look for you D. Pedro. We will not fail. Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I Beat. "Then" is spoken; fare you well now:-and yet, ere I go, let me go with that I came for; which is, with knowing what hath passed between you and Claudio. Bene. Only foul words; and thereupon I will kiss thee. Beat. Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed. 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 of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? Claud. [Reads from a scroll.] Gives her fame which never dies. So the life, that died with shame, Lives in death with glorious fame. Hang thou there upon the tomb, [Appending it. Praising her when I am dumb.— Beat. For them altogether; which main-Now, music, sound; and sing your solemn tained 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, 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 bell rings 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. 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 presently? 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. SCENE III. The Inside of a Church. Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, and Attendants, with music and tapers. Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato? Atten. It is, my lord. hymn. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. most true. [think. Bene. Friar, I must entreat your pains I Enter Don Pedro and Claudio, with D. Pedro. Good-morrow to this fairassembly. We here attend you. Are you yet determin'd Leon. Call her forth, brother: here's the That you have such a February face, Tush! fear not, man; we'll tip thy horns with D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. Why, no; no more than reason. prince, and Claudio, Have been deceived; for they swore you did. Bene. Troth, no; no more than reason. [did. Are much deceiv'd; for they did swear, you Bene. They swore that you were almost sick [dead for me. Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh Bene. 'Tis no such matter. Then, you do not love me? for me. Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense. Hero. 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? Re-enter Antonio, with the ladies masked. Bene. I'll tell thee what, prince; a college Which is the lady I must seize upon? [her. of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my Ant. This same is she, and I do give you humour. Dost thou think I care for a satire, Claud. Why, then she's mine.-Sweet, let or an epigram? No; if a man will be beaten me see your face. [her hand with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take about him. In brief, since I do purpose to Before this friar, and swear to marry her. marry, I will think nothing to any purpose Claud. Give me your hand before this holy that the world can say against it; and thereI am your husband, if you like of me. [friar: fore never flout at me for what I have said Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this wife : [Unmasking. is my conclusion. For thy part, Claudio, I And when you lov'd, you were my other hus-did think to have beaten thee; but, in that Claud. Another Hero! [band. thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin. Hero. Nothing certainer One Hero died defil'd; but I do live, And surely as I live, I am a maid. 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 get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverend double dealer; which, out of question, thou than one tipped with horn. 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 afterward. Bene. First, of my word; therefore play, music!-Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, Enter a Messenger. Mes. 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. ACT L |Costard, a Clown. Moth, page to Armado. A Forester. Princess of France. Rosaline, Ladies, attending on the Princess. Jaquenetta, a country wench. Lords, and others, attendants on the King and Princess. SCENE,-Navarre. SCENE I.-A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain. King. Let fame, that all hunt after in their Live register'd upon our brazen tombs, [lives, And then grace us in the disgrace of death; When, spite of cormorant devouring Time, Th' endeavour of this present breath may buy That honour which shall bate his scythe's keen And make us heirs of all eternity. [edge, Therefore, brave conquerors,-for so you are, That war against your own affections, And the huge army of the world's desires, Our late edict shall strongly stand in force: Navarre shall be the wonder of the world; Our court shall be a little Academe, Still and contemplative in living art. You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville, Have sworn for three years' term to live with The mind shall banquet, though the body pine: Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits. Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified: The grosser manner of these world's delights He throws upon the gross world's baser slaves : To love, to wealth, to pomp, I pine and die ; With all these living in philosophy. 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 pass'd to pass away [please; from these. Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an' if you I only swore to study with your grace, [space. And stay here in your court for three years' Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the [jest. Biron. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in rest. 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, When I to feast expressly am forbid ; Or, having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath, King. These be the stops that hinder study Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain: Light, seeking light, doth light of light At Christmas I no more desire a rose [shows; Biron. No, my good lord, I have sworn to And though I have for barbarism spoke more And bide the penance of each three years' day. Give me the paper,-let me read the same; from shame! Biron. [Reads.] "Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court,"-Hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.] "On pain of losing her tongue."-Who devised this Long. Marry, that did I. [penalty? Biron. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility! So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,[Reads.] "Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, That will not be deep-searched with saucy looks: Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixèd star, Have no more profit of their shining nights Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. [fame; Too much to know, is to know nought but And every godfather can give a name. King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! [ceeding! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proLong. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green Fit in his place and time. Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I joy in an abortive birth? For well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter with yourself to speak, A maid of grace and complete majesty,— About surrender up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Or vainly comes th' admired princess hither. quite forgot. Biron. So study evermore is overshot : King. We must of force dispense with this [Subscribes. And he that breaks them in the least degree Stands in attainder of eternal shame : Suggestions are to others, as to me; |