BORA. Be you constant in the accusation, and my cunning ACT II shall not shame me.

D. JOHN. I will presently1 go learn their day of marriage.

Sc. II

[exeunt.

SCENE III. LEONATO's Orchard.

BENE. Boy!

Boy. Signior?

Enter BENEDICK and a Boy.

BENE. In my chamber-window lies a book: bring it hither to me in the orchard.

Boy. I am here already, Sir.

BENE. I know that; but I would have thee hence, and here again. [Exit Boy.] I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviours to love, will, after he hath laugh'd at such shallow follies in others, become the argument of his own scorn by falling in love: and such a man is Claudio. I have known when there was no music with him but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe: I have known when he would have walk'd ten mile a-foot to see a good armour; and now will he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose, like an honest man and a soldier; and now is he turn'd Orthography; his words are a very fantastical banquetjust so many strange dishes. May I be so converted, and see with these eyes? I cannot tell; I think not: I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyster; but I'll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me he shall never make me such a fool. One woman is fair-yet I am well; another is wise— yet I am well; another virtuous—yet I am well: but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that's certain; wise, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen3 her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble-or not for an angel; of good discourse,

ACT II
Sc. III

an excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what colour it please God. Ha, the Prince and Monsieur Love! I will hide me in the arbour. [withdraws.

Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and LEONATO, followed
by BALTHAZAR and Musicians.

D. PEDRO. Come, shall we hear this music?
CLAUD. Yea, my good Lord. How still the evening is,
As hush'd on purpose to grace harmony!

D. PEDRO. See you where Benedick hath hid himself?
CLAUD. O, very well, my Lord: the music ended,
We'll fit the hid fox with a pennyworth.1

D. PEDRO. Come, Balthazar, we 'll hear that song again.
BALTH. O, good my Lord, tax not so bad a voice
To slander music any more than once.

D. PEDRO. It is the witness still of excellency

To put a strange face on2 his own perfection.

I

pray thee, sing, and let me woo no more.
BALTH. Because you talk of wooing, I will sing;
Since many a wooer doth commence his suit
To her he thinks not worthy; yet he wooes,
Yet will he swear he loves.

D. PEDRO.

Nay, pray thee, come,

Or, if thou wilt hold longer argument,

Do it in notes.

BALTH.

Note this before my notes:

There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting.

50

D. PEDRO. Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks;
Note notes, forsooth, and nothing!
[Music.

BENE. [aside.] Now, Divine Air! now is his soul ravish'd!
Is it not strange that sheep's-guts should hale souls out
of men's bodies? Well, a horn for my money, when
all's done.

BALTHAZAR sings.

Sigh no more, Ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever:

One foot in sea and one on shore,

To one thing constant never.

Then sigh not so,

But let them go,

60

And be you blithe and bonny;
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no moe1
Of dumps so dull and heavy:
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since Summer first was leavy.
Then sigh not so, etc.

D. PEDRO. By my troth, a good song.
BALTH. And an ill singer, my Lord.

70

D. PEDRO. Ha, no, no, faith; thou singest well enough for a shift.

78

BENE. [aside.] An he had been a dog that should have howl'd thus, they would have hang'd him: and I pray God his bad voice bode no mischief! I had as lief have heard the night-raven,3 come what plague could have come after it.

D. PEDRO. Yea, marry, dost thou hear, Balthazar? I pray thee, get us some excellent music; for to-morrow night we would have it at the Lady Hero's chamber-window. BALTH. The best I can, my Lord.

D. PEDRO. Do so: farewell. [Exeunt BALTHAZAR and Musicians.] Come hither, Leonato. What was it you told me of to-day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?

91

CLAUD. [aside to DON PEDRO.] O, ay: stalk on, stalk on;

4

the fowl sits. [aloud.] I did never think that lady would have lov'd any man.

LEON. No, nor I neither; but most wonderful that she should so doat on Signior Benedick, whom she hath in all outward behaviours seem'd ever to abhor.

BENE. [aside.] Is 't possible? Sits the wind in that corner?
LEON. By my troth, my Lord, I cannot tell what to
think of it but that she loves him with an enrag'd
affection-it is past the infinite of thought!

D. PEDRO. May be she doth but counterfeit.
CLAUD. Faith, like enough.

ΙΟΙ

LEON. O, God, counterfeit! There was never counterfeit

1 comparative of many; as contrasted with more, comparative of much.

3 variously identified: as screech-owl, bittern, night-heron, etc.

by the stalking horse, but promises an easy shot.

2 sad songs.

4 i.e. is not alarmed

27

ACT II

Sc. III

ACT II

Sc. III

of passion came so near the life of passion as she dis-
covers it.

D. PEDRO. Why, what effects of passion shews she?
CLAUD. [aside.] Bait this hook well; the fish will bite.
LEON. What effects, my Lord! She will sit you-[to
CLAUDIO.] you heard my daughter tell you how.
CLAUD. She did, indeed.

D. PEDRO. How, how, I pray you? You amaze me: I would have thought her spirit had been invincible against all assaults of affection.

LEON. I would have sworn it had, my Lord; especially against Benedick.

BENE. [aside.] I should think this a gull,' but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide himself in such reverence.

119

CLAUD. [aside.] He hath ta'en the infection: hold2 it up.
D. PEDRO. Hath she made her affection known to
Benedick?

LEON. No; and swears she never will: that's her torment.
CLAUD. "Tis true, indeed; so your daughter says. Shall

I, says she, that have so oft encounter'd him with scorn,
write to him that I love him?

LEON. This says she now, when she is beginning to write
to him; for she'll be up twenty times a night; and
there will she sit in her smock till she have writ a sheet
of paper. My daughter tells us all.
CLAUD. Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I remember
a pretty jest your daughter told us of.

130

LEON. O, when she had writ it, and was reading it over,
she found Benedick and Beatrice between the sheet?
CLAUD. That.

LEON. O, she tore the letter into a thousand halfpence;3
rail'd at herself that she should be so immodest to
write to one that she knew would flout her: I measure
him, says she, by my own spirit; for I should flout him,
if he writ to me; yea, though I love him, I should.
CLAUD. Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs,
beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses, O sweet
Benedick! God give me patience!

140

LEON. She doth indeed; my daughter says so: and the

1 cheat.

2 keep.

3 tiny pieces (halfpence were of silver).

ecstasy1 hath so much overborne her that my daughter is sometime afeard she will do a desperate outrage to herself: it is very true.

D. PEDRO. It were good that Benedick knew of it by some other, if she will not discover it.

CLAUD. To what end? He would but make a sport of it, and torment the poor lady worse.

151

D. PEDRO. An he should, it were an alms-deed to hang him. She's an excellent sweet lady; and (out of all suspicion) she is virtuous.

CLAUD. And she is exceeding wise.

D. PEDRO. In every thing but in loving Benedick.

LEON. O, my Lord, wisdom and blood combating in so tender a body, we have ten proofs to one that blood hath the victory. I am sorry for her, as I have just cause, being her uncle and her guardian.

160

D. PEDRO. I would she had bestow'd this dotage on me: I would have daff'd all other respects, and made her half myself. I pray you, tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will say.

LEON. Were it good, think you?

CLAUD. Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says she will die, if he love her not; and she will die, ere she make her love known; and she will die, if he woo her, rather than she will bate one breath of her accustom'd

crossness.

170

D. PEDRO. She doth well: if she should make tender of her love, 'tis very possible he'll scorn it; for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible3 spirit.

CLAUD. He is a very proper man.

D. PEDRO. He hath indeed a good outward happiness.*
CLAUD. 'Fore God, and, in my mind, very wise.

D. PEDRO. He doth indeed shew some sparks that are
like wit.

LEON. And I take him to be valiant.

179

D. PEDRO. AS Hector," I assure you: and in the managing of quarrels you may say he is wise; for either he avoids them with great discretion, or undertakes them with a most Christian-like fear.

LEON. If he do fear God, 'a must necessarily keep the

1 madness.

3 2 put aside.

contemptuous.

5 who ran from Achilles.

4 chances to be not ill-favoured.
29

ACT II

Sc. III