detain us longer. I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart. 130 Leon. If you swear, my lord, you shall not be forsworn. [To Don John] Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty. D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you. Leon. Please it your Grace lead on? 135 D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all except Benedick and Claudio. Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato? Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her. 140 Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgement? or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex? 145 Claud. No; I pray thee speak in sober judgement. Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her. 151 Claud. Thou thinkest I am in sport: I pray thee tell me truly how thou likest her. Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after her? Claud. Can the world buy such a jewel? 155 Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song? 160 Claud. In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on. Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter: there's her cousin, an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you? 167 Claud. I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. Bene. Is't come to this? In faith, hath not the world one man but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again? Go to, i'faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and sigh away Sundays. Look; Don Pedro is returned to seek you. Re-enter DON PEDRO. 175 D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's? 179 Bene. I would your Grace would constrain me to tell. D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance. Bene. You hear, Count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man; I would have I would have you think so; but, on my allegi 161 ever I] I ever Pope. 164, 173 an] Capell. and Q Ff. if Pope. 165 with a] with such a Rowe (ed. 2). 170 Is't] Is it Capell MS. this? In faith] Q Ff. this, in faith? Pope. this, faith Capell. 175 Re-enter Don Pedro.] Hanmer. Enter Don Pedro, Iohn the bastard. Q Ff. 176 SCENE IV. Pope. 177 Leonato's] Rowe (ed. 2). Leonatoes Q FF. Leonato F3F4- Leonato's house Pope. 180 can] cannot F4. ance, mark you this, on my allegiance. He is in love. With who? now that is your Grace's part. Mark how short his answer is ;-With Hero, Leonato's short daughter. Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered. 185 Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: 'it is not so, nor 'twas not so, but, indeed, God forbid it should be so.' Claud. If my passion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise. D. Pedro. Amen, if you love her; for the lady is very well worthy. 191 Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my lord. D. Pedro. By my troth, I speak my thought. Claud. And, in faith, my lord, I spoke mine. Bene. And, by my two faiths and troths, my lord, I spoke mine. Claud. That I love her, I feel. D. Pedro. That she is worthy, I know. 196 Bene. That I neither feel how she should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me: I will die in it at the stake. 201 D. Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty. Claud. And never could maintain his part but in the force of his will. 205 Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor. 213 D. Pedro. I shall see thee, ere I die, look pale with love. Bene. With anger, with sickness, or with hunger, my lord; not with love: prove that ever I lose more blood with love than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house for the sign of blind Cupid. 219 D. Pedro. Well, if ever thou dost fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument. Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapped on the shoulder and called Adam. D. Pedro. Well, as time shall try: 'In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.' 225 Bene. The The savage bull may; but if ever the sensible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's horns, and set them in my forehead and let me be vilely painted; and in such great letters as they write 'Here is good horse to hire,' let them signify under my sign 'Here you may see Benedick the married man.' 232 Claud. If this should ever happen, thou wouldst be horn-mad. D. Pedro. Nay, if Cupid have not spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly. Bene. I look for an earthquake too, then. 236 D. Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the hours. In the meantime, good Signior Benedick, repair to Leonato's: 214 I shall] 'Shall or I'll S. Walker conj. (reading as verse). 223 hits] first hits Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.). 224 Adam] a dab Bishop conj. 229 vilely] Rowe (ed. 2). vildly QF4 vildely FIF2F3. commend me to him, and tell him I will not fail him at supper; for indeed he hath made great preparation. 241 Bene. I have almost matter enough in me for such an embassage; and so I commit you Claud. To the tuition of God: From my house, if I had it, 245 D. Pedro. The sixth of July: Your loving friend, Benedick. Bene. Nay, mock not, mock not. The body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your conscience: and so I leave you. [Exit. Claud. My liege, your highness now may do me good. D. Pedro. My love is thine to teach: teach it but how, And thou shalt see how apt it is to learn Any hard lesson that may do thee good. Claud. Hath Leonato any son, my lord? D. Pedro. No child but Hero; she's his only heir. Dost thou affect her, Claudio ? Claud. O, my lord, When you went onward on this ended action, 243 you-] Theobald. you. Q Ff. 245 it,-] Theobald. it. Q Ff. 249 guarded] garded Collier MS. guards] gards Collier MS. 252 SCENE V. Pope. 253 to teach] to use S. Walker conj. 255 260 265 |