| FRIAR FRANCIS
|
Did I not tell you she was innocent?
|
| LEONATO
|
So are the prince and Claudio, who accused her
Upon the error that you heard debated:
But Margaret was in some fault for this,
Although against her will, as it appears
In the true course of all the question. |
| ANTONIO
|
Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.
|
| BENEDICK
|
And so am I, being else by faith enforced
To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. |
| LEONATO
|
Well, daughter, and you gentle-women all,
Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,
And when I send for you, come hither mask'd. |
| |
[Exeunt Ladies] |
| |
The prince and Claudio promised by this hour
To visit me. You know your office, brother:
You must be father to your brother's daughter
And give her to young Claudio. |
| ANTONIO
|
Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
|
| BENEDICK
|
Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.
|
| FRIAR FRANCIS
|
To do what, signior? |
| BENEDICK
|
To bind me, or undo me; one of them.
Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior,
Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. |
| LEONATO
|
That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most true.
|
| BENEDICK
|
And I do with an eye of love requite her.
|
| LEONATO
|
The sight whereof I think you had from me,
From Claudio and the prince: but what's your will? |
| BENEDICK
|
Your answer, sir, is enigmatical:
But, for my will, my will is your good will
May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
In the state of honourable marriage:
In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. |
| LEONATO
|
My heart is with your liking.
|
| FRIAR FRANCIS
|
And my help.
Here comes the prince and Claudio. |
| |
[Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, and two or
three others] |
| DON PEDRO
|
Good morrow to this fair assembly.
|
| LEONATO
|
Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio:
We here attend you. Are you yet determined
To-day to marry with my brother's daughter? |
| CLAUDIO
|
I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope.
|
| LEONATO
|
Call her forth, brother; here's the friar ready.
|
| |
[Exit ANTONIO] |
| DON PEDRO
|
Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what's the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness? |
| CLAUDIO
|
I think he thinks upon the savage bull.
Tush, fear not, man; we'll tip thy horns with gold
And all Europa shall rejoice at thee,
As once Europa did at lusty Jove,
When he would play the noble beast in love. |
| BENEDICK
|
Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;
And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow,
And got a calf in that same noble feat
Much like to you, for you have just his bleat. |
| CLAUDIO
|
For this I owe you: here comes other reckonings.
|
| |
[Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked]
|
| |
Which is the lady I must seize upon?
|
| ANTONIO
|
This same is she, and I do give you her.
|
| CLAUDIO
|
Why, then she's mine. Sweet, let me see your face.
|
| LEONATO
|
No, that you shall not, till you take her hand
Before this friar and swear to marry her. |
| CLAUDIO
|
Give me your hand: before this holy friar,
I am your husband, if you like of me. |
| HERO |
And when I lived, I was your other wife:
|
| |
[Unmasking] |
| |
And when you loved, you were my other husband.
|
| CLAUDIO
|
Another Hero! |
| HERO |
Nothing certainer:
One Hero died defiled, but I do live,
And surely as I live, I am a maid. |
| DON PEDRO
|
The former Hero! Hero that is dead!
|
| LEONATO
|
She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived.
|
| FRIAR FRANCIS
|
All this amazement can I qualify:
When after that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death:
Meantime let wonder seem familiar,
And to the chapel let us presently. |
| BENEDICK
|
Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?
|
| BEATRICE
|
[Unmasking] I answer to that name. What is your will?
|
| BENEDICK
|
Do not you love me? |
| BEATRICE
|
Why, no; no more than reason.
|
| BENEDICK
|
Why, then your uncle and the prince and Claudio
Have been deceived; they swore you did. |
| BEATRICE
|
Do not you love me? |
| BENEDICK
|
Troth, no; no more than reason.
|
| BEATRICE
|
Why, then my cousin Margaret and Ursula
Are much deceived; for they did swear you did. |
| BENEDICK
|
They swore that you were almost sick for me.
|
| BEATRICE
|
They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.
|
| BENEDICK
|
'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?
|
| BEATRICE
|
No, truly, but in friendly recompense.
|
| LEONATO
|
Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.
|
| CLAUDIO
|
And I'll be sworn upon't that he loves her;
For here's a paper written in his hand,
A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,
Fashion'd to Beatrice. |
| HERO |
And here's another
Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick. |
| BENEDICK
|
A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts.
Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take
thee for pity. |
| BEATRICE
|
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. |
| BENEDICK
|
Peace! I will stop your mouth.
|
| |
[Kissing her] |
| DON PEDRO
|
How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?
|
| BENEDICK
|
I'll tell thee what, prince; a college of
wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humour. Dost
thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No:
if a man will be beaten with brains, a' shall wear
nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do
purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any
purpose that the world can say against it; and
therefore never flout at me for what I have said
against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my
conclusion. For thy part, Claudio, I did think to
have beaten thee, but in that thou art like to be my
kinsman, live unbruised and love my cousin. |
| CLAUDIO
|
I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice,
that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy single
life, to make thee a double-dealer; which, out of
question, thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look
exceedingly narrowly to thee. |
| BENEDICK
|
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. |
| LEONATO
|
We'll have dancing afterward.
|
| BENEDICK
|
First, of my word; therefore play, music. Prince,
thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife:
there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn. |
| |
[Enter a Messenger] |
| Messenger
|
My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight,
And brought with armed men back to Messina. |
| BENEDICK
|
Think not on him till to-morrow:
I'll devise thee brave punishments for him.
Strike up, pipers. |
| |
[Dance] |
| |
[Exeunt] |
