DON PEDRO

Good signior Leonato, are you come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is, to avoid cost, and you in counter it. You embrace your charge too willingly: I think this is your daughter. You have it full Benedicke, we may guess by this, what you are, being a man, truly the Lady father's her self: be happy Lady, for you are Like and honourable father. That is the sum of all: Leonato, signior Claudio, and signior Benedicke, my deer friend Leonato, hath invited you all, I tell him we shall stay here, at the least a month and he heartily prays some occasion may detain us longer, I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart. Your hand Leonato, we will go together. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonatoes? I charge thee on thy allegiance. Amen, if you love her, for the Lady is very well worthy. By my troth I speak my thought. That she is worthy, I know. Thou wast ever and obstinate heretic in the de spite of Beauty. I shall see thee ere I die, look pale with love. Well, if ever thou dost fallen from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument. Well, as time shall try: in time the savage bull does bear the yoke. Nay, if Cupid have not spent all his quiver in We nice, thou wilt quake for this shortly. Well, you will temporize with the hours, in the mean time, good signior Benedicke, repair to Leonatoes, commend me to him, and tell him I will not fail him at sup per, for indeed he hath made great preparation. The sixth of July: your loving friend Benedicke. 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. No child but Hero, she's his only heir: Dost thou affect her Claudio? Thou wilt be Like a lover presently, And tire the hearer with a book of words, If thou dost love fair Hero, cherish it, And I will break with his, and with her father, And thou shalt have her: wast not to this end, That thou beganst to twist so fine a story? What needs the bridge much brother then the flood? The fairest grant is the necessity: Look what will serve is fit: 'tis once, thou love, And I will fit thee with the remedy, I know we shall have revelling to night, I will assume thy partly in some disguise, And tell fair Hero I am Claudio, And in her bosom isle unclasp my heart, And take her hearing prisoner with the force And strong encounter of my amorous tale: Then after to her father will I break, And the conclusion is, she shall be thine, In practice let us put it presently. Lady will you walk about with your friend? With me in your company. And when please you to say so? My visor is Philemons roof, within the house is Jove. Speak low if you speak love. Now signior where the Count, did you see him? To be whipped, whats his fault? Wilt thou make a trust a transgression? the transgress sion is in the stealer. I will but teach them to sing, and restore them to the owner. The lady Beatrice hath a quarrel to you, the Gen tleman that danced with her, told her she is much wronged by you. Look here she comes. None, but to desire your good company. Come Lady, come, you have lost the heart of signi or Benedicke. You have put him down Lady, you have put him down. Why how now Count, wherefore are you sad? How then? sick? I faith Lady, I think your blazon to be true, though isle be sworn, if he be so his conceit is false: here Claudio, I have wooed in thy name, and fair Hero is wone, I have broke with her father, and his good will obtained, name the day of marriage, and God give thee joy. Infaith lady you have a merry heart. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one. She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband. Will you have me? lady. Your silence most offends me, and to be merry, best becomes you, for out a question, you were born in a merry hour. By my troth a pleasant spirited lady. She were and excellent wife for Benedick. County Claudio, when mean you to go to church? Come you shake the head at so long a breathing, but I warrant thee Claudio, the time shall not go dully by us, I will in the interim, undertake one of Hercules labors, which is, to bring Signior Benedick and the lady Beatrice into a mon taine of affection, th'one with th'other, I would feign have it a match, and I doubt not but to fashion it, if you three will but minister such assistance as I shall give you direction. And you too gentle Hero? And Benedicke is not the unhopefullest husband that I know: thus far can I praise him, he is of a noble strain, of approved valour, and confirmde honesty, I will teach you how to humour your cousin, that she shall fall in love with Be nedicke, and I, with your two helps, will so practice on Be Dick, that in despite of his quick wit, and his queasy sto macke, he shall fallen in love with Beatrice: if we can do this, Cum bid is no longer and Archer, his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love-gods, go in with me, and I will tell you my drift. Come shall we hear this music? See you where Benedicke hath hid himself? Come Balthaser, weel hear that song again. It is the witness still of excellency, To put a strange face on his own perfection, I pray thee sing, and let me woo no more. Nay pray thee come, Or if thou wilt hold longer argument, Do it in notes. Why these are very crotchets that he speaks, Note notes forsooth and nothing. By my tr that a good song. Would , thou singest well enough for a shift. Yea marry, dost thou hear Balthazar? I pray thee get some excellent music: for to morrow night we would have it at the lady Heroes chamber window. Do so, farewell. Come hither Leonato, what was it y u to worser me of to day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with S nior Benedicke? May be she does but counterfeit. Why what effects of passion shows she? How how I pray you! you amaze me, I would have thought her spirit had been invincible against all assaults of affection. Hath she made her affection known to Be Dick? It were good that Benedicke knew of it by some oh there, if she will not discover it. And he should, it were and alms to hang him she's and excellent sweet lady, and (out of all suspicion,) she is virtue ous. In every thing but in loving Benedicke. I would she had bestowed this dotage on me, I would have daft all other respects, and made her half my self: I pray you tell Benedicke of it, and hear what a will say. She does well, if she should make tender of her love, 'tis very possible heel scorn it, for the man (as you know all) hath a contempt ble spirit. He hath indeed a good outward happiness. He doth indeed show some sparks that are Like wit. 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 christi anlike fear. And so will he do, for the man does fear God, howsoever it seems not in him, by some large jests he will make: well I am sorry for your niece, shall we go seek Be Dick, and tell him of her love? Well, we will hear further of it by your daughter, let it cool the while, I love Benedicke well and I could wish he would modestly examine himself, to see how much he is unworthy so good a lady. Let there be the same net spread for her, and that must your daughter and her gentlewomen carry: the sport will be, when they hold one and opinion of and others dotage, and no such matter, thats the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumb show: let us send her to call him in to dinner. I do but stay till your marriage be consummate, and then go I towards Arragon. Nay that would be as great a soil in the new gloss of your marriage, as to show a child his new coat and forbid him to wear it, I will only be bold with Benedick for his come pany, for from the crown of his head, to the sole of his foot, he is all mirth, he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bowstring, and the little hangman dare not shoot at him, he hath a heart as found as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper, for what his heart thinks, his tongue speaks. Hang him truant, theres no true drop of blood in him to be truly touched with love, if he be sad, he wants more ney. Draw it. What? sighs for the toothache. There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguises, as to be a Dutchman to day, a Frenchman to morrow, or in the shape of two countries at once, as a Germane from the waste downward, all slops, and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet: un less he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is. Hath any man seen him at the Barbers? Nay a rubs himself with civit, can you smell him out by that? Yea or to paint himself? for the which I hear what they say of him. Indeed that tells a heavy tale for him: conclude, con clude he is in love. That would I know too, I warrant one that knows him not. She shall be buried with her face upwards. For my life to break with him about Beatrice. Good den brother. In private? Whats the matter? You know he does. Why whats the matter? I will not think it. And as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee, to disgrace her. Oh day untowardly turned! What should I speak? I stand dishonourd that have gone about, To link my deer friend to a common stale. Why then are you no maiden. Leonato, I am sorry you must hear: upon mine honour, My self, my brother, and this grieved Count Did see her, hear her, at that hour last night, Talk with a ruffian at her chamber window, Who hath indeed most Like a liberal villain, Confessed the vile encounters they have had A thousand times in secret. Good den, good den. We have some haste Leonato. Nay do not quarrel with us, good old man. You say not right old man. Gentlemen both, we will not wake your patience, My heart is sorry for your daughters death: But on my honour she was charged with nothing But what was true, and very full of proof. I will not hear you. See see, here comes the man we went to seek. Welcome signior, you are almost come to part all most a fray. Leonato and his brother what thinkest thou? had we sought, I doubt we should have been too young for them. Dost thou wear thy wit by thy side? As I am and honest man he looks pale, art thou si ke, or angry? By this light, he changes more and more, I think he be angry indeed. What, a feast, a feast? I'll tell thee how Beatrice praised thy wit the other day: I said thou hadst a fine wit, true said she, a fine little one: no said I, a great wit: right says she, a great gross one: nay said I, a good wit, joust said she, it hurts no body: nay said I, the gen tleman is wise: certain said she, a wise gentleman: nay said I, he hath the tongues: that I believe said she, for he swore a thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore on tuesday mor ning, theres a double tongue theirs two tongues, thus did she and hour together transshape thy particular virtues, yet at last she continued ̄ cluded with a sighs, thou wast the properest man in Italy. Yea that she did, but yet for all that, and if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly, the old men daughter told us all. But when shall we set the savage bulls horns one the sensible Benedicks head? He is in earnest. And hath challenge thee. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit! But soft you, let me be, pluck up my heart, and be sad, did he not say my brother was fled? How now, two of my brother's men bound? Bora Chio one. Officers, what offence have these men done? Who have you offended masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned Constable is too cunning to be understood, whats your offence? Runs not this speech Like iron through your blood? But did my brother set thee on to this? He is composed and framed of treachery, And fled he is upon this villainy. By my soul nor I, And yet to satisfy this good old man, I would bend under any heavy weight, That heel enjoin me to. We will not fail. Good morrow masters, put your torches out, The wolves have preyed, and look, the gentle day Before the wheels of Phœbus, round about Dapples the drowsy East with spots of gray: Thanks to you all, and leave us, fare you well. Come let us hence, and put on other weeds, And then to Leonatoes we will go. Good morrow to this fair assembly. The former Hero, Hero that is dead. How dost thou Benedicke the married man? First I ask thee what they have done, thirdly I ask thee whats their offence, sixth and lastly why they are come mitted, and to conclude, what you lay to their charge. Nothing, unless you render her again. Good morrow Bened why whats the matter? That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness.