The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare

Both strength of limb, and policy of mind,
Ability in means, and choice of friends,
To quit me of them throughly.
Friar.

Pause a while,

And let my counsel sway you in this case.
Your daughter here the princes left for dead;
Let her a while be secretly kept in,
And publish it, that she is dead indeed:
Maintain a mourning ostentation:
And on your family's old monument
Hang mournful epitaphs, and do all rites
That appertain unto a burial.

Leon. What shall become of this? What will
this do?
[behalf

Friar. Marry, this, well carried, shall on her
Change slander to remorse; that is some good:
But not for that, dream I on this strange course,
But on this travail look for greater birth.
She dying, as it must be so maintain'd,
Upon the instant that she was accus'd,
Shall be lamented, pitied, and excus'd,
Of every hearer: For it so falls out,
That what we have we prize not to the worth,
Whiles we enjoy it; but being lack'd and lost,
Why, then we rack1 the value; then we find
The virtue, that possession would not show us
Whiles it was ours: - So will it fare with Claudio:
When he shall hear she died upon his words,
The idea of her life shall swectly creep
Into his study of imagination;
And every lovely organ of her life
Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit,
More moving-delicate, and full of life,
Into the eye and prospect of his soul,
Than when she liv'd indeed:-then shall hemourn,
And wish he had not so accus'd her;

No, though he thought his accusation true.
Let this be so, and doubt not but success
Will fashion the event in better shape
Than I can lay it down in likelihood.
But if all aim but this be levell'd false,
The supposition of the lady's death
Will quench the wonder of her infamy:
And, if it sort not well, you may conceal her
(As best befits her wounded reputation)
In some reclusive and religious life,

Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries.
Ben. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you:
And though, you know, my inwardness 2 and love
Is very much unto the prince and Claudio,
Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this
As secretly, and justly, as your soul
Should with your body.

Leon.

Being that I flow in grief,

The smallest twine may lead me.

Friar. "Tis well consented; presently away; For to strange sores strangely they strain the

Bene. Surely, I do believe your fair cousin is

wrong'd.

Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me, that would right her!

Ben. Is there any way to show such friendship? Beat. A very even way, but no such friend. Bene. May a man do it?

Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours. Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as you: Is not that strange?

Beat. As strange as the thing I know not: It were as possible for me to say, I loved nothing so well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing:I am sorry for my cousin.

Bene. By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me. Beat. Do not swear by it, and eat it. Bene. I will swear by it, that you love me; and I will make him eat it, that says I love not you.

Beat. Will you not eat your word?

Bene. With no sauce that can be devised to it: I protest, I love thee.

Beat. Why then, heaven forgive me!
Bene. What offence, sweet Beatrice.

Beat. You have staid me in a happy hour; I

was about to protest, I loved you.

Bene. And do it with all thy heart.

Beat. I love you with so much of my heart,

that none is left to protest.

Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee. Beat. Kill Claudio.

Bene. Ha! not for the wide world.

Beat. You kill me to deny it! Farewell.
Bene. Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, though I am here:-There is no love in you:-Nay, I pray you, let me go. Bene. Beatrice,

Beat. In faith, I will go.
Bene. We'll be friends first.

Beat. You dare easier be friends with me,

than fight with mine enemy.

Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy?

Beat. Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?-O, that I were a man! What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands; and then with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour, -0, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. Bene. Hear me, Beatrice;--

Beat. Talk with a man out at a window?-a proper saying!

Bene. Nay, but, Beatrice;-

Beat. Sweet Hero!-she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.

Bene. Beat

Beat. Princes and counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect; 2 a sweet gallant, surely! O, that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and swears it:-I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving. 2 A sugar nobleman.

1 Over-rate.

2 Intimacy.

1 Noblemen,

Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: By this hand, I love thee.

Beat. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.

Bene. Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wrong'd Hero?

Beat. Yea, as sure as I have a thought, or a soul.

Bene. Enough, I am engaged, I will challenge him; I will kiss your hand, and so leave you: By this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account: As you hear of me, so think of me. Go, comfort your cousin: I must say, she is dead; and so, farewell.

SCENE II.-A PRISON.

[Exeunt.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, and Sexton, in gowns;
and the Watch, with Conrade and Borachio.
Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appeared?
Verg. O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton!
Sexton. Which be the malefactors?

Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhihition to examine.

Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? let them come before master constable.

Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me. What is your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

Dogb. Pray write down-Borachio.-Yours,
sirrah?
Con. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is
Conrade.

Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you
can deny. Prince John is this morning secretly
stolen away; Hero was in this manner accused,
in this very manner refused, and upon the grief
of this suddenly died.-Master constable, let
these men be bound, and brought to Leonato's;
I will go before, and show him their examina-
tion.
[Exit.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinioned.
Verg. Let them be in band.

Con. Off, coxcomb.

Dogb. Where's the sexton; let him write down -the prince's officer, coxcomb. Come, bind them:Thou naughty varlet!

Con. Away! you are an ass, you are an ass. Dogb. Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years?-O that he were here to write me down-an ass-but, masters, remember that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass. -No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow; and, which is more, an officer; and, which is more, a householder; and, which is more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any is in Messina; and one that knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath had losses; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him:--Bring him away. O, that [Exeunt.

D. Write down-master gentleman Conrade. -Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false-knaves; and it will go near to be thought so shortly. How answer you for your-1 had been writ down-an ass. selves?

Con. Marry, sir, we say we are none.

Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah: a word in your ear, sir; I say to you, it is thought you are false knaves.

Bora, Sir, I say to you, we are none.

Dogb. Well, stand aside.-They are both in a tale. Have you writ down that they are none? Sexton. Master constable, you go not the way to examine: you must call forth the watch that are their accusers.

Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eftest1 way:-Let the watch come forth. --Masters, I charge you, in the prince's name, accuse these men.

1 Watch. This man said, sir, that Don John, the prince's brother, was a villain.

Dogb. Write down-Prince John a villain :Why this is flat perjury to call a prince's brother -villain.

Bora. Master constable,

Act Fifth.

SCENE I.- BEFORE LEONATO'S HOUSE.
Enter Leonato and Antonio.

Ant. If you go on thus, you will kill yourself;
And 'tis not wisdom, thus to second grief
Against yourself.

Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel,
Which falls into mine ears as profitless
As water in a sieve; give not me counsel;
Nor let no comforter delight mine ear,
But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine.
Bring me a father, that so lov'd his child,
Whose joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine,
And bid him speak of patience;

Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it answer every strain for strain;

Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like A's thus for thus, and such a grief for such, thy look, I promise thee.

Sexton. What heard you him say else?

2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thou sand ducats of Don John, for accusing the lady Hero wrongfully.

Dogb. Flat burglary as ever was committed. 1 Quickest.

In every lineament, branch, shape, and form:
If such a one will smile, and stroke his beard:
Cry-sorrow, wag! and hem, when he should
groan;
[drunk
Patch grief with proverbs, make misfortune
With candle-wasters; bring him yet to me,
And I of him will gather patience.

But there is no such man: For, brother, men
Can counsel, and speak comfort to that grief
Which they themselves not feel; but tastingit,
Their counsel turns to passion, which before
Would give preceptial medicine to rage,
Fetter strong madness in a silken thread,
Charm ache with air, and agony with words:
No, no: 'tis all men's office to speak patience
To those that wring under the load of sorrow,
But no man's virtue, nor sufficiency,
To be so moral, when he shall endure
The like himself: therefore give me no counsel:
My griefs cry louder than advertisement.1

Ant. Therein do men from children nothing
differ.
[blood:

Leon. I pray thee, peace: I will be flesh and For there was never yet philosopher, That could endure the tooth-ache patiently; However they have writ the style of gods, And made a pish at chance and sufferance. Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself; Make those, that do offend you, suffer too.

Leon. There thou speak'st reason: nay, I will do so:

My soul doth tell me, Hero is belied;
And that shall Claudio know, so shall the prince,
And all of them that thus dishonour her.

Enter Don Pedro and Claudio.
Ant. Here comes the prince, and Claudio,
D. Pedro. Good den, good den.
[hastily.
Claud.

Good day to both of you.

Leon. Hear you, my lords,

D. Pedro. We have some haste, Leonato. Leon. Some haste, my lord!-well, fare you well, my lord:

Are you so hasty now? well, all is one.

D. Pedro. Nay, do not quarrel with us, good old man.

Thou, thou dost wrong me: thou dissembler, thou:

Nay never lay thy hand upon thy sword,
I fear thee not.

Claud.

Marry, beshrew my hand,

If it should give your age such cause of fear:
In faith, my hand meant nothing to my sword.
L. Tush, tush, man, never fleer and jest at me:
I speak not like a dotard, nor a fool;
As, under privilege of age, to brag
What I have done being young, or what would do
Were I not old: Know, Claudio, to thy head,
Thou hast so wrong'd mine innocent child and
That I am forc'd to lay my reverence by; [me,
And, with grey hairs, and bruise of many days,
Do challenge thee to trial of a man.

I say, thou hast belied mine innocent child; Thy slander hath gone through and through her heart,

And she lies buried with her ancestors:
O! in a tomb where never scandal slept,
Save this of hers fram'd by thy villainy!

Claud. My villainy!

D. Pedro. You say not right, old man. Leon. My lord, my lord, I'll prove it on his body, if he dare; Despite his nice fence, and his active practice, His May of youth, and bloom of lustyhood.

Claud. Away, I will not have to do with you. Leon. Canst thou so daff1 me? Thou hast

kill'd my child;

If thou kill'st me, boy, thou shalt kill a man. Ant. He shall kill two of us, and men indeed: But that's no matter; let him kill one first ;Win me and wear me, let him answer me,Come, follow me, boy; come, boy, follow me: Sir boy, I'll whip you from your foining2 fence; Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will.

Leon. Brother,

Ant. Content yourself: Heaven knows, I lov'd my niece;

And she is dead, slander'd to death by villains;
That dare as well answer a man, indeed,
As I dare take a serpent by the tongue?
Boys, apes, braggarts, Jacks, milksops!-
Leon.

Brother Antony, Ant. Hold you content; What, man! I know them, yea, [scruple: And what they weigh, even to the utmost Scrambling, out-facing, fashion-mong'ring boys, [slander, That lie and cog, and flout, 5 deprave and Go antickly, and show outward hideousness, And speak of half a dozen dangerous words, How they might hurt their enemies, if they And this is all.

Leon. But, brother Antony,一
Ant.

[durst,

Come, 'tis no matter;

Do not you meddle, let me deal in this.

D. Pedro. Gentlemen both, we will not wake your patience.

My heart is sorry for your daughter's death;
But, on my honour, she was charg'd with nothing
But what was true, and very full of proof.
Leon. My lord, my lord, -
D. Pedro.
Leon.

No?

I will not hear you.

And shall,

Brother, away:-I will be heard ;-
Ant.

Or some of us will smart for it.

[Exeunt Leonato and Antonio. Enter Benedick.

D. P. See, see; here comes the man we went Claud. Now, signior! what news? [to seek. Bene. Good day, my lord.

D. Pedro. Welcome, signior: You are almost come to part almost a fray.

Claud. We had like to have had our two noses snapped off with two old men without teeth. D. Pedro. Leonato and his brother: What think'st thou? Had we fought, I doubt we should have been too young for them.

Bene. In a false quarrel there is no true valour. I came to seek you both.

Claud. We have been up and down to seek thee; for we are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: Wilt thou use

Thine, Claudio; thine I say.

Leon.

thy wit?

1 Admonition.

1 Put me aside.
2 Thrusting.

3 Turbulent.
4 Cheat.

5 Mock.

Bene. It is in my scabbard; shall I draw it? D. Pedro. Dost thou wear thy wit at thy side? Claud. Never any did so, though very many have been beside their wit. -I will bid thee draw, as we do the minstrels; draw, to pleasure us. D. Pedro. As I am an honest man, he looks pale:-Art thou sick, or angry?

Claud. What! courage, man! What though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in

thee to kill care.

Bene. Sir, I shall meet your wit in the career, an you charge it against me:---I pray you, choose another subject.

Claud. Nay, then give him another staff; this last was broke cross.

D. Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more; I think, he be angry indeed.

Claud. If he be, he knows howto turn his girdle. Bene. Shall I speak a word in your car? Claud. Heaven bless me from a challenge! Bene. You are a villain; -I jest not:-I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare:-Do me right, or I will protest your cowardice. You have killed a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you: Let me hear from you.

Claud. Well, I will meet you, so I may have good cheer.

D. Pedro. What, a feast? a feast?

Claud. I'faith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calf's head and a capon; the which if I do not carve most curiously, say, my knife's naught.Shall I not find a woodcock too?

Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily. D. Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice praised thy wit the other day: I said, thou hadst a fine wit: True, says she, a fine little one: No, said I, a great wit; Right, says she, a great gross one: Nay, said I, a good wit; Just, says she, it hurts nobody: Nay, said I, the gentleman 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 morning; there's a double tongue, there's two tongues. Thus did she, an hour together, trans-shape thy particular virtues; yet, at last, she concluded with a sigh, thou wast the properest man in Italy.

Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said, she cared not.

D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly: the old man's daughter told us all. Claud. All, all.

D. Pedro. But when shall we set the savage bull's horns on the sensible Benedick's head?

Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man?

Bene. Fare you well, boy; you know my mind; I will leave you now to your gossip-like humour: you break jests as braggarts dotheir blades, which hurt not. My lord, for your many courtesies, I thank you: I must discontinue your company: your brother, the bastard, is fled from Messina: you have, among you, killed asweet and innocent lady: For my lord lack-beard, there, he and I shall meet; and till then, peace be with him. [Exit Benedick.

Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to such a man.

D. Pedro. But, soft you, let be; pluck up, my heart, and be sad. 1 Did he not say, my brother was fled?

Dogb. Come, you, sir; if justice cannot tame you, she shall ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance; nay, an you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must be looked to.

D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one!

Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord! D. Pedro. Officers, what offence have these men done?

Dogb. Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.

D. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; sixth and lastly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge?

Cl. Rightly reasoned, and in his own division; and, by my troth, there's one meaning well suited.

D. Pedro. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned constable is too cunning to be understood: What's your offence?

Bora. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer; do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes; what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light; who, in the night, overheard me confessing to this man, how Don John your brother incensed me to slander the lady Hero: how you were brought into the orchard, and saw me court Margaret in Hero's garment; how you disgraced her, when you should marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which I had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to my shame: the lady is dead upon mine and my master's false accusation; and, briefly, I desire nothing but the reward of a villain.

D. Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through your blood?

Cl. I have drunk poison, whiles he utter'd it. D. Pedro. But did my brother set thee on to [tice of it.

this?

Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the prac. D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treaAnd fled he is upon this villainy. [chery :Cl. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare semblance that I loved it first. Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this

1 Serious.

2 Incitod.

time our sexton hath reformed signior Leonato of the matter: And, masters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass.

Verg. Here, here comes master signior Leonato, and the sexton too.

Re-enter Leonato and Antonio, with the Sexton. Leon. Which is the villain? Let me see his eyes;

That when I note another man like him,
I may avoid him: Which of these is he?

Bora. If you would know your wronger, look

on me.

Bora.

Leon. Art thou the slave, that with thy breath Mine innocent child? [hast kill'd Yea, even I alone. Leon. No, not so, villain; thou bely'st thyself; Here stand a pair of honourable men. A third is fled, that had a hand in it:I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death; Record it with your high and worthy deeds; 'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it.

Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, Yet I must speak: Choose your revenge yourself; Impose me to what penance your invention Can lay upon my sin: yet sinn'd I not,

But in mistaking. D. Pedro.

By my soul, nor I;
And yet, to satisfy this good old man,
I would bend under any heavy weight
That he'll enjoin me to.

Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live,
That were impossible: but, I pray you both,
Possess1 the people in Messina here
How innocent she died: and, if your love
Can labour aught in sad invention,
Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb,
And sing it to her bones; sing it to-night :--
To-morrow morning come you to my house;
And since you could not be my son-in-law,
Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daughter,
Almost the copy of my child that's dead,
And she alone is heir to both of us;
Give her the right you should have given her
And so dies my revenge.
[cousin,

Claud.

O, noble sir, Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me! I do embrace your offer; and dispose For henceforth of poor Claudio.

L. To-morrow then I will expect your coming; To-night I take my leave. This naughty man Shall face to face be brought to Margaret, Who, I believe, was pack'd2 in all this wrong, Hir'd to it by your brother.

Bora.

No, by my soul, she was not; Nor knew not what she did, when she spoke to me; But always hath been just and virtuous, In any thing that I do know by her.

Dogb. Moreover, sir (which, indeed, is not under white and black), this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me 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; the which he

hath used so long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend nothing: Pray you, examine him upon that point.

Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains.

Dogb. Your worship speaks like a most thankful and reverend youth.

Leon. There's for thy pains. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner, and I thank thee.

Dogb. I leave an arrant knave with your worship; which, I beseech your worship, to correct yourself, for the example of others. I wish your worship well: I humbly give you leave to depart. Come, neighbour.

[Exeunt Dogberry, Verges, and Watch. L. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell. Ant. Farewell, my lords; we look for you toD. Pedro. We will not fail. [morrow. Claud. To-night I'll mourn with Hero. [Exeunt Don Pedro and Claudio.

Leon. Bring you these fellows on; we'll talk with Margaret,

How her acquaintance grew with this lewd 1 fellow. [Exeunt,

That sits above,

And knows me, and knows me,
How pitiful I deserve, -

I mean, in singing: but in loving. - Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of pandars, and a whole book full of these quondam carpet-mongers, whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse, why, they were never so truly turned over and over as my poor self, in love: Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme; I have tried; I can find out no rhyme to lady but baby, an innocent rhyme; for scorn, horn, a hard rhyme; for school, 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.

Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I called thee?

Beat. Yea, signior, and depart when you bid Bene. O, stay but till then! [me.

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 be tween you and Claudio.

1 Acquaint.

2 Confederate.

1 Wicked.

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