d Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. ll you come presently?

Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior?

Bene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried thy eyes; and moreover I will go with thee to thy uncle's.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. A church.

Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and three or four with tapers. Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato ?

Lord. It is, my lord.

Claud. [Reading out of a scroll.]

Pedro. Good morrow, masters; put your torches out; The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle day, e the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. ks to you all, and leave us, fare you well. cud.

Good morrow, masters, each his several way. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds; -hen to Leonato's we will go.

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Claud. And Hymen now with luckier issue speed's Than this for whom we rendered up this woe.

SCENE IV. A room in LEONATO's house.

Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, FRIAR FRANCIS, and HERO.

Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.
Bene. And so am I, being else by faith enforced
To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.

Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all,
Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,
And when I send for you, come hither mask'd.

Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent?

Leon. 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.

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.

Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
Bene. Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.
Friar. To do what, signior?

Bene. 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.

[Exeunt.

Bene. 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.
Leon. My heart is with your liking,
Friar.

Here comes the prince and Claudio.

[Exeunt Ladies.

Leon.

That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most true.
Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her.
Leon. The sight whereof, I think you had from me,
From Claudio and the prince; but what's your will?

And my help.

10

Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, and two or three others.
D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly,
Leon. Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio:
We here attend you. Are you yet determined

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30

Hay to marry with my brother's daughter?
laud. I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope.
zon. Call her forth, brother; here's the friar ready.

Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick. matter,

you have such a February face,

ull of frost, of storm and cloudiness?

[Exit Antonio. Why, what's the 40

laud. I think he thinks upon the savage bull.

, fear not, man; we'll tip thy horns with gold all Europa shall rejoice at thee,

nce Europa did at lusty Jove,

n he would play the noble beast in love.

ne. Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;

some such strange bull leaped your father's cow,

got a calf in that same noble feat

En like to you, for you have just his bleat.

aud. For this I owe you: here comes other reckonings. Re-enter ANTONIO with the Ladies masked.

on. No, that you shall not, till you take her hand

re this friar, and swear to marry her.

ch is the lady I must seize upon?

at. This same is she, and I do give you her.

aud. Why, then she's mine. Sweet, let me see your face.

aud. Give me your hand; before this holy friar, your husband, if you like of me.

ro. And when I lived, I was your other wife.

Unmasking.

when you loved, you were my other husband. aud. Another Hero!

70.

Nothing certainer: Hero died defiled, but I do live, surely as I live, I am a maid.

Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead!
on. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived.

Ear. All this amazement can I qualify;

after that the holy rites are ended, ll you largely of fair Hero's death: time let wonder seem familiar,

to the chapel let us presently.

e. Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice? at. [Unmasking] I answer to that name. will?

e. Do not you love me?

t.

50

Why, no; no more than reason.

What is your

Bene. Why, then your uncle and the prince and Claudio Have been deceived; they swore you did.

Beat. Do not you love me?

Bene.
Troth, no; no more than reason.
Beat. Why, then my cousin Margaret and Ursula
Are much deceived; for they did swear you did.

Bene. They swore that you were alınost sick for me.
Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.
Bene. 'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?
Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense.

Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.
Claud. And I'll be sworn upon't that he loves her;
For here's a paper written in his own 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.

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90

Bene. A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee; but by this light, I take thee for pity.

Beat. 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.

Bene. Peace! I will stop your mouth.

[Kissing her.

D. Pedro. How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?

Bene. 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.

Claud. 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, thon wilt be, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee.

Bene. 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. 121

Leon. We'll have dancing afterward.

Bene. First, of my word; therefore play, music.

Prince,

art sad; get thee a wife; get thee a wife; there is no more reverend than one tipped with horn.

Enter a Messenger.

ss. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, brought with armed men back to Messina.

ne. Think not on him till to-morrow; I'll devise thee e punishments for him. Strike up, pipers. 130

[Dance. Exeunt.