and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. Will 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 in 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 ? A Lord. It is, my lord. Claud. [Reading out of a scroll.] Done to death by slanderous tongues Gives her fame which never dies. So the life that died with shame Hang thou there upon the tomb, Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn. SONG. Pardon, goddess of the night, Those that slew thy virgin knight; Midnight, assist our moan; Help us to sigh and groan, Graves, yawn and yield your dead, Heavily, heavily. Claud. Now, unto thy bones good night! Yearly will I do this rite. D. Pedro. Good morrow, masters; put your torches out; The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. Thanks to you all, and leave us, fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, masters, each his several way. D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds; And then to Leonato's we will go. 10 20 31 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. [Exeunt. Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, FRIAR FRANCIS, and HERO. Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent? Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accused her But Margaret was in some fault for this, In the true course of all the question. Bene. Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. The prince and Claudio promised by this hour 10 [Exeunt Ladies. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. To bind me, or undo me; one of them. Leon. That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most true. But, for my will, my will is your good will In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. Here comes the prince and Claudio. And my help. 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 20 30 To-day to marry with my brother's daughter? D. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick. matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness? [Exit Antonio. Why, what's the 40 Claud. I think he thinks upon the savage bull. Tush, fear not, man; we'll tip thy horns with gold As once Europa did at lusty Jove, When he would play the noble beast in love. Bene. Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low; And some such strange bull leaped your father's cow, And got a calf in that same noble feat Much like to you, for you have just his bleat. 50 Claud. For this I owe you: here comes other reckonings. Re-enter ANTONIO with the Ladies masked. Which is the lady I must seize upon? Ant. This same is she, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then she's mine. Sweet, let me see your face. Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take her hand Before this friar and swear to marry her. Claud. 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. Hero. Nothing certainer: One Hero died defiled, but I do live, And surely as I live, I am a maid. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead! Friar. All this amazement can I qualify; When after that the holy rites are ended, I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death: And to the chapel let us presently. Bene. Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice? will? 60 70 What is your Why, no; no more than reason. Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. Bene. Why, then your uncle and the prince and Claudio Have been deceived; they swore you did. Beat. Do not you love me? Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman. A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashion'd to Beatrice. Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket, 80 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, 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. Mess. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina. Bane. Think not on him till to-morrow; I'll devise thee brave punishments for him. Strike up, pipers. 130 [Dance. Exeunt. |