that he cannot endure in his age: Shall quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain, awe a man from the career of his humour? No: The world must be peopled. When I said, I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Here comes Beatrice: By this day, she's a fair lady I do spy some marks of love in her. : Enter BEATRICE.. Beat. Against my will, I am sent to bid you come in to dinner. Bene. Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains. Beat. I took no more pains for those thanks, than you take pains to thank me; if it had been painful, I would not have come. Bene. You take pleasure in the message? Beat. Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point, and choke a daw withal:-You have no stomach, signior; fare you well. [Exit. Bene. Ha! Against my will I am sent to bid you come to dinner-there's a double meaning in that, I took no more pains for those thanks, than you took pains, to thank me-that's as much as to say, Any pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks :-If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew: I will go get her picture.. [Exit. ACT III. SCENE I. Leonato's Garden. Enter HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA. Hero. Good Margaret, run thee into the parlour; There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the Prince and Claudio: Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Ursula Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse Is all of her; say, that thou overheard'st us; And bid her steal into the pleached bower, Where honey-suckles, ripen'd by the sun, Forbid the sun to enter;-like favourites, Made proud by princes, that advance their pride Against that power that bred it:-there will she hide her, To listen our propose: This is thy office, Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone. Marg. I'll make her come, I warrant you, pre sently. [Exit. Hero. Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth come, To praise him more than ever man did merit: Is sick in love with Beatrice: Of this matter • Discoursing. Enter BBATRICE, behind. For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it.— [They advance to the bower. No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful; Urs. Hero. So says the prince, and my new-trothed lord. And never to let Beatrice know of it. Urs. Why did you so? Doth not the gentleman Deserve as full, as fortunate a bed, As ever Beatrice shall couch upon? Hero. O God of love! I know, he doth deserve As much as may be yielded to a man: But nature never fram'd a woman's heart 7 A species of hawks. Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice : All matter else seems weak: she cannot love, Urs. Sure, I think so; And therefore, certainly, it were not good Hero. Why, you speak truth: I never yet saw man, How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd, If speaking, why, a vane blown with all wind: Urs. Sure, sure, such carping is not commendable. Hero. No: not to be so odd, and from all fashions, As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable : But who dare tell her so? If I should speak, 8- Undervaluing. It were a better death than die with mocks; Urs. Yet tell her of it; hear what she will say. Urs. O, do not do your cousin such a wrong, Urs. I pray you, be not angry with me, madam, Speaking my fancy; signior Benedick, For shape, for bearing, argument,' and valour, Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name. . Urs. His excellence did earn it, ere he had it.When are you married, madam? Hero. Why, every day;-to-morrow: Come, go in; I'll show thee some attires; and have thy counsel, Which is the best to furnish me to-morrow. Urs. She's lim'd2 I warrant you; we have caught her, madam. Hero. If it prove so, then loving goes by haps: Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. [Exeunt HERO and URSULA. 9 Ready. I Conversation. 2 Ensnared with birdlime, |