Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer. Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely. 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! Bene. Is there any way to show such friendship? 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, God 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 21 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 22, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?-O, that I were a man!-What! bear her in hand 23 until they come to take hands; and then with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour, O God, 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 24! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect25; 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 26, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, 21 i. e. I am in reality absent, for my heart is gone from you, I remain in. person before you.' 22 So, in K. Henry VIII.: ' He's a traitor to the height.' In præcipiti vitium stetit.-Juv. i. 149. 23 Delude her with false expectations. 24 Countie was the ancient term for a count or earl. 25 A specious nobleman made out of sugar. 26 Ceremonies. and trim ones too 27: 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. Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: By this hand, I love thee. Beat. Use it for swearing by it. Bene. Think you in your soul the count Claudio hath wronged 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, VERGES1, and Sexton, in gowns; and the Watch, with CONRADE and BORACHIO. Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appeared? Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibition to examine 2. 27 Trim seems here to signify apt, fair spoken. Tongue used in the singular, and trim ones in the plural, is a mode of construction not uncommon in Shakspeare. 1 Throughout this scene the names of Kempe and Cowley, two celebrated actors of the time, are put for Dogberry and Verges in the old editions. 2 This is a blunder of the constables, for examination to exhibit.' In the last scene of the third act Leonato says: 'Take their examination yourself and bring it me.' 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. Dogb. Write down-master gentleman Conrade. -Masters, do you serve God? Con. Bora. Yea, sir, we hope. Dogb. Write down-that they hope they serve God:-and write God first; for God defend but God should go before such villains!-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 yourselves. 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, is thought you are false knaves. Bora. Sir, I say to you, we are none. it Dogb. Well, stand aside.-'Fore God, 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 eftest 3 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. 3 i. e. the quickest way. Dogb. Write down-prince John a villain:Why this is flat perjury, to call a prince's brother -villain. Bora. Master constable, Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise thee. Sexton. What heard you him say else? 2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of Don John, for accusing the lady Hero wrongfully. Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed. Sexton. What else, fellow? 1 Watch. And that count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her. Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What else? 2 Watch. This is all. 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 examination. [Exit. Dogb. Come, let them be opinioned. Dogb. God's my life! where's the sexton? let 4 In the old copy this passage stands thus: Sexton. Let them be in the hands of Coxcomb.' Mr. Steevens proposed to read, 'Let them be in band.' That the speech should be thus divided and given to Verges and Conrad is evident. I believe it was so arranged at the suggestion of Mr. Tyrwhitt. VOL. II. S |