an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter; that's the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumb show. Let us send her to call him in to dinner. [Aside. [Exeunt DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and LEONATO. BENEDICK advances from the arbor. Bene. This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne.-They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady; it seems, her affections have their full bent. Love me! Why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured. They say, I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they say, too, that she will rather die than give any sign of affection.-I did never think to marry ; -I must not seem proud.-Happy are they that hear their detractions, and can put them to mending. They say the lady is fair;-'tis a truth; I can bear them witness and virtuous;-'tis so; I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me.-By my troth, it is no addition to her wit;-nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because I have railed so long against marriage ;-but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth 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 humor? 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 1 Seriously carried on. you take pains to thank me; if it had been painful, I would not have come. Bene. You take pleasure then 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, seignior; 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. 1 Hero. Good Margaret, run thee into the parlor ; 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, ripened by the sun, Forbid the sun to enter;-like favorites, 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. 1 Proposing is conversing, from the French propos, discourse, talk. 2 The folio reads purpose; the quarto propose, which appears to be right. See the preceding note. Marg. I'll make her come, I warrant you, presently. [Exit. Hero. Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth come, Of this matter 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 1 A hawk not trained to obedience; a wild hawk. Deserve as full, as fortunate a bed, As ever Beatrice shall couch upon ? Hero. O God of love! I know, he doth deserve 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, 3 If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds; Urs. Sure, sure, such carping is not commendable. Hero. No, nor to be so odd, and from all fashions, As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable. But who dare tell her so? If I should speak, 1 Undervaluing. 2 Alluding to the practice of witches in uttering prayers, i. e. misinterpret them. 3 An agate is often used metaphorically for a very diminutive person, in allusion to the figures cut in agate for rings, &c. 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. She cannot be so much without true judgment, (Having so swift and excellent a wit, As she is prized to have,) as to refuse Urs. I pray you, be not angry with me, madam, Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name. 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 limed, 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. BEATRICE advances. Beat. What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true? Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much? 1 i. e. discourse, or powers of reasoning. 2 i. e. ensnared. |