Enter Leonato, Benedick, ⌜Beatrice,⌝ Margaret, Ursula,
⌜Leonato’s brother,⌝ Friar, Hero.FRIAR Did I not tell you she was innocent?LEONATO So are the Prince and Claudio, who accused her Upon the error that you heard debated. But Margaret was in some fault for this,5 Although against her will, as it appears In the true course of all the question.LEONATO’S BROTHER Well, I am glad that all things sorts so well.BENEDICK And so am I, being else by faith enforced To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.LEONATO 10 Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves, And when I send for you, come hither masked. The Prince and Claudio promised by this hour To visit me.—You know your office, brother.15 You must be father to your brother’s daughter, And give her to young Claudio.The ladies exit.
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LEONATO’S BROTHER Which I will do with confirmed countenance.BENEDICK Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.FRIAR To do what, signior?BENEDICK 20 To bind me, or undo me, one of them.— Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favor.LEONATO That eye my daughter lent her; ’tis most true.BENEDICK And I do with an eye of love requite her.LEONATO 25 The sight whereof I think you had from me, From Claudio, and the Prince. But what’s your will?BENEDICK Your answer, sir, is enigmatical. But for my will, my will is your goodwill May stand with ours, this day to be conjoined30 In the state of honorable marriage— In which, good friar, I shall desire your help.LEONATO My heart is with your liking.FRIAR And my help. Here comes the Prince and Claudio.Enter Prince, and Claudio, and two or three other.PRINCE 35Good morrow to this fair assembly.LEONATO Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio. We here attend you. Are you yet determined Today to marry with my brother’s daughter?CLAUDIO I’ll hold my mind were she an Ethiope.
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LEONATO 40 Call her forth, brother. Here’s the Friar ready.⌜Leonato’s brother exits.⌝PRINCE Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what’s the matter That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?CLAUDIO I think he thinks upon the savage bull.45 Tush, fear not, man. We’ll tip thy horns with gold, And all Europa shall rejoice at thee, As once Europa did at lusty Jove When he would play the noble beast in love.BENEDICK Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low,50 And some such strange bull leapt your father’s cow And got a calf in that same noble feat Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.CLAUDIO For this I owe you. Here comes other reck’nings.Enter ⌜Leonato’s⌝ brother, Hero, Beatrice, Margaret,
Ursula, ⌜the ladies masked.⌝ Which is the lady I must seize upon?LEONATO 55 This same is she, and I do give you her.CLAUDIO Why, then, she’s mine.—Sweet, let me see your face.LEONATO No, that you shall not till you take her hand Before this friar and swear to marry her.CLAUDIO, ⌜to Hero⌝ Give me your hand before this holy friar.⌜They take hands.⌝60 I am your husband, if you like of me.
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HERO And when I lived, I was your other wife, And when you loved, you were my other husband.⌜She unmasks.⌝CLAUDIO Another Hero!HERO Nothing certainer.65 One Hero died defiled, but I do live, And surely as I live, I am a maid.PRINCE The former Hero! Hero that is dead!LEONATO She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived.FRIAR All this amazement can I qualify,70 When after that the holy rites are ended, I’ll tell you largely of fair Hero’s death. Meantime let wonder seem familiar, And to the chapel let us presently.BENEDICK Soft and fair, friar.—Which is Beatrice?BEATRICE, ⌜unmasking⌝ 75 I answer to that name. What is your will?BENEDICK Do not you love me?BEATRICE Why no, no more than reason.BENEDICK Why then, your uncle and the Prince and Claudio Have been deceived. They swore you did.BEATRICE 80 Do not you love me?BENEDICK Troth, no, no more than reason.BEATRICE Why then, my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula Are much deceived, for they did swear you did.
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BENEDICK They swore that you were almost sick for me.BEATRICE 85 They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.BENEDICK ’Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?BEATRICE No, truly, but in friendly recompense.LEONATO Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.CLAUDIO And I’ll be sworn upon ’t that he loves her,90 For here’s a paper written in his hand, A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashioned to Beatrice.⌜He shows a paper.⌝HERO And here’s another, Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol’n from her pocket,95 Containing her affection unto Benedick.⌜She shows a paper.⌝BENEDICK A miracle! Here’s our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but by this light I take thee for pity.BEATRICE I would not deny you, but by this good day, I100 yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.⌜BENEDICK⌝ Peace! I will stop your mouth.⌜They kiss.⌝PRINCE How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?BENEDICK I’ll tell thee what, prince: a college of105 wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humor. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No. If a man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any110 purpose that the world can say against it, and
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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 my115 kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin.CLAUDIO I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgeled thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double-dealer, which out of question thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look120 exceeding narrowly to thee.BENEDICK 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.LEONATO We’ll have dancing afterward.BENEDICK 125First, 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 Messenger.MESSENGER, ⌜to Prince⌝ My lord, your brother John is ta’en in flight,130 And brought with armed men back to Messina.BENEDICK, ⌜to Prince⌝ Think not on him till tomorrow. I’ll devise thee brave punishments for him.—Strike up, pipers!⌜Music plays. They⌝ dance.⌜They exit.⌝
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