But Margaret was in some fault for this; Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Bene. And so am I, being else by faith enforc'd To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves; And, when I send for you, come hither mask'd: Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. To bind me, or undo me; one of them.Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. Leon. That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most true. Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her. Leon. The sight whereof, I think, you had from me, From Claudio, and the prince: But what's your will? Bene. Your answer, sir, is enigmatical : passage in Hamlet, Act ii. sc. 2, thus: "And indeed, it goes so heavenly with my disposition, that this goodly frame the Earth seems to me a steril promontory." And he thinks heavenly is as certainly a misprint for heavily in one case as in the other. H. Leon. My heart is with your liking. Here come the prince and Claudio. And my help Enter Don PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly. We here attend you: Are you yet determin'd Claud. I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope. Leon. Call her forth, brother: here's the Friar [Exit ANTONIO. ready. D. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick: Why, what's the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness? Claud. I think he thinks upon the savage bull: '— 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. Bene. Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low: And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow, And got a calf in that same noble feat, Much like to you, for you have just his bleat. Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked. Claud. For this I owe you here come other reckonings. Which is the lady I must scize upon? Leon. This same is she, and I do give you her Still alluding to the passage quoted from The Spanish Trage dy, in the first scene of the play. 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 liv'd, I was your other wife: [Unmasking, And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero? Hero. Nothing certainer : One Hero died defil'd; but I do live, And, surely as I live, I am a maid. D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead! Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd. 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: Mean time, let wonder seem familiar, And to the chapel let us presently. Bene. Soft and fair, Friar. - Which is Beatrice? Beat. I answer to that name: [Unmasking.] What is your will? Bene. Do not you love me? Beat. Why, no; no more than reason. Bene. Why, then your uncle, and the prince, and Claudio, have been deceived: they swore you did. Beat. Do not you love me? Bene. Troth, no; no more than reason. Beat. Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula, Are much deceiv'd; for they did swear you did. Bene. They swore that you were almost sick for me. Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense. Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gen-tleman. Claud. And I'll be sworn upon't, that he loves her; For here's a paper, written in his hand, A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Hero. And here's another, Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket, Containing her affection unto Benedick. 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 witcrackers 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 conclu sion. 1. For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but, in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruis'd, and love my cousin. Claud. I had well hop'd, thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgell'd thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of question, thou 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. Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. 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.3 Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina. Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow: I'll devise thee brave punishments for him.-Strike up, pipers ! [Dance. Exeunt. ? Because. 3 Divers commentators think there is an allusion here to the staff used in the ancient trial by wager of battle. But Benedick is evidently regarding marriage as a staff, such a support as human infirmity often needs in the walk of life. And because the staff was used to be tipped with horn, he must needs have a final flout at the horn as emblematic of what he has all along regarded as the destiny of married men. Chaucer's Sompnou describes one of his friars as having a "scrippe and tipped staf," and he adds that "his felaw had a staf tipped with horn." H. |