21 Enter Leonato gouernour of Messina, Innogen his wife, Hero 32 his daughter, and Beatrice his neece, with a 55I Learne in this letter, that don Peter of Arragon
66comes this night to Me
ssina.
77Mess. He is very neare by this, he was not three
88leagues o
ff when I left him.
99Leona. How many gentlemen haue you lo
st in this a
ction?
1110Mess. But few of any
sort, and none of name.
1211Leona. A vi
ctory is twice it
selfe, when the atchiuer brings
1312home ful numbers: I
find here, that don Peter hath be
stowed
1413much honour on a yong Florentine called Claudio.
1614Mess. Much de
seru'd on his part, and equally remembred
1715by don Pedro, he hath borne him
selfe beyond the promi
se of
1816his age, doing in the
figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion, he hath
1917indeed better bettred expe
ctation then you mu
st expe
ct of me
2119Leo. He hath an vnckle here in Me
ssina will be very much
2321Mess. I haue already deliuered him letters, and there ap
- 2422peares much ioy in him, euen
so much, that ioy could not
shew
2523it
selfe mode
st enough, without a badge of bitterne
sse.
2724Leo. Did he breake out into teares?
2825Mess. In great mea
sure.
A2
2926Leo. A kind ouer
flow of kindne
sse, there are no faces truer
3027then tho
se that are
so wa
sht, how much better is it to weepe at
3128ioy, then to ioy at weeping?
3229Beatr. I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returnd from the
3431Messen. I know none of that name, ladie, there was none
3532such in the army of any
sort.
3633Leonato What is he that you a
ske for neece?
3734Hero My co
sen meanes Signior Benedicke of Padua.
3835Mess. O hee's returnd, and as plea
sant as euer he was.
3936Bea. He
set vp his bills here in Me
ssina, and challengde
4037Cupid at the Flight, and my vncles foole reading the chalenge
4138sub
scribde for Cupid, and challengde him at the Burbolt: I
4239pray you, how many hath he kild and eaten in the
se warres?
4340but how many hath he kild? for indeede I promi
sed to eate all
4542Leo. Faith neece you taxe Signior Benedicke too much,
4643but heele be meet with you, I doubt it not.
4744Mess. He hath done good
seruice lady in the
se warres.
4845Beat. You had mu
sty vittaile, and he hath holpe to eate it,
4946he is a very valiaunt trencher man, he hath an excellent
sto
- 5148Mess. And a good
souldier too, lady.
5249Beat. And a good
souldiour to a Lady, but what is he to a
5451Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man,
stu
fft with al hono
- 5653Beat. It is
so indeed, he is no le
sse then a
stuft man, but for
5754the
stu
ffing wel, we are al mortall.
5855Leo. You mu
st not,
sir, mi
stake my neece, there is a kind
5956of mery warre betwixt Signior Benedicke and her, they neuer
6057meet but there's a
skirmi
sh of wit betweene them.
6258Beat. Alas he gets nothing by that, in our la
st con
fli
ct, 4 of his
6359fiue wits went halting o
ff, and now is the whole man gouernd
6460with one,
so that if he haue wit enough to keep him
self warm,
6561let him beare it for a di
fference between him
self and his hor
se,
6662for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a rea
sona
- ble
about Nothing.
6863ble creature, who is his companion now? he hath euery month
6964a new
sworne brother.
7166Beat. Very ea
sily po
ssible, he weares his faith but as the fa
- 7267shion of his hat, it euer changes with the next blocke.
7368Mess. I
see lady the gentleman is not in your bookes.
7569Beat. No, and he were, I would burne my
study, but I pray
7670you who is his companion? is there no yong
squarer now that
7771will make a voyage with him to the diuell?
7972Mess. He is mo
st in the companie of the right noble Clau
- 8174Beat. O Lord, he will hang vpon him like a di
sea
se, hee is
8275sooner caught than the pe
stilence, and the taker runs pre
sent
- 8376ly madde, God help the noble Claudio, if he haue caught the
8477Benedi
ct, it will co
st him a thou
sand pound ere a be cured.
8678Mess. I will holde friends with you Ladie.
8779Beat. Do good friend.
8880Leon. You will neuer runne madde niece.
8981Beat. No, not till a hote Ianuary.
9082Mess. Don Pedro is approacht.
9183 Enter don Pedro, Claudio, Benedicke, Balthasar 9284and Iohn the bastard. 9385Pedro Good
signior Leonato, are you come to meet your
9486trouble: the fa
shion of the world is, to auoyd co
st, and you in
- 9688Leon. Neuer came trouble to my hou
se, in the likene
sse of
9789your grace, for trouble being gone, comfort
should remaine:
9890but when you depart from mee,
sorrow abides, and happines
10092Pedro You embrace your charge too willingly: I thincke
10193this is your daughter.
10294Leonato Her mother hath many times tolde me
so.
10395Bened. Were you in doubt
sir that you askt her?
10496Leonato Signior Benedicke, no, for then were you a child.
10697Pedro You haue it full Benedicke, wee may ghe
sse by this,
10798what you are, being a man, truely the Lady fathers her
selfe:
A3 be
Much adoe
10899be happy Lady, for you are like an honourable father.
110100Be. If Signior Leonato be her father,
she would not haue
111101his head on her
shoulders for all Me
ssina as like him as
she is.
113102Beat. I wonder that you will
still be talking,
signior Bene
- 114103dicke, no body markes you.
115104Bene. What my deere lady Di
sdaine! are you yet liuing?
117105Bea. Is it po
ssible Di
sdaine
should die, while
she hath
such
118106meete foode to feede it, as
signior Benedicke? Curte
sie it
selfe
119107mu
st conuert to Di
sdaine, if you come in her pre
sence.
121108Bene. Then is curte
sie a turne-coate, but it is certaine I am
122109loued of all Ladies, onelie you excepted: and I would I could
123110finde in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truely I loue
125112Beat. A deere happine
sse to women, they would el
se haue
126113beene troubled with a pernitious
suter, I thanke God and my
127114cold blood, I am of your humour for that, I had rather heare
128115my dog barke at a crow, than a man
sweare he loues me.
130116Bene. God keepe your Ladi
ship
stil in that mind,
so
some
131117Gentleman or other
shall
scape a prede
stinate
scratcht face.
133118Beat. Scratching could not make it wor
se, and twere
such
135120Bene. Well, you are a rare parrat teacher.
136121Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a bea
st of yours.
138122Ben. I would my hor
se had the
speed of your tongue, and
139123so good a continuer, but keep your way a Gods name, I haue
141125Beat. You alwayes end with a iades tricke, I knowe you of
143127Pedro That is the
summe of all: Leonato,
signior Claudio,
144128and
signior Benedicke, my deere friend Leonato, hath inuited
145129you all, I tell him we
shall
stay here, at the lea
st a moneth, and
146130he heartily praies
some occa
sion may detaine vs longer, I dare
147131sweare he is no hypocrite, but praies from his heart.
149132Leon. If you
sweare, my lord, you
shall not be for
sworne,
150133let mee bidde you welcome, my lord, being reconciled to the
151134Prince your brother: I owe you all duetie.
153135Iohn I thanke you, I am not of many wordes, but I thanke
Leon.
about Nothing.
155137Leon. Plea
se it your grace leade on?
156138Pedro Your hand Leonato, we wil go together.
157139Exeunt. Manent Benedicke & Claudio. 158140Clau. Benedicke, did
st thou note the daughter of Signior (Leonato?
160141Bene. I noted her not, but I lookte on her,
161142Clau. Is
she not a mode
st yong ladie?
162143Bene. Do you que
stion me as an hone
st man
should doe,
163144for my
simple true iudgement? or would you haue me
speake
164145after my cu
stome, as being a profe
ssed tyrant to their
sex?
166146Claudio No, I pray thee
speake in
sober iudgement.
167147Bene. Why yfaith me thinks
shees too low for a hie prai
se,
168148too browne for a faire prai
se, and too litle for a great prai
se, on
- 169149lie this commendation I can a
ffoord her, that were
shee other
170150then
she is,
she were vnhan
some, and being no other, but as
she
172152Claudio Thou thinke
st I am in
sport, I pray thee tell mee
173153truelie how thou lik'
st her.
174154Bene. Would you buie her that you enquier after her?
176155Claudio Can the world buie
such a iewel?
177156Bene. Yea, and a ca
se to putte it into, but
speake you this
178157with a
sad brow? or doe you play the
flowting iacke, to tell vs
179158Cupid is a good Hare-
finder, and Vulcan a rare Carpenter:
180159Come, in what key
shall a man take you to go in the
song?
182160Claudio In mine eie,
shee is the
sweete
st Ladie that euer I
184162Bened. I can
see yet without
spe
ctacles, and I
see no
such
185163matter: theres her co
sin, and
she were not po
sse
st with a fury,
186164exceedes her as much in beautie, as the
fir
st of Maie dooth the
187165la
st of December: but I hope you haue no intent to turne hu
s- 189167Claudio I would
scarce tru
st my
selfe, though I had
sworne
190168the contrarie, if Hero would be my wife.
191169Bened. I
st come to this? in faith hath not the worlde one
192170man but he will weare his cappe with
su
spition?
shall I neuer
193171see a batcheller of three
score againe? go to yfaith, and thou wilt
194172needes thru
st thy necke into a yoke, weare the print of it, and
195173sigh away
sundaies: looke, don Pedro is returned to
seeke you.
A4 Enter
Much adoe
197174 Enter don Pedro, Iohn the bastard. 198175Pedro What
secret hath held you here, that you followed
200177Bene. I would your Grace would con
straine me to tell.
202178Pedro I charge thee on thy allegeance.
203179Ben. You heare, Count Claudio, I can be
secret as a dumb
204180man, I woulde haue you thinke
so (but on my allegiance,
205181marke you this, on my allegiance) he is in loue, with who? now
206182that is your Graces part: marke how
short his an
swer is, with
207183Hero Leonatoes
short daughter.
209184Clau. If this were
so,
so were it vttred.
210185Bened. Like the olde tale, my Lord, it is not
so, nor twas
211186not
so: but indeede, God forbid it
should be
so.
212187Claudio If my pa
ssion change not
shortly, God forbid it
214189Pedro Amen, if you loue her, for the Lady is very well
216191Claudio You
speake this to fetch me in, my Lord.
217192Pedro By my troth I
speake my thought.
218193Claudio And in faith, my Lord, I
spoke mine.
219194Bened. And by my two faiths and troths, my Lorde, I
221196Clau. That I loue her, I feele.
222197Pedro That
she is worthy, I know.
223198Bened. That I neither feele how
she
should be loued, nor
224199know how
she
should be worthie,
is the opinion that fire can
225200not melt out of me, I will die in it at the
stake.
227201Pedro Thou wa
st euer an ob
stinate heretique in the de
- 229203Clau. And neuer could maintaine his part, but in the force
231205Bene. That a woman conceiued me, I thanke her: that
she
232206brought me vp, I likewi
se giue her mo
st humble thankes: but
233207that I will haue a rechate winded in my forehead, or hang my
234208bugle in an inui
sible baldricke, all women
shall pardon mee:
235209becau
se I will not doe them the wrong to mi
stru
st any, I will
236210doe my
selfe the right to tru
st none: and the
fine is, (for the
which
about Nothing.
237211which I may go the
finer,) I will liue a bacheller.
239212Pedro I
shall
see thee ere I die, looke pale with loue.
240213Bene. With anger, with
sickene
sse, or with hunger, my
241214Lord, not with loue: proue that euer I loo
se more blood with
242215loue then I will get againe with drinking, picke out mine eies
243216with a Ballad-makers penne, and hang me vp at the doore of a
244217brothel hou
se for the
signe of blinde Cupid.
246218Pedro Well, if euer thou do
st fall from this faith, thou wilt
247219prooue a notable argument.
248220Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a Cat, and
shoote at
249221me, and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the
shoulder, and
251223Pedro Well, as time
shal trie: in time the
sauage bull doth
253225Bene. The
sauage bull may, but if euer the
sen
sible Bene
- 254226dicke beare it, plucke o
ff the bulls hornes, and
set them in my
255227forehead, and let me be vildly painted, and in
such great let
- 256228ters as they write, here is good hor
se to hyre: let them
signi
- 257229fie vnder my
signe, here you may
see Benedicke the married
259231Claudio If this
should euer happen, thou would
st be horn
261233Pedro Nay, if Cupid haue not
spent all his quiuer in Venice,
262234thou wilt quake for this
shortly.
263235Bened. I looke for an earthquake too then.
264236Pedro Well, you will temporize with the howres, in the
265237meane time, good
signior Benedicke, repaire to Leonatoes,
266238commend me to him, and tell him I will not faile him at
sup
- 267239per, for indeede he hath made great preparation.
269240Bened. I haue almo
st matter enough in mee for
suche an
270241Emba
ssage, and
so I commit you.
271242Clau. To the tuition of God: from my hou
se if I had it.
273243Pedro The
sixt of Iuly: your louing friend Benedicke.
274244Bened. Nay mocke not, mocke not, the body of your di
s- 275245cour
se is
sometime guarded with fragments, and the guardes
276246are but
slightly ba
sted on neither, ere you
flowt old ends any
277247further, examine your con
science, and
so I leaue you.
exit
B1 Claudio
Much adoe
279248Claudio My liege, your Highne
sse nowe may doe mee
281250Pedro My loue is thine to teach, teach it but how,
282251And thou
shalt
see how apt it is to learne
283252Any hard le
sson that may do thee good.
284253Clau. Hath Leonato any
sonne, my lord?
285254Pedro No childe but Hero,
shees his onely heire:
286255Doo
st thou a
ffe
ct her Claudio?
288257When you went onward on this ended a
ction,
289258I lookt vpon her with a
souldiers eie,
290259That likt, but had a rougher ta
ske in hand,
291260Than to driue liking to the name of loue:
292261But now I am returnde, and that warre-thoughts,
293262Haue left their places vacant: in their roomes,
294263Come thronging
soft and delicate de
sires,
295264All prompting mee how faire yong Hero is,
296265Saying I likt her ere I went to warres.
297266Pedro Thou wilt be like a louer pre
sently,
298267And tire the hearer with a booke of words,
299268If thou do
st loue faire Hero, cheri
sh it,
300269And I wil breake with hir, and with her father,
270And thou
shalt haue her: wa
st not to this end,
301271That thou began
st to twi
st so
fine a
storie?
302272Clau. How
sweetly you do mini
ster to loue,
303273That know loues griefe by his complexion!
304274But le
st my liking might too
sodaine
seeme,
305275I would haue
salude it with a longer treati
se.
306276Pedro What need the bridge much broder then the
flood?
307277The faire
st graunt is the nece
ssitie:
308278Looke what wil
serue is
fit: tis once, thou loue
st,
309279And I wil
fit thee with the remedie,
310280I know we
shall haue reuelling to night,
311281I wil a
ssume thy part in
some di
sgui
se,
312282And tell faire Hero I am Claudio,
313283And in her bo
some ile vncla
spe my heart,
314284And take her hearing pri
soner with the force
And
about Nothing.
315285And
strong incounter of my amorous tale:
316286Then after, to her father will I breake,
317287And the conclu
sion is,
she
shal be thine,
318288In pra
cti
se let vs put it pre
sently.
exeunt.