782727Iohn It is so, the Counte Claudio shall marry the daughter

783728of Leonato.

784729Bora. Yea my lord, but I can crosse it.

785730Iohn Any barre, any crosse, any impediment, will be med-

731cinable to me, I am sicke in displeasure to him, and whatsoeuer

787732comes athwart his affection, ranges euenly with mine, how

788733canst thou crosse this marriage?

789734Bor. Not honestly my lord, but so couertly, that no disho-

790735nesty shall appeare in me.

791736Iohn Shew me briefely how.

792737Bor. I thinke I told your lordship a yeere since, how much

793738I am in the fauour of Margaret, the waiting gentlewoman to

794739Hero.

795740Iohn I remember.

796741Bor. I can at any vnseasonable instant of the night, appoint

797742her to looke out at her ladies chamber window.

798743Iohn What life is in that to be the death of this mariage?

800744Bor. The poison of that lies in you to temper, goe you to

801745the prince your brother, spare not to tell him, that he hath

802746wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio, whose

803747estimation do you mightily hold vp, to a contaminated stale,

804748such a one as Hero.

805749Iohn What proofe shall I make of that?

806750Bor. Proofe enough, to misuse the prince, to vexe Claudio,

807751to vndoe Hero, and kill Leonato, looke you for any other

808752issue?

809753Iohn Onely to dispight them I will endeuour any thing.

811754Bor. Go then, find me a meet houre, to draw don Pedro and

812755the Counte Claudio alone, tell them that you know that Hero

813756loues me, intend a kind of zeale both to the prince & Claudio

814757(as in loue of your brothers honor who hath made this match)

815758and his friends reputation, who is thus like to bee cosen'd with

816759the semblance of a maid, that you haue discouer'd thus: they wil

817760scarcely beleeue this without triall: offer them instances which

819761shall beare no lesse likelihood, than to see me at her chamber

820762window, heare me call Margaret Hero, heare Marg. terme me

821763Claudio, & bring them to see this the very night before the in-

822764tended wedding, for in the mean time, I wil so fashion the mat-

823765ter, that Hero shal be absent and there shal appeere such seeming

824766truth of Heroes disloyaltie, that iealousie shal be cald assu-

C4 rance

825767rance, and al the preparation ouerthrowne.

827768Iohn Grow this to what aduerse issue it can, I will put it in

828769practise: be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thou-

829770sand ducates.

830771Bor. Be you constant in the accusation, and my cunning

831772shall not shame me.

832773Iohn I will presently go learne their day of marriage. exit