25552427Frier Did I not tell you shee was innocent?

25562428Leo. So are the Prince and Claudio who accusd her,

25572429Vpon the errour that you heard debated:

25582430But Margaret was in some fault for this,

25592431Although against her will as it appeares,

25602432In the true course of all the question.

25612433Old Wel, I am glad that all things sorts so well.

25622434Bened. And so am I, being else by faith enforst

25632435To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.

25642436Leo. Well daughter, and you gentlewomen all,

25652437Withdraw into a chamber by your selues,

25662438And when I send for you come hither masked:

25672439The Prince and Claudio promisde by this howre

25682440To visite me, you know your office brother,

25692441You must be father to your brothers daughter,

25702442And giue her to young Claudio. Exeunt Ladies.

25712443Old Which I will doe with confirmd countenance.

25722444Bened. Frier, I must intreate your paines, I thinke.

25732445Frier To doe what Signior?

25742446Bened. To bind me, or vndo me, one of them:

25752447Signior Leonato, truth it is good Signior,

25762448Your niece regards me with an eye of fauour.

25772449Leo. That eye my daughter lent her, tis most true.

25782450Bened. And I do with an eye of loue requite her.

25792451Leo. The sight whereof I thinke you had from me,

25802452From Claudio and the Prince, but whats your will?

25812453Bened. Your answere sir is enigmaticall,

25822454But for my wil, my will is, your good will

25832455May stand with ours, this day to be conioynd,

25842456In the state of honorable marriage,

25852457In which (good Frier) I shal desire your help.

25862458Leo. My heart is with your liking.

25872459Frier And my helpe.

2460Heere comes the Prince and Claudio.

25892462Prince Good morrow to this faire assembly.

25902463Leo. Good morrow Prince, good morrow Claudio:

25912464We heere attend you, are you yet determined,

25922465To day to marry with my brothers daughter?

25932466Claud. Ile hold my mind were she an Ethiope.

25942467Leo Call her foorth brother, heres the Frier ready.

25952468P. Good morrow Bened. why whats the matter?

I3 That

25962469That you haue such a Februarie face,

25972470So full of frost, of storme, and clowdinesse.

25982471Claud. I thinke he thinkes vpon the sauage bull:

25992472Tush feare not man, weele tip thy hornes with gold,

26002473And all Europa shall reioyce at thee,

26012474As once Europa did at lustie Ioue,

26022475When he would play the noble beast in loue.

26032476Bene. Bull Ioue sir had an amiable lowe,

26042477And some such strange bull leapt your fathers cowe,

26052478And got a calfe in that same noble feate,

26062479Much like to you, for you haue iust his bleate.

26082481Clau. For this I owe you: here comes other recknings.

26092482Which is the Lady I must seize vpon?

26102483Leo. This same is she, and I do giue you her.

26112484Claud. Why then shees mine, sweet, let me see your face.

26122485Leon. No that you shall not till you take her hand,

26132486Before this Frier, and sweare to marry hir.

26142487Claud. Giue me your hand before this holy Frier,

26152488I am your husband if you like of me.

26162489Hero And when I liu'd I was your other wife,

26172490And when you loued, you were my other husband.

26182491Claud. Another Hero.

26192492Hero Nothing certainer.

26202493One Hero died defilde, but I do liue,

26212494And surely as I liue, I am a maide.

26222495Prince The former Hero, Hero that is dead.

26232496Leon. She died my Lord, but whiles her slaunder liu'd.

26242497Frier All this amazement can I qualifie,

26252498When after that the holy rites are ended,

26262499Ile tell you largely of faire Heroes death,

26272500Meane time let wonder seeme familiar,

26282501And to the chappell let vs presently.

26292502Ben. Soft and faire Frier, which is Beatrice?

26302503Beat. I answer to that name, what is your will?

26312504Bene. Do not you loue me?

26322505Beat. Why no, no more then reason.

26332506Bene. Why then your vncle, and the prince, and Claudio,

26342507Haue beene deceiued, they swore you did.

26352508Beat. Do not you loue me?

26362509Bene. Troth no, no more then reason.

26372510Beat. Why then my cosin Margaret and Vrsula

26382511Are much deceiu'd, for they did sweare you did.

26392512Bene. They swore that you were almost sicke for me.

26402513Beat. They swore that you were welnigh dead for me.

26412514Bene. Tis no such matter, then you do not loue me.

26422515Beat. No truly, but in friendly recompence.

26432516Leon. Come cosin, I am sure you loue the gentleman.

26442517Clau. And ile besworne vpon't, that he loues her,

26452518For heres a paper written in his hand,

26462519A halting sonnet of his owne pure braine,

26472520Fashioned to Beatrice.

26482521Hero And heres another,

26492522Writ in my cosins hand, stolne from her pocket,

26502523Containing her affection vnto Benedicke.

26512524Bene. A miracle, heres our owne hands against our hearts:

26522525come, I will haue thee, but by this light I take thee for pittie.

26542526Beat. I would not denie you, but by this good day, I yeeld

26552527vpon great perswasion, and partly to saue your life, for I was

26562528told, you were in a consumption.

26572529Leon. Peace I will stop your mouth.

26582530Prince How dost thou Benedicke the married man?

26592531Bene. Ile tel thee what prince: a colledge of witte-crackers

26602532cannot flout me out of my humour, dost thou think I care for

26612533a Satyre or an Epigramme? no, if a man will be beaten with

26622534braines, a shall weare nothing hansome about him: in briefe,

26632535since I doe purpose to marrie, I will think nothing to anie pur-

26642536pose that the world can saie against it, and therfore neuer flout

26652537at me, for what I haue said against it: for man is a giddie thing,

26662538and this is my conclusion: for thy part Claudio, I did thinke

26672539to haue beaten thee, but in that thou art like to be my kinsman,

26682540liue vnbruisde, and loue my cousen.

26702541Clau. I had wel hopte thou wouldst haue denied Beatrice,

26712542that I might haue cudgelld thee out of thy single life, to make

26722543thee a double dealer, which out of question thou wilt be, if my

26732544coosin do not looke exceeding narrowly to thee.

26742545Bene. Come, come, we are friends, lets haue a dance ere we

26752546are maried, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wiues

26762547heeles.

26772548Leon. Weele haue dancing afterward.

26782549Bene. First, of my worde, therefore plaie musicke, Prince,

26792550thou art sad, get thee a wife, get thee a wife, there is no staffe

26802551more reuerent then one tipt with horne.

26812553Mess. My Lord, your brother Iohn is tane in flight,

26822554And brought with armed men backe to Messina.

26832555Bene. Thinke not on him till to morrow, ile deuise thee

26842556braue punishments for him: strike vp Pipers. dance.

26852557 FINIS.