ACT II withdrawn her father to break with him about it. The ladies follow her, and but one visor remains. BORA. [to DON JOHN.] And that is Claudio: I know him D. JOHN [to CLAUDIO, masked.] Are not you Signior CLAUD. You know me well; I am he. 150 D. JOHN. Signior, you are very near my brother in his love he is enamour'd on Hero. I pray you, dissuade him from her, she is no equal for his birth: you may do the part of an honest man in it. CLAUD. How know you he loves her? D. JOHN. I heard him swear his affection. BORA. So did I too; and he swore he would marry her to-night. D. JOHN. Come, let us to the banquet. 160 Exeunt DoN JOHN and BORACHIO. CLAUD. Thus answer I in name of Benedick, But hear these ill news with the ears of Claudio. "Tis certain so; the Prince wooes for himself. Save in the office and affairs of love: Therefore all hearts in love use their own tongues; Let every eye negotiate for itself, And trust no agent. Beauty is a witch Against whose charms faith melteth into blood. This is an accident of hourly proof, 170 Which I mistrusted1 not. Farewell, then, Hero! Re-enter BENEDICK. BENE. Count Claudio? CLAUD. Yea; the same. BENE. Come, will you go with me? CLAUD. Whither? BENE. Even to the next willow, about your own busi- 1 suspected. 180 BENE. Why, that's spoken like an honest drovier: so they sell bullocks. But did you think the Prince BENE. HO! now you strike like the blind man: 'twas Re-enter DON PEDRO. D. PEDRO. Now, Signior, where's the Count? did you see him? 198 BENE. Troth, my Lord, I have play'd the part of Lady 209 D. PEDRO. Wilt thou make a trust a transgression? BENE. Yet it had not been amiss the rod had been made, D. PEDRO. I will but teach them to sing, and restore them to the owner. BENE. If their singing answer your saying, by my faith, you say honestly. 219 ACT II Sc. I ACT II D. PEDRO. The Lady Beatrice hath a quarrel to you: the gentleman that danc'd with her told her she is much wrong'd by you. Sc. I BENE. O, she misus'd me past the endurance of a block! 3 243 Re-enter CLAUDIO, BEATRICE, HERO, and LEONATO. BENE. Will your Grace command me any service to the World's end? I will go on the slightest errand now to the Antipodes that you can devise to send me on; I will fetch you a toothpicker now from the farthest inch of Asia; bring you the length of Prester John's foot; fetch you a hair off the great Cham's beard; do you any embassage to the Pigmies; rather than hold three words' conference with this Harpy. You have no employment for me? 253 D. PEDRO. None, but to desire your good company. 1 preternatural contrivance. [exit. D. PEDRO. Come, Lady, come; you have lost the heart of ACT II BEAT. Indeed, my Lord, he lent it me awhile; and I BEAT. So I would not he should do me, my Lord, lest I should prove the mother of fools. I have brought D. PEDRO. Why, how now, Count! wherefore are you sad? D. PEDRO. How then? sick? CLAUD. Neither, my Lord. 270 BEAT. The Count is neither sad, nor sick, nor merry, nor well; but civil Count-civil as an orange, and something of that jealous complexion. D. PEDRO. I'faith, Lady, I think your blazon to be true; though, I'll be sworn, if he be so, his conceit is false. Here, Claudio, I have woo'd in thy name, and fair Hero is won; I have broke with her father, and his good-will obtain'd: name the day of marriage, and God give thee joy! 280 LEON. Count, take of me my daughter, and with her my fortunes: his Grace hath made the match, and all Grace say Amen to it! BEAT. Speak, Count, 'tis your cue. CLAUD. Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much. Lady, as you are mine, I am your's: I give away myself for you, and doat upon the exchange. BEAT. Speak, Cousin; or, if you cannot, stop his mouth with a kiss, and let not him speak neither. 290 D. PEDRO. In faith, Lady, you have a merry heart. CLAUD. And so she doth-Cousin ! BEAT. Good Lord, for alliance! Thus goes every one to ACT II Sc. I the World1 but I, and I am sunburn'd;2 I may sit in a corner, and cry Heigh-ho for a husband! D. PEDRO. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one. BEAT. I would rather have one of your father's getting. Hath your Grace ne'er a brother like you? Your father got excellent husbands, if a maid could come by them. D. PEDRO. Will you have me, Lady? BEAT. No, my Lord; unless I might have another for working-days: your Grace is too costly to wear every day. But I beseech your Grace, pardon me: I was born to speak all mirth and no matter. D. PEDRO. Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best becomes you; for out of question you were born in a merry hour. 311 BEAT. No, sure, my Lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danc'd, and under that was I born. Cousins, God give you joy! you of? LEON. Niece, will you look to those things I told [exit. D. PEDRO. By my troth, a pleasant-spirited lady. 322 D. PEDRO. She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband. LEON. O, by no means: she mocks all her wooers out of suit. D. PEDRO. She were an excellent wife for Benedick. LEON. O Lord, my Lord, if they were but a week married, they would talk themselves mad! D. PEDRO. Count Claudio, when mean you to go to church? 330 CLAUD. To-morrow, my Lord: Time goes on crutches till LEON. Not till Monday, my dear Son, which is hence a T |