# ACT II Sc. III of passion came so near the life of passion as she dis- D. PEDRO. Why, what effects of passion shews she? D. PEDRO. How, how, I pray you? You amaze me: I would have thought her spirit had been invincible against all assaults of affection. LEON. I would have sworn it had, my Lord; especially against Benedick. BENE. [aside.] I should think this a gull,' but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide himself in such reverence. 119 CLAUD. [aside.] He hath ta'en the infection: hold2 it up. LEON. No; and swears she never will: that's her torment. I, says she, that have so oft encounter'd him with scorn, LEON. This says she now, when she is beginning to write 130 LEON. O, when she had writ it, and was reading it over, she found Benedick and Beatrice between the sheet? CLAUD. That. LEON. O, she tore the letter into a thousand halfpence; rail'd at herself that she should be so immodest to write to one that she knew would flout her: I measure him, says she, by my own spirit; for I should flout him, if he writ to me; yea, though I love him, I should. CLAUD. Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses, O sweet Benedick! God give me patience! 140 LEON. She doth indeed; my daughter says so: and the 3 tiny pieces (halfpence were of silver). ecstasy1 hath so much overborne her that my daughter is sometime afeard she will do a desperate outrage to herself: it is very true. D. PEDRO. It were good that Benedick knew of it by some other, if she will not discover it. CLAUD. To what end? He would but make a sport of it, and torment the poor lady worse. 151 D. PEDRO. An he should, it were an alms-deed to hang him. She's an excellent sweet lady; and (out of all suspicion) she is virtuous. CLAUD. And she is exceeding wise. D. PEDRO. In every thing but in loving Benedick. 160 D. PEDRO. I would she had bestow'd this dotage on me: I would have daff'd2 all other respects, and made her half myself. I pray you, tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will say. LEON. Were it good, think you? CLAUD. Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says she will die, if he love her not; and she will die, ere she make her love known; and she will die, if he woo her, rather than she will bate one breath of her accustom'd crossness. 170 D. PEDRO. She doth well: if she should make tender of her love, 'tis very possible he'll scorn it; for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible spirit. CLAUD. He is a very proper man. D. PEDRO. He hath indeed a good outward happiness.* D. PEDRO. He doth indeed shew some sparks that are LEON. And I take him to be valiant. 179 D. PEDRO. AS Hector," I assure you: and in the manag- LEON. If he do fear God, 'a must necessarily keep the 1 madness. 2 put aside. ACT II ACT II peace: if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling. D. PEDRO. And so will he do; for the man doth fear God, howsoever it seems not in him by some large1 jests he will make. Well, I am sorry for your niece. Shall we go seek Benedick, and tell him of her love? 190 CLAUD. Never tell him, my Lord: let her wear it out with good counsel. LEON. Nay, that's impossible: she may wear her heart D. PEDRO. Well, we will hear further of it by your 3 201 D. PEDRO [aside.] Let there be the same net spread for BENEDICK advances from the arbour. BENE. This can be no trick: the conference was sadly⭑ borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it seems her affections have their full bent.5 Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censur'd: they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy are they that hear their detractions, and can put them to mending. They say the lady is fair-'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous-'tis so, I cannot reprove' it; and wise, but for loving me by my troth, it is no addition to her wit-nor no great argument of her folly: for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because I have rail'd so long against marriage: but doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age. Shall quips and sentences,' and these paper-bullets of the brain, awe a man from the career of his humour? No; the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day, she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in her. Enter BEATRICE. 232 BEAT. Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner. BENE. Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains. BEAT. I took no more pains for those thanks than you take pains to thank me: if it had been painful, I would not have come. BENE. You take pleasure, then, in the message? 239 BEAT. Yea; just so much as you may take upon a knife's ACT III SCENE I. LEONATO's Orchard. Enter HERO, with MARGARET and URSULA. [exit. HERO. Good Margaret, run thee-run thee to the parlour: There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the Prince and Claudio: 1 saws from books; and in this way 'paper-bullets.' 2 the last point in horse and horseman's accomplishment: a swift, short gallop ending in a sudden stop. ACT III Whisper her ear, and tell her I and Ursula ΙΟ Made proud by Princes, that advance their pride Against that power that bred it: there will she hide her, To listen our propose. This is thy office: Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone. MARG. I'll make her come, I warrant you, presently. [exit. HERO. Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth come, As we do trace2 this alley up and down, To praise him more than ever man did merit : 20 [Enter BEATRICE, behind. For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs HERO. Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing 30 [approaching the bower. No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful; URS. But are you sure That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely? HERO. So says the Prince and my new-trothed Lord. 1 close-hedged and close-roofed with interwoven boughs. 2 follow. |