Benedick well; and I could wish he would modestly examine himself, to see how much he is unworthy so good a lady. Leon. My lord, will you walk? dinner is ready. Claud. If he do not dote on her upon this, I will never trust my expectation. D. Pedro. Let there be the same net spread for her; and that must your daughter and her gentlewomen carry. The sport will be, when they hold one an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter: that's the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumb-show. Let us send her to call him in to dinner. [Exeunt Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato. Bene. [Coming forward] This can be no trick the conference was sadly borne. : They 220 have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to 230 pity the lady it seems her affections have their full bent. Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured: 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 240 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 railed so long against marriage: but doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat in 229. sadly borne, conducted with gravity. 245. quirks, jests. 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? 250 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. 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 260 painful, I would not have come. Bene. You take pleasure then in the message? Beat. Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point and choke a daw withal. You have no stomach, signior: fare you well. [Exit. Bene. Ha! Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner;' there's a double meaning in that. 'I took no more pains for those thanks than you took pains to thank me;' that's as much as to say, Any pains that I take for you is 270 as easy as thanks. If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture. [Exit. VOL. III 49 E ACT III. SCENE I. LEONATO's garden. Enter HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA. Hero. Good Margaret, run thee to the parlour; There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the prince and Claudio: Whisper her ear and tell her, I and Ursula Walk in the orchard and our whole discourse Is all of her; say that thou overheard'st us; And bid her steal into the pleached bower, Where honeysuckles, ripen'd by the sun, Forbid the sun to enter, like favourites, 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 trace this alley up and down, Our talk must only be of Benedick. When I do name him, let it be thy part To praise him more than ever man did merit : Is sick in love with Beatrice. Of this matter Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made, 3. Proposing, conversing. 12. propose, discourse. So Q; Ff 'purpose.' ΙΟ 20 Enter BEATRICE, behind. Now begin; For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Urs. The pleasant'st angling is to see the fish Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it. [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. Urs. And did they bid you tell her of it, madam? 30 Hero. They did entreat me to acquaint her of it; 40 But I persuaded them, if they loved Benedick, To wish him wrestle with affection, And never to let Beatrice know of it. Urs. Why did you so? Doth not the gentleman Deserve as full as fortunate a bed As ever Beatrice shall couch upon ? Hero. O god of love! I know he doth deserve As much as may be yielded to a man: But Nature never framed a woman's heart Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice; 36. haggards, wild untrained hawks. 50 Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes, All matter else seems weak: she cannot love, Urs. Sure, I think so; And therefore certainly it were not good She knew his love, lest she make sport at it. Hero. Why, you speak truth. I never yet saw man, How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featured, 60 If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds; Urs. Sure, sure, such carping is not commend- Hero. No, not to be so odd and from all fashions She would mock me into air; O, she would laugh me Out of myself, press me to death with wit. 52. Misprising, undervaluing. 65. an agate; often worn in rings, with little figures cut in it; hence a symbol for smallness. 70 72. from all fashions, uncon ventional. 76. press me to death with wit; alluding to the torture of crushing with heavy weights (the 'peine forte et dure'). |