D. Pedro. Well, we'll hear further of it, by your daughter; let it cool the while. I love 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. [Aside. D. Pedro. Let there be the same net spread for her; and that must your daughter and her gentlewoman 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. [Aside. [Exeunt Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato. 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. 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 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 to 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 his youth, that he cannot endure in his age: shall quips and sentences, and these paper bullets of *Seriously carried on. the brain, awea 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. 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 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 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 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 pic[Exit. ture. ACT III. SCENE I. Leonato's Garden. Enter Hero, Margaret, and Ursula. Hero. Good Margaret, run thee into the parlour; There shall you find my cousin Beatrice Proposing* with the Prince and Claudio: Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Ursula Walk in the orchard, and her whole discourse Is all of her; say, that thou overheard'st us; * Discoursing. And bid her steal into the pleached bower, 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, pre sently. [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 That only wounds by hearsay. Now begin; Enter Beatrice, behind. For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it [They advance to the bower. No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful; Urs. But are you sure, That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely? * A species of hawk. Hero. So says the prince, and my new-trothed lord. Urs. And did they bid you tell her of it, madam ? Hero. They did entreat me to acquaint her of it: But I persuaded them, if they lov'd Benedick, To wish him wrestle with affection, And never to let Beatrice know of it. Doth not the gentleman Urs. Why did you so? ? Hero. O god of love! I know, he doth deserve As much as may be yielded to a man: But nature never fram'd a woman's heart All matter else seems weak: she cannot love, Urs. Sure, I think so; And therefore, certainly, it were not good Hero. Why, you speak truth: I never yet saw man, How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd, If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds : Urs. Sure, sure, such carping is not commendable. * Undervaluing. Hero. No: not to be so odd, and from all fashions, As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable: But who dare tell her so? If I should speak, Urs. Yet tell her of it; hear what she will say. Urs. O, do not do your cousin such a wrong. She cannot be so much without true judgment (Having so swift* and excellent a wit, As she is priz'd to have), as to refuse Urs. I pray you, be not angry with me, madam, Speaking my fancy; signior Benedick, For shape, for bearing, argument †, and valour, Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name. Urs. His excellence did earn it, ere he had it.When are you married, madam? Hero. Why, every day;-to-morrow: come, go in ; I'll show thee some attires; and have thy counsel, Which is the best to furnish me to-morrow. Urs. She's lim'd ‡, I warrant you; we have caught her, madam. Hero. If it prove so, then loving goes by haps: Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. [Exeunt Hero and Ursula. * Ready. + Conversation. Ensnar'd with birdlims. |