Hero. O God defend me! how am I beset! What kind of catechising call you this? Claud. To make you answer truly to your name. Hero. Is it not Hero? Who can blot that name With any just reproach? Claud. Marry, that can Hero; Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue. What man was he talk'd with you yesternight Hero. I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord. nato, I am sorry you must hear; Upon mine honour, D. John. Fye, fye! they are Not to be nam'd, my lord, not to be spoke of: Claud. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been, 5 4 liberal villain,] Liberal here, as in many places of these plays, means frank beyond honesty, or decency. Free of tongue. conjecture-] Conjecture is here used for suspicion. 6 And never shall it more be gracious.] i. e. lovely, attractive. Leon. Hath no man's dagger here a point for me? [HERO Swoons. Beat. Why, how now, cousin? wherefore sink you down? D. John. Come, let us go: these things, come thus to light, Smother her spirits up. [Exeunt Don PEDRO, DON JOHN, and CLAUDIO. Bene. How doth the lady? Beat. Dead, I think; - help, uncle; Hero! why Hero - Uncle ! - Signior Benedick ! — friar! Leon. O fate, take not away thy heavy hand! Death is the fairest cover for her shame, That may be wish'd for. Beat. How, now, cousin Hero? Dost thou look up ? Friar. Have comfort, lady. Leon. Friar. Yea; Wherefore should she not? Leon. Wherefore? Why, doth not every earthly thing, Cry shame upon her? Could she here deny The story that is printed in her blood?? Do not live, Hero; do not ope thine eyes : Thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames, 7 The story that is printed in her blood?] That is, the story which her blushes discover to be true. Chid I for that at frugal nature's frame?] Grieved I at nature's being so frugal as to have framed for me only one child? Who smirched thus, and mired with infamy, Hath drops too few to wash her clean again; Bene. Sir, sir, be patient : For my part, I am so attir'd in wonder, I know not what to say. Beat. O, on my soul, my cousin is belied! Leon. Confirm'd! confirm'd! O, that is stronger made, Which was before barr'd up with ribs of iron! Who lov'd her so, that, speaking of her foulness, For I have only been silent so long, And given way unto this course of fortune, 9 Who smirched-] To smirch is to daub, to sully. The tenour of my book1; trust not my age, If this sweet lady lie not guiltless here Under some biting error. Leon. Friar, it cannot be : Thou seest, that all the grace that she hath left, Is, that she will not add to her damnation A sin of perjury: she not denies it: Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accus'd of? Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant, Friar. There is some strange misprision in the princes. And if their wisdoms be misled in this, The practice of it lives in John the bastard, Whose spirits toil in frame of villainies. Leon. I know not; if they speak but truth of her, These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honour, The proudest of them shall well hear of it. Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havock of my means, 1 2 -- of my book:] i. e. of what I have read. bent of honour;] Bent is used by our author for the utmost degree of any passion, or mental quality. In this play before, Benedick says of Beatrice, her affection has its full bent. Ability in means, and choice of friends, Friar. Pause a while, And let my counsel sway you in this case. Your daughter here the princes left for dead; And publish it, that she is dead indeed: Leon. What shall become of this? What will this do? Friar. Marry, this, well carried, shall on her behalf Change slander to remorse; that is some good: That what we have we prize not to the worth, Into his study of imagination; And every lovely organ of her life Shall come apparell'd in more precious habit, More moving-delicate, and full of life, Into the eye and prospect of his soul, Than when she liv'd indeed : then shall he mourn, (If ever love had interest in his liver,) And wish he had not so accused her; 3 —we rack the value;] i. e. we exaggerate the value. The allusion is to rack-rents. |