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[Enter DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, LEONATO, FRIAR FRANCIS, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, HERO,
BEATRICE, and Attendants]
LEONATO
Come Friar Francis, be brief, only to the plain form of marriage, and you
shall recount their particular duties afterwards.
FRIAR FRANCIS
You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady.
CLAUDIO
No.
LEONATO
To be married to her: friar, you come to marry her.
FRIAR FRANCIS
Lady, you come hither to be married to this count.
HERO
I do.
FRIAR FRANCIS
If either of you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoined,
charge you on your souls to utter it.
CLAUDIO
Know you any, Hero?
HERO
None my lord.
FRIAR FRANCIS
Know you any, count?
LEONATO
I dare make his answer, none.
CLAUDIO
O what men dare do! What men may do! What men daily do!
BENEDICK
How now! interjections? Why then, some be of laughing, as ha, ha, he.
CLAUDIO
,
T Tx T
, ,
Stand thee | by friar, fath|er, by | your leave,
, ,
, ,
,
Will you | with free | and un|constrain|ed soul
T T T
, ,
oo
Give me this | maid your | daughter?|
LEONATO
, ,
, , ,
As free|ly son | as God | did give | her me.
CLAUDIO
, ,
, ,
,
And what | have I | to give | you back,|
whose^worth
, ,
, ,
,
May* count|erpoise | this rich | and pre|cious
gift?
DON PEDRO
,
, ,
, ,
Nothing,| unless | you rend|er her | again.
CLAUDIO
, ,
, , ,
Sweet* prince,| you learn | me nob|le
thank|fulness:
,
, , ,
,
There Le|ona|to, take | her back | again,
, ,
, , ,
Give^not | this rot|ten or|ange to | your friend;
, ,
, , 2
,
She's^but | the sign | and sem|blance of her |
honor:
, T T . T
, ,
Behold | how like a maid | she blush|es here!
, , ,
, ,
O what | author|ity | and show | of truth
, ,
, ,
,
Can cun|ning sin | cover | itself | withal!
, ,
, , ,
Comes^not | that blood,| as mod|est ev|idence,
, ,
, ,
2 ,
To wit|ness simp|le vir|tue? Would | you
not^swear
,
, ,
, ,
All you*| that see | her, that | she were | a
maid,
T T . T 2 , ,
,
By these exter|ior shows?| But she | is none;
, ,
, , 2 ,
She knows | the heat | of a / luxu|rious bed:
, ,
, , ,
Her blush | is guilt|iness,/ not mod|esty.
LEONATO
,
, ,
What do | you mean,| my lord?
CLAUDIO
, 2 ,
Not to be | married,
,
, , 2
, ,
Not to | knit my | soul to | an approved |
wanton.
LEONATO
,
T T T
, ,
Dear my | lord, if you | in your / own proof,
, ,
, , ,
Have^van|quished the | resis|tance of | her
youth,
, ,
, , ,
And made | defeat | of her | virgin|ity.
CLAUDIO
, , ,
, 2 ,
I know | what you | would say:| if I have | known
her,
, ,
, , ,
,
You will | say, she | did em|brace me | as a |
husband,
, 2 , 2 .
T T T , 2 ,
And so ex|tenuate* | the 'forehand sin:| No
Leo|nato, (hex with prev)
x
, , T
T T
I never | tempted | her with | word too large,
, , ,
, ,
But^as | a broth|er to | his sis|ter, showed
,
, , ,
,
Bashful | sincer|ity | and come|ly love.
HERO
, ,
, ,
,
And seemed | I ev|er oth|erwise | to you?
CLAUDIO
,
, , ,
x
Out on | thee seem|ing, I | will write | against
it,
, ,
, , ,
You seem | to me | as Di|an^in | her orb,
,
, , T .
T T
As chaste | as is | the bud | ere it be blown:
, , , ,
,
But you | are more | intempe|rate in | your
blood,
,
, , ,
,
Than Ven|us, or | those pam|pered an|imals,
,
, , , ,
That rage | in sav|age sens|ual|ity.
HERO
, ,
, ,
,
Is my / lord well,| that he | doth^speak | so
wide?
LEONATO
, ,
,
Sweet* prince,| why* speak | not^you?
DON PEDRO
, ,
What should | I speak?
, ,
, , ,
I stand | dishon|ored, that | have gone | about,
,
, ,
, ,
To link | my dear | friend to | a com|mon stale.
LEONATO
, T
Tx T ,
,
Are these | things spoken, or | do I | but dream?
DON JOHN
,
, , ,
,
Sir, they | are spok|en, and / these things | are
true.
BENEDICK
, T
T . T
This looks | not like a nup|tial.
HERO
, ,
True,| O* God!
CLAUDIO
, ,
T T T
Leo|nato,| stand I here?
<- , ,
, , ,
o
Is this || the prince?| Is this | the prince|'s
broth|er?
. T T T , ,
,
Is this face He|ro's? Are^|our eyes | our^own?
LEONATO
T T . T
, , ,
All this is so:| but what | of this,| my lord?
CLAUDIO
, 2
, , ,
,
Let me but | move one ques//tion to your |
daughter,
T T T
, 2 , x
And, by that | fatherly | and kind|ly power,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
That you | have in her,| bid her | answer |
truly.
LEONATO
, , ,
, ,
I charge | thee do | so*, as | thou art | my
child.
HERO
,
, ,
, ,
O* God | defend | me how | am I | beset,
,
, , ,
,
What^kind | of cat|echis|ing call | you this?
CLAUDIO
, ,
, ,
,
To make | you ans|wer tru|ly to | your name.
HERO
, ,
, ,
,
Is it / not He|ro? Who | can blot | that^name
, ,
,
With an|y just | reproach?
CLAUDIO
, ,
,
Marry | that can | Hero, (tri with prev)
, 2 ,
, , ,
Hero it|self can | blot out^|Hero's | virtue.
, ,
, ,
,
What* man | was he,| talked with | you
yest|ernight,
,
, T . T T
,
Out at | your wind|ow betwixt twelve | and one?
,
, , ,
,
Now^if | you are | a maid,| answer | to this.
HERO
, , ,
, ,
I talked | with no | man at | that hour | my
lord.
DON PEDRO
, 2
T T Tx , ,
Why then^are | you no maiden.| Leo|nato,
2 , ,
, x
,
I am sor|ry you | must^hear:| upon mine^|honor,
,
, ,
, ,
Myself,| my broth|er, and | this griev|ed count
, ,
x T T
T
Did see | her, hear | her, at that | hour last
night,
, 2
, 2 ,
, ,
Talk with a | ruffian | at her | chamber |
window*,
, , T T .
T x
Who hath | indeed | most like a libe|ral
villain,
, ,
, ,
,
Confessed | the vile | encount|ers they | have
had
, ,
,
A thous|and times | in sec|ret.
DON JOHN
<- , ___ ,
, ,
, oo
Fie,| fie,|| they are | not to | be named | my
lord,|
, ,
,
Not to | be spok|en of, \\
2 ,
, , , ,
There is not | chasti|ty e|nough in
| language,
, ,
x , , ,
Without offense to utter them: Thus pretty lady
????
2 ,
, , ,
,
I am sor|ry for | thy much | misgov|ernment.
CLAUDIO
, ,
, , ,
O* He|ro! What | a He|ro hadst | thou been
,
, , ,
,
If half | thy out|ward gra|ces had | been placed
, ,
, ,
,
About | thy thoughts | and couns|els of | thy
heart?
, ,
, ,
,
But fare | thee* well,| most^foul,| most^fair,|
farewell,
,
, x 2
, ,
Thou* pure | impie|ty, and im|pious pu|rity,
??
, ,
, ,
,
For thee | I'll lock | up^all | the gates | of
love,
,
, , ,
,
And on | my eye|lids shall | conjec|ture hang,
. T T
T , ,
,
To turn all beaut|y in|to thoughts | of harm,
,
, , ,
,
And nev|er shall | it more | be gra|cious.
LEONATO
, T
Tx T ,
,
Hath no | man's dagger here | a point | for me?
[HERO swoons]
BEATRICE
, ,
, ,
,
Why* how | now* cous|in, where|fore* sink | you
down?
DON JOHN
, 2
T T T
T T . T
Come, let us | go: These things | come thus to
light,
,
, ,
Smother | her spir|its up.
[Exeunt DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, and CLAUDIO]
BENEDICK
, ,
How doth | the lady?
BEATRICE
, T
T Tx
Dead I | think, help uncle,
<- ,
, ,
, , , ,
Hero,| why He||ro, Un|cle, Sig/nior Ben|edick,|
Friar.
LEONATO
, T T . T
, ,
O Fate!| Take not away | thy hea|vy hand,
,
, ,
, ,
Death is | the fair|est cov|er for | her shame
, ,
That may | be wished | for.
BEATRICE
, T Tx T
2->
How | now, cousin He||ro?
FRIAR FRANCIS
,
,
Have com|fort la|dy.
LEONATO
, T T T
Dost | thou look up?
FRIAR FRANCIS
___ ,
T T T oo
Yea,| wherefore | should she not?|
LEONATO
,
, ,
, ,
Wherefore?| Why* doth | not eve|ry earth|ly thing
T T . T
, ,
,
Cry shame upon | her? Could | she here | deny
,
, ,
, ,
The sto|ry that | is print|ed in | her blood?
. T T T
, ,
,
Do not live He|ro, do | not ope | thine^eyes:
,
, ,
, ,
For, did | I think | thou wouldst | not quick|ly
die,
, x
, ,
,
Thought^I | thy spirits | were strong|er than |
thy shames,
, , ,
, 2 ,
Myself | would on | the rear|ward of re|proaches
, 2
T T T ,
,
Strike at thy | life. Grieved I,| I* had | but
one?
,
, ,
, ,
Chid I*,| for that | at frug|al na|ture's frame?
. T T T
, ,
,
O^one too much | by thee:| why* had | I one?
, ,
, ,
,
Why^ev|er wast | thou* love|ly in | my eyes?
, ,
, , ,
Why had | I not | with char|itab|le hand
, ,
, ,
,
Took^up | a beg|gar's is|sue at | my gates,
T T T
, , ,
Who smeared thus,| and mired | with in|famy,
, ,
, ,
,
I might | have said,| no part / of it | is mine:
, ,
x T T
T
This^shame | derives | itself from | unknown
loins,
, ,
, ,
,
But mine,| and mine | I loved,| and mine | I
praised,
, ,
, ,
,
And mine | that I | was proud | on* mine | so*
much,
, , ,
2 T T T
That I | myself,| was to my|self not mine:
, 2 ,
, ,
x
Valuing | of her,| why* she,| O she | is fallen
,
, ,
, ,
Into | a pit | of ink,| that the / wide sea
,
T T . T
, ,
Hath drops | too few to wash | her clean | again,
. T T T
, ,
,
And salt too lit|tle, which | may* seas|on give
, ,
,
To her / foul taint|ed flesh. \\
BENEDICK
Sir, sir, be patient: for my part, I am so attired in wonder, I know not
what to say.
BEATRICE
,
, ,
, ,
O^on | my soul | my cous|in is | belied.
BENEDICK
, ,
, Tx T T
Lady,| were you | her bed|fellow* last night?
BEATRICE
, , ,
. T T T
No tru/ly: not^|although*| until last night,
, ,
, , ,
I have | this twelve|month* been | her
bed|fellow.
LEONATO
, ,
, , ,
Confirmed,| confirmed.| O* that | is strong|er
made
,
, , ,
,
Which was | before | barred^up | with ribs | of
iron.
, ,
, , 2
,
Would the / two prin|ces lie,| and Clau|dio lie,
, , ,
, 2 ,
Who loved | her so,| that speak/ing of her |
foulness,
x T
T T ,
,
Washed it with | tears? Hence from | her, let |
her die.
FRIAR FRANCIS
Hear me a little, for I have only been silent so long, and given way unto
this course of fortune, by noting of the lady, I have marked.
, ,
, , ,
A thous|and blush|ing ap|pari|tions,
, ,
, , , 2
,
To start | into | her face,| a thous|and
in|nocent shames,
, ,
, . T T T
o
In ang|el white|ness bear | away those blush|es,
(hex with prev)
,
, ,
, ,
And in | her eye | there hath | appeared | a fire
, ,
, , ,
To burn | the er|rors that | these prin|ces hold
, ,
, , ,
Against | her maid|en truth.| Call me | a fool,
,
, ,
, , ->
Trust^not | my read|ing, nor | my
ob|serva||tions,
, 2
, , ,
, 2->
Which | with exper|imen|tal seal | doth war||rant
, , ,
, ,
The ten|or of my // book: trust not | my age,
, , ,
, ,
My reve|rence, cal|ling, nor | divi|nity,
. T T
T , , ,
If this sweet la|dy lie | not^guilt|less here,
, 2
, ,
Under some | biting | error.
LEONATO
, ,
,
Friar,| it can|not be: (tri with
prev)
, ,
, , ,
Thou seest | that all | the grace | that she |
hath left,
,
, , ,
2 ,
Is, that | she will | not add / to her
damn|ation,
,
, , ,
x
A sin | of per|jury,| she* not | denies it:
, T
T . T ,
,
Why seekst | thou then to cov|er with | excuse,
,
, , ,
,
That which | appears | in prop|er nak|edness?
FRIAR FRANCIS
, ,
, , 2
,
Lady,| what man / is he | you are ac|cused of?
HERO
, , 2
, T T T
They know | that do ac|cuse me,| I know none:
, ,
, , ,
If I | know more | of an|y man | alive
, ,
, , ,
Than that | which^maid|en mode|sty doth |
warrant,
, 2 T
T T , , ->
Let all my*| sins lack mer|cy. O | my fath||er,
,
2 , ,
, ,
Prove | you that an|y man | with me | conversed,
,
, , ,
,
At hours | unmeet,| or that / I yest|ernight
,
, , ,
, 2->
Maintained | the change | of words | with an|y
crea||ture,
, ,
, ,
,
Refuse | me, hate | me, tor|ture me | to death.
FRIAR FRANCIS
, , , ,
2 ,
There is / some strange | mispris/ion in the |
princes.
BENEDICK
, 2 ,
, , ,
Two of them | have the | very | bent of | honor;
, ,
, ,
,
And if | their wis|doms be | misled | in this:
, x
, ,
,
The prac|tice of it | lives in | John the |
bastard,
, ,
, ,
,
Whose spir|its toil | in frame | of vil|lanies.
LEONATO
T T T ,
, ,
2
I know not:| If they | speak but | truth of her,
,
, , 2
, ,
These^hands | shall tear | her: if they | wrong
her | honor,
, ,
, , ,
The proud|est of | them shall | well hear / of
it.
,
, , ,
,
Time hath | not^yet | so* dried | this blood | of
mine,
, ,
, ,
,
Nor^age | so^eat | up my | invent|ion,
,
, , ,
,
Nor for|tune made | such hav/oc of | my means,
,
T T T 2
, ,
Nor my | bad life reft | me so much | of friends,
, ,
, , ,
But they | shall find,| awaked | in such | a
kind,
,
, , ,
,
Both^strength | of limb,| and po|licy | of mind,
, ,
, , ,
Abi|lity | in means,| and choice | of friends,
, ,
,
To quit | me of | them through|ly.
FRIAR FRANCIS
, ,
Pause | awhile:
,
, ,
, ,
And let | my couns|el sway | you in | this case,
, ,
, ,
,
Your daught|er here | the prin|cess (left | for
dead)
,
, ,
, ,
Let her | awhile | be sec|retly*/ kept in,
, ,
, ,
,
And pub|lish it | that she | is dead | indeed:
,
, , ,
,
Maintain | a mourn|ing os|tenta|tion,
,
, , ,
,
And on | your fam|ily's*/ old mon|ument,
T T .
T , .
T T T
Hang mournful^ep|itaphs,| and^do all rites,
, ,
, , ,
That ap|pertain | unto | a bu|rial.
LEONATO
,
, , ,
,
What shall | become | of this?| What will |
this do*?
FRIAR FRANCIS
, ,
, ,
2 ,
Marry | this^well | carried,| shall^on |
her^behalf,
, ,
, , ,
Change sland/er to | remorse,| that is / some
good,
, ,
, ,
,
But not | for that | dream^I | on this / strange
course,
,
, , ,
,
But on | this tra/vail look | for great|er birth:
, ,
, ,
,
She dy/ing, as | it must | so* be | maintained,
, , ,
, ,
Upon | the inst|ant that | she was | accused,
, , ,
, ,
Shall be | lament|ed, pit|ied, and | excused
,
, ,
, ,
Of eve|ry hear|er: for | it so | falls^out,
,
, ,
, ,
That what | we have,| we prize | not to | the worth,
,
x , ,
,
Whiles we | enjoy it;| but be|ing lacked | and
lost,
,
, ,
, ,
Why* then | we rack | the val|ue, then | we find
, ,
, ,
x
The vir|tue that | posses|sion would / not show
us
,
, , 2
, , 2
Whiles it | was ours,| so will it | fare with |
Claudio:
, , ,
. T T T
When^he | shall hear | she died | upon his words,
2 , ,
, , ,
The ide|a of | her life | shall sweet|ly creep
, 2 ,
, , ,
Into his | study | of i|magi|nation,
,
, , ,
,
And eve|ry love|ly org|an of | her life,
,
, 2 , ,
,
Shall come | appar|elled in more | precious |
habit:
,
, , ,
,
More* mov|ing del|icate,| and full | of life,
, ,
, , ,
Into | the eye | and pros|pect of | his soul
, ,
, ,
,
Than when | she lived | indeed:| then shall | he
mourn,
, , , , 2 ,
If ev|er love | had inte/rest in his | liver,
, T T
T , ,
And wish | he had not | so ac|cused her:
,
, , ,
,
No, though | he thought | his ac|cusa|tion true:
, , .
T T T
,
Let^this | be so,| and doubt not but | success
,
, ,
, ,
Will fash|ion the | event | in bet|ter shape,
,
, ,
, ,
Than I | can lay | it down | in like|lihood.
, ,
, ,
,
But if / all aim | but this | be lev|elled false,
, ,
, ,
,
The sup|posi|tion of | the la|dy's death,
,
, ,
, ,
Will quench | the wond|er of | her in|famy.
, 2
T T T ,
2 ,
And if it | sort not well,| you may con|ceal her,
,
, , ,
, 2->
As best | befits | her wound|ed rep|uta||tion,
, ,
, ,
,
In some | reclus|ive and | reli|gious life,
T . T
T T
T . T ,
Out of all eyes,| tongues, minds and in|juries.
BENEDICK
, 3 3 ,
, x
,
Signior Leo|nato,| let the | friar ad|vise you:
??
,
, ,
, ,
And though | you know | my in|wardness | and love
, , ,
2 ,
, 2
Is ve|ry much | unto the | prince and | Claudio,
,
, , ,
,
Yet, by*| mine^hon|or, I | will deal | in this,
, ,
, ,
,
As sec|retly | and just|ly, as | your soul
, 2
,
Should with your | body.
LEONATO
x ,
,
Being that | I flow | in grief,
, ,
,
The smal|lest twine | may lead | me. \\
FRIAR FRANCIS
, ,
, , ,
'Tis well | consen|ted, pres|ently | away,
,
, , ,
,
For to / strange sores,| strangely | they strain
| the cure,
T Tx T
, ,
,
Come lady, die | to live,| this wed|ding day
, ,
, ,
3 3 ,
Perhaps | is but | prolonged,| have* pa|tience
and endure. ??
[Exeunt all but BENEDICK and BEATRICE]
BENEDICK
Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?
BEATRICE
Yea, and I will weep a while longer.
BENEDICK
I will not desire that.
BEATRICE
You have no reason, I do it freely.
BENEDICK
Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.
BEATRICE
Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her!
BENEDICK
Is there any way to show such friendship?
BEATRICE
A very even way, but no such friend.
BENEDICK
May a man do it?
BEATRICE
It is a man's office, but not yours.
BENEDICK
I do love nothing in the world so well as you, is not that strange?
BEATRICE
As strange as the thing I know not, it were as possible for me to say, I
loved nothing so well as you, but believe me not, and yet I lie not, I
confess nothing, nor I deny nothing, I am sorry for my cousin.
BENEDICK
By my sword Beatrice thou lovst me.
BEATRICE
Do not swear by it and eat it.
BENEDICK
I will swear by it that you love me, and I will make him eat it that says I
love not you.
BEATRICE
Will you not eat your word?
BENEDICK
With no sauce that can be devised to it, I protest I love thee.
BEATRICE
Why then God forgive me.
BENEDICK
What offense sweet Beatrice?
BEATRICE
You have stayed me in a happy hour, I was about to protest I loved you.
BENEDICK
And do it with all thy heart.
BEATRICE
I love you with so much of my heart, that none is left to protest.
BENEDICK
Come, bid me do any thing for thee.
BEATRICE
Kill Claudio.
BENEDICK
Ha, not for the wide world.
BEATRICE
You kill me to deny, farewell.
BENEDICK
Tarry sweet Beatrice.
BEATRICE
I am gone, though I am here, there is no love in you, nay I pray you let
me go.
BENEDICK
Beatrice.
BEATRICE
In faith I will go.
BENEDICK
We'll be friends first.
BEATRICE
You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy.
BENEDICK
Is Claudio thine enemy?
BEATRICE
Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned,
dishonored my kinswoman? O that I were a man! What, bear her in hand until
they come to take hands, and then with public accusation uncovered
slander, unmitigated rancor? O God that I were a man! I would eat his
heart in the marketplace.
BENEDICK
Hear me Beatrice.
BEATRICE
Talk with a man out at a window, a proper saying.
BENEDICK
Nay but Beatrice.
BEATRICE
Sweet Hero, she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.
BENEDICK
Beat?
BEATRICE
Princes and counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count, Comfect, a sweet gallant surely. O that I were a man for his sake! or that
I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into
courtesies, valor into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and
trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and
swears it: I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with
grieving.
BENEDICK
Tarry good Beatrice, by this hand I love thee.
BEATRICE
Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.
BENEDICK
Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero?
BEATRICE
Yea, as sure as I have a thought, or a soul.
BENEDICK
Enough, I am engaged, I will challenge him, I will kiss your hand, and so leave you:
by this hand Claudio shall render me a dear account: as you hear
of me, so think of me: go comfort your cousin, I must say she is dead, and
so farewell.
[Exeunt]