SCENE II.
Another Apartment in Leonato's House.
Enter Don John and Borachio.
John.
It is so; the count Claudio shall marry the
daughter of Leonato.
Bora.
Yea, my lord; but I can cross it.
John.
Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be
medicinable to me: I am sick in displeasure to him;
and whatsoever comes athwart his affection, ranges
evenly with mine. How canst thou cross this marriage?
Bora.
Not honestly, my lord; but so covertly that
no dishonesty shall appear in me.
John.
Shew me briefly how.
Bora.
I think, I told your lordship, a year since,
how much I am in the favour of Margaret, the waiting
gentlewoman to Hero.
John.
I remember.
Bora.
I can, at any unseasonable instant of the
night, appoint her to look out at her lady's chamber-
window.
John.
What life is in that, to be the death of this
marriage?
Bora.
The poison of that lies in you to temper.
Go you to the prince your brother; spare not to tell
him, that he hath wrong'd his honour in marrying
the renown'd Claudio, (whose estimation do you
mightily hold up) to a contaminated stale, such a
one as Hero.
John.
What proof shall I make of that?
Bora.
Proof enough to misuse the prince, to vex
Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato: Look
you for any other issue?
-- 290 --
John.
Only to despite them, I will endeavour any
thing.
3 note
Bora.
Go then, find me a meet hour to draw
-- 291 --
Don Pedro, and the count Claudio, alone: tell them,
that you know, Hero loves me; intend a kind of
zeal both to the prince and Claudio, as—in a love of
your brother's honour who hath made this match;
and his friend's reputation, who is thus like to be cozen'd
with the semblance of a maid,—that you have
discover'd thus. They will scarcely believe this without
trial: offer them instances; which shall bear no
less likelihood, than to see me at her chamber-window;
hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret
term me Claudio; and bring them to see this, the
very night before the intended wedding: for, in
the mean time, I will so fashion the matter, that
Hero shall be absent; and there shall appear such
seeming truth of Hero's disloyalty, that jealousy
shall be call'd assurance, and all the preparation overthrown.
John.
Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will
put it in practice: Be cunning in the working this,
and thy fee is a thousand ducats.
Bora.
Be thou constant in the accusation, and my
cunning shall not shame me.
John.
I will presently go learn their day of marriage.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
