Ursula, mask'd.
Claud.
For this I owe you; here come other recknings.
Which is the lady I must seize upon?
Ant.
This same is she, and I do give you her.
Claud.
Why, then she's mine; Sweet, let me see your face.
Leon.
No, that you shall not, 'till you take her hand
Before this Friar, and swear to marry her.
Claud.
Give me your hand; before this holy Friar,
I am your husband if you like of me.
Hero.
And when I liv'd, I was your other wife.
[Unmasking.
And when you lov'd, you were my other husband.
Claud.
Another Hero?
Hero.
Nothing certainer.
One Hero dy'd defil'd, but I do live;
And, surely, as I live, I am a maid.
Pedro.
The former Hero! Hero, that is dead!
Leon.
She dy'd, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd.
Friar.
All this amazement can I qualifie.
When, after that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell thee largely of fair Hero's death:
Mean time let wonder seem familiar,
And to the chappel let us presently.
Bene.
Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?
-- 92 --
Beat.
I answer to that name; what is your will?
Bene.
Do not you love me?
Beat.
Why, no, no more than reason.
Bene.
Why, then your Uncle, and the Prince, and
Claudio, have been deceiv'd; they swore, you did.
Beat.
Do not you love me?
Bene.
Troth, no, no more than reason.
Beat.
Why, then my Cousin, Margaret and Ursula,
Have been deceiv'd; for they did swear, you did.
Bene.
They swore, you were almost sick for me.
Beat.
They swore, you were well-nigh dead for me.
Bene.
'Tis no matter; then you do not love me?
Beat.
No, truly, but in friendly recompence.
Leon.
Come, Cousin, I am sure, you love the gentleman.
Claud.
And I'll be sworn upon't, that he loves her;
For here's a paper written in his hand,
A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,
Fashion'd to Beatrice.
Hero.
And here's another,
Writ in my Cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick.
Bene.
A miracle! here's our own hands against our
hearts; come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I
take thee for pity.
Beat.
2 noteI would not deny you; but, by this good
day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save
-- 93 --
your life; for as I was told, you were in a consumption.
Bene.
Peace, I will stop your mouth.—
[Kissing her.
Pedro.
How dost thou, Benedick, the married
man?
Bene.
I'll tell thee what, Prince; a College of witcrackers
cannot flout me out of my humour: dost thou
think, I care for a satire, or an epigram? no: “if a
man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing
handsome about him;” in brief, since I do
purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose
that the world can say against it; and therefore never
flout at me, for what I have said against it; for man
is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion; for thy
part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but
in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruis'd,
and love my cousin.
Claud.
I had well hoped, thou wouldst have denied
Beatrice, that I might have cudgell'd thee out of thy
single life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out
of question, thou wilt be, if my Cousin do not look
exceeding narrowly to thee.
Bene.
Come, come, we are friends; let's have a
Dance ere we are marry'd, that we may lighten our
own hearts, and our wives heels.
Leon.
We'll have dancing afterwards.
Bene.
First, o' my word; therefore, play, musick.
Prince, thou art sad, get thee a wife, get thee a wife;
there is no staff more reverend than one tipt with
horn.
-- 94 --
Enter Messenger.
Mess.
My Lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight,
And brought with armed men back to Messina.
Bene.
Think not on him 'till to morrow: I'll devise
thee brave punishments for him. Strike up,
Pipers.
[Dance.
[Exeunt omnes.