The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare
of your Grace, for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave.
DON PEDRO.
You embrace your charge too willingly. I think this is your daughter.
LEONATO.
Her mother hath many times told me so.
BENEDICK.
Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her?
LEONATO.
Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child.
DON PEDRO. You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly the lady fathers herself. Be happy, lady, for you are like an honourable father.
BENEDICK. If Signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders for all Messina, as like him as she is.
BEATRICE. I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you.
BENEDICK.
What! my dear Lady Disdain, are you yet living?
BEATRICE. Is it possible Disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain if you come in her presence.
BENEDICK. Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart;for, truly, I love none.
BEATRICE. A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.
BENEDICK. God keep your ladyship still in that mind;so some gentleman or other shallscape a predestinate scratched face.
BEATRICE. Scratching could not make it worse, an ‘twere such a face as yours were.
BENEDICK.
Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
BEATRICE.
A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.
BENEDICK. I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, i’ God’s name; I have done.
BEATRICE.
You always end with a jade’s trick: I know you of old.
DON PEDRO. That is the sum of all, Leonato: Signior Claudio, and Signior Benedick, my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all. I tell him we shall stay here at the least a month, and he heartly prays some occasion may detain us longer: I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.
LEONATO.
If you swear, my lord, you shall not be forsworn.
[To DON JOHN]
Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to the prince your
brother, I owe you all duty.
DON JOHN.
I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you.
LEONATO.
Please it your Grace lead on?
DON PEDRO.
Your hand, Leonato;we will go together.
[Exeunt all but BENEDICK and CLAUDIO.]
CLAUDIO.
Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?
BENEDICK.
I noted her not; but I looked on her.
CLAUDIO.
Is she not a modest young lady?
BENEDICK. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?
CLAUDIO.
No; I pray thee speak in sober judgment.
BENEDICK. Why, i’ faith, methinks she’s too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise; only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.
CLAUDIO. Thou thinkest I am in sport: I pray thee tell me truly how thou likest her.
BENEDICK.
Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?
CLAUDIO.
Can the world buy such a jewel?
BENEDICK. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow, or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song?
CLAUDIO.
In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on.
BENEDICK. I can see yet without spectacles and I see no such matter: there’s her cousin an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?
CLAUDIO. I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn to the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.
BENEDICK. Is’t come to this, i’ faith? Hath not the world one man but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again? Go to, i’ faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it and sigh away Sundays. Look! Don Pedro is returned to seek you.
[Re-enter DON PEDRO.]
DON PEDRO.
What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato’s?
BENEDICK.
I would your Grace would constrain me to tell.
DON PEDRO.
I charge thee on thy allegiance.
BENEDICK. You hear, Count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man; I would have you think so; but on my allegiance mark you this, on my allegiance: he is in love. With who? now that is your Grace’s part. Mark how short his answer is: with Hero, Leonato’s short daughter.
CLAUDIO.
If this were so, so were it uttered.
BENEDICK.
Like the old tale, my lord: ‘it is not so, nor ‘twas not so; but indeed,
God forbid it should be so.’
CLAUDIO.
If my passion change not shortly. God forbid it should be otherwise.
DON PEDRO.
Amen, if you love her; for the lady is very well worthy.
CLAUDIO.
You speak this to fetch me in, my lord.
DON PEDRO.
By my troth, I speak my thought.
CLAUDIO.
And in faith, my lord, I spoke mine.
BENEDICK.
And by my two faiths and troths, my lord, I spoke mine.
CLAUDIO.
That I love her, I feel.
DON PEDRO.
That she is worthy, I know.
BENEDICK. That I neither feel how she should be loved nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me: I will die in it at the stake.
DON PEDRO.
Thou wast ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty.
CLAUDIO.
And never could maintain his part but in the force of his will.