Pedro. This is the summe of all: Leonato, signior Claudio, and signior Bened.i.c.ke; my deere friend Leonato, hath inuited you all, I tell him we shall stay here, at the least a moneth, and he heartily praies some occasion may detaine vs longer: I dare sweare hee is no hypocrite, but praies from his heart
Leon. If you sweare, my Lord, you shall not be forsworne, let mee bid you welcome, my Lord, being reconciled to the Prince your brother: I owe you all duetie
Iohn. I thanke you, I am not of many words, but I thanke you
Leon. Please it your grace leade on?
Pedro. Your hand Leonato, we will goe together.
Exeunt. Manet Bened.i.c.ke and Claudio.
Clau. Bened.i.c.ke, didst thou note the daughter of signior Leonato?
Bene. I noted her not, but I lookt on her
Claud. Is she not a modest yong Ladie?
Bene. Doe you question me as an honest man should doe, for my simple true iudgement? or would you haue me speake after my custome, as being a professed tyrant to their s.e.xe?
Clau. No, I pray thee speake in sober iudgement
Bene. Why yfaith me thinks shee"s too low for a hie praise, too browne for a faire praise, and too little for a great praise, onely this commendation I can affoord her, that were shee other then she is, she were vnhandsome, and being no other, but as she is, I doe not like her
Clau. Thou think"st I am in sport, I pray thee tell me truely how thou lik"st her
Bene. Would you buie her, that you enquier after her?
Clau. Can the world buie such a iewell?
Ben. Yea, and a case to put it into, but speake you this with a sad brow? Or doe you play the flowting iacke, to tell vs Cupid is a good Hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare Carpenter: Come, in what key shall a man take you to goe in the song?
Clau. In mine eie, she is the sweetest Ladie that euer I lookt on
Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter: there"s her cosin, and she were not possest with a furie, exceedes her as much in beautie, as the first of Maie doth the last of December: but I hope you haue no intent to turne husband, haue you?
Clau. I would scarce trust my selfe, though I had sworne the contrarie, if Hero would be my wife
Bene. Ist come to this? in faith hath not the world one man but he will weare his cap with suspition? shall I neuer see a batch.e.l.ler of three score againe? goe to yfaith, and thou wilt needes thrust thy necke into a yoke, weare the print of it, and sigh away sundaies: looke, don Pedro is returned to seeke you.
Enter don Pedro, Iohn the b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
Pedr. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonatoes?
Bened. I would your Grace would constraine mee to tell
Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegeance
Ben. You heare, Count Claudio, I can be secret as a dumbe man, I would haue you thinke so (but on my allegiance, marke you this, on my allegiance) hee is in loue, With who? now that is your Graces part: marke how short his answere is, with Hero, Leonatoes short daughter
Clau. If this were so, so were it vttred
Bened. Like the old tale, my Lord, it is not so, nor "twas not so: but indeede, G.o.d forbid it should be so
Clau. If my pa.s.sion change not shortly, G.o.d forbid it should be otherwise
Pedro. Amen, if you loue her, for the Ladie is verie well worthie
Clau. You speake this to fetch me in, my Lord
Pedr. By my troth I speake my thought
Clau. And in faith, my Lord, I spoke mine
Bened. And by my two faiths and troths, my Lord, I speake mine
Clau. That I loue her, I feele
Pedr. That she is worthie, I know
Bened. That I neither feele how shee should be loued, nor know how shee should be worthie, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me, I will die in it at the stake
Pedr. Thou wast euer an obstinate heretique in the despight of Beautie
Clau. And neuer could maintaine his part, but in the force of his will Ben. That a woman conceiued me, I thanke her: that she brought mee vp, I likewise giue her most humble thankes: but that I will haue a rechate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an inuisible baldricke, all women shall pardon me: because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will doe my selfe the right to trust none: and the fine is, (for the which I may goe the finer) I will liue a Batch.e.l.lor
Pedro. I shall see thee ere I die, looke pale with loue
Bene. With anger, with sicknesse, or with hunger, my Lord, not with loue: proue that euer I loose more blood with loue, then I will get againe with drinking, picke out mine eyes with a Ballet-makers penne, and hang me vp at the doore of a brothel-house for the signe of blinde Cupid
Pedro. Well, if euer thou doost fall from this faith, thou wilt proue a notable argument
Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a Cat, & shoot at me, and he that hit"s me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and cal"d Adam
Pedro. Well, as time shall trie: In time the sauage Bull doth beare the yoake
Bene. The sauage bull may, but if euer the sensible Bened.i.c.ke beare it, plucke off the bulles hornes, and set them in my forehead, and let me be vildely painted, and in such great Letters as they write, heere is good horse to hire: let them signifie vnder my signe, here you may see Bened.i.c.ke the married man
Clau. If this should euer happen, thou wouldst bee horne mad
Pedro. Nay, if Cupid haue not spent all his Quiuer in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly
Bene. I looke for an earthquake too then
Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the houres, in the meane time, good Signior Bened.i.c.ke, repaire to Leonatoes, commend me to him, and tell him I will not faile him at supper, for indeede he hath made great preparation
Bene. I haue almost matter enough in me for such an Emba.s.sage, and so I commit you
Clau. To the tuition of G.o.d. From my house, if I had it
Pedro. The sixt of Iuly. Your louing friend, Bened.i.c.k
Bene. Nay mocke not, mocke not; the body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guardes are but slightly basted on neither, ere you flout old ends any further, examine your conscience, and so I leaue you.
Enter.
Clau. My Liege, your Highnesse now may doe mee good