Pedro. My loue is thine to teach, teach it but how, And thou shalt see how apt it is to learne Any hard Lesson that may do thee good
Clau. Hath Leonato any sonne my Lord?
Pedro. No childe but Hero, she"s his onely heire.
Dost thou affect her Claudio?
Clau. O my Lord, When you went onward on this ended action, I look"d vpon her with a souldiers eie, That lik"d, but had a rougher taske in hand, Than to driue liking to the name of loue: But now I am return"d, and that warre-thoughts Haue left their places vacant: in their roomes, Come thronging soft and delicate desires, All prompting mee how faire yong Hero is, Saying I lik"d her ere I went to warres
Pedro. Thou wilt be like a louer presently, And tire the hearer with a booke of words: If thou dost loue faire Hero, cherish it, And I will breake with her: wast not to this end, That thou beganst to twist so fine a story?
Clau. How sweetly doe you minister to loue, That know loues griefe by his complexion!
But lest my liking might too sodaine seeme, I would haue salu"d it with a longer treatise
Ped. What need y bridge much broder then the flood?
The fairest graunt is the necessitie: Looke what will serue, is fit: "tis once, thou louest, And I will fit thee with the remedie, I know we shall haue reuelling to night, I will a.s.sume thy part in some disguise, And tell faire Hero I am Claudio, And in her bosome Ile vnclaspe my heart, And take her hearing prisoner with the force And strong incounter of my amorous tale: Then after, to her father will I breake, And the conclusion is, shee shall be thine, In practise let vs put it presently.
Exeunt.
Enter Leonato and an old man, brother to Leonato.
Leo. How now brother, where is my cosen your son: hath he prouided this musicke?
Old. He is very busie about it, but brother, I can tell you newes that you yet dreamt not of
Lo. Are they good?
Old. As the euents stamps them, but they haue a good couer: they shew well outward, the Prince and Count Claudio walking in a thick pleached alley in my orchard, were thus ouer-heard by a man of mine: the Prince discouered to Claudio that hee loued my niece your daughter, and meant to acknowledge it this night in a dance, and if hee found her accordant, hee meant to take the present time by the top, and instantly breake with you of it
Leo. Hath the fellow any wit that told you this?
Old. A good sharpe fellow, I will send for him, and question him your selfe
Leo. No, no; wee will hold it as a dreame, till it appeare it selfe: but I will acquaint my daughter withall, that she may be the better prepared for an answer, if peraduenture this bee true: goe you and tell her of it: coosins, you know what you haue to doe, O I crie you mercie friend, goe you with mee and I will vse your skill, good cosin haue a care this busie time.
Exeunt.
Enter Sir Iohn the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and Conrade his companion.
Con. What the good yeere my Lord, why are you thus out of measure sad?
Ioh. There is no measure in the occasion that breeds, therefore the sadnesse is without limit
Con. You should heare reason
Iohn. And when I haue heard it, what blessing bringeth it?
Con. If not a present remedy, yet a patient sufferance
Ioh. I wonder that thou (being as thou saist thou art, borne vnder Saturne) goest about to apply a morall medicine, to a mortifying mischiefe: I cannot hide what I am: I must bee sad when I haue cause, and smile at no mans iests, eat when I haue stomacke, and wait for no mans leisure: sleepe when I am drowsie, and tend on no mans businesse, laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humor
Con. Yea, but you must not make the ful show of this, till you may doe it without controllment, you haue of late stood out against your brother, and hee hath tane you newly into his grace, where it is impossible you should take root, but by the faire weather that you make your selfe, it is needful that you frame the season for your owne haruest
Iohn. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, then a rose in his grace, and it better fits my bloud to be disdain"d of all, then to fashion a carriage to rob loue from any: in this (though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man) it must not be denied but I am a plaine dealing villaine, I am trusted with a mussell, and enfranchisde with a clog, therefore I haue decreed, not to sing in my cage: if I had my mouth, I would bite: if I had my liberty, I would do my liking: in the meane time, let me be that I am, and seeke not to alter me
Con. Can you make no vse of your discontent?
Iohn. I will make all vse of it, for I vse it onely.
Who comes here? what newes Borachio?
Enter Borachio.
Bor. I came yonder from a great supper, the Prince your brother is royally entertained by Leonato, and I can giue you intelligence of an intended marriage
Iohn. Will it serue for any Modell to build mischiefe on? What is hee for a foole that betrothes himselfe to vnquietnesse?
Bor. Mary it is your brothers right hand
Iohn. Who, the most exquisite Claudio?
Bor. Euen he
Iohn. A proper squier, and who, and who, which way lookes he?
Bor. Mary on Hero, the daughter and Heire of Leonato
Iohn. A very forward March-chicke, how came you to this: Bor. Being entertain"d for a perfumer, as I was smoaking a musty roome, comes me the Prince and Claudio, hand in hand in sad conference: I whipt behind the Arras, and there heard it agreed vpon, that the Prince should wooe Hero for himselfe, and hauing obtain"d her, giue her to Count Claudio
Iohn. Come, come, let vs thither, this may proue food to my displeasure, that young start-vp hath all the glorie of my ouerthrow: if I can crosse him any way, I blesse my selfe euery way, you are both sure, and will a.s.sist mee?
Conr. To the death my Lord
Iohn. Let vs to the great supper, their cheere is the greater that I am subdued, would the Cooke were of my minde: shall we goe proue whats to be done?
Bor. Wee"ll wait vpon your Lordship.
Exeunt.
Actus Secundus.
Enter Leonato, his brother, his wife, Hero his daughter, and Beatrice his neece, and a kinsman.
Leonato. Was not Count Iohn here at supper?
Brother. I saw him not
Beatrice. How tartly that Gentleman lookes, I neuer can see him, but I am heart-burn"d an howre after
Hero. He is of a very melancholy disposition
Beatrice. Hee were an excellent man that were made iust in the mid-way betweene him and Bened.i.c.ke, the one is too like an image and saies nothing, and the other too like my Ladies eldest sonne, euermore tatling
Leon. Then halfe signior Bened.i.c.ks tongue in Count Iohns mouth, and halfe Count Iohns melancholy in Signior Bened.i.c.ks face
Beat. With a good legge, and a good foot vnckle, and money enough in his purse, such a man would winne any woman in the world, if he could get her good will
Leon. By my troth Neece, thou wilt neuer get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue
Brother. Infaith shee"s too curst
Beat. Too curst is more then curst, I shall lessen G.o.ds sending that way: for it is said, G.o.d sends a curst Cow short hornes, but to a Cow too curst he sends none
Leon. So, by being too curst, G.o.d will send you no hornes