Beat. Speake cosin, or (if you cannot) stop his mouth with a kisse, and let not him speake neither
Pedro. In faith Lady you haue a merry heart
Beatr. Yea my Lord I thanke it, poore foole it keepes on the windy side of Care, my coosin tells him in his eare that he is in my heart
Clau. And so she doth coosin
Beat. Good Lord for alliance: thus goes euery one to the world but I, and I am sun-burn"d, I may sit in a corner and cry, heigh ho for a husband
Pedro. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one
Beat. I would rather haue one of your fathers getting: hath your Grace ne"re a brother like you? your father got excellent husbands, if a maid could come by them
Prince. Will you haue me? Lady
Beat. No, my Lord, vnlesse I might haue another for working-daies, your Grace is too costly to weare euerie day: but I beseech your Grace pardon mee, I was borne to speake all mirth, and no matter
Prince. Your silence most offends me, and to be merry, best becomes you, for out of question, you were born in a merry howre
Beatr. No sure my Lord, my Mother cried, but then there was a starre daunst, and vnder that was I borne: cosins G.o.d giue you ioy
Leonato. Neece, will you looke to those things I told you of?
Beat. I cry you mercy Vncle, by your Graces pardon.
Exit Beatrice.
Prince. By my troth a pleasant spirited Lady
Leon. There"s little of the melancholy element in her my Lord, she is neuer sad, but when she sleepes, and not euer sad then: for I haue heard my daughter say, she hath often dreamt of vnhappinesse, and wakt her selfe with laughing
Pedro. Shee cannot indure to heare tell of a husband
Leonato. O, by no meanes, she mocks all her wooers out of suite
Prince. She were an excellent wife for Bened.i.c.k
Leonato. O Lord, my Lord, if they were but a weeke married, they would talke themselues madde
Prince. Counte Claudio, when meane you to goe to Church?
Clau. To morrow my Lord, Time goes on crutches, till Loue haue all his rites
Leonato. Not till monday, my deare sonne, which is hence a iust seuen night, and a time too briefe too, to haue all things answer minde
Prince. Come, you shake the head at so long a breathing, but I warrant thee Claudio, the time shall not goe dully by vs, I will in the interim, vndertake one of Hercules labors, which is, to bring Signior Bened.i.c.ke and the Lady Beatrice into a mountaine of affection, th" one with th" other, I would faine haue it a match, and I doubt not but to fashion it, if you three will but minister such a.s.sistance as I shall giue you direction
Leonato. My Lord, I am for you, though it cost mee ten nights watchings
Claud. And I my Lord
Prin. And you to gentle Hero?
Hero. I will doe any modest office, my Lord, to helpe my cosin to a good husband
Prin. And Bened.i.c.k is not the vnhopefullest husband that I know: thus farre can I praise him, hee is of a n.o.ble straine, of approued valour, and confirm"d honesty, I will teach you how to humour your cosin, that shee shall fall in loue with Bened.i.c.ke, and I, with your two helpes, will so practise on Bened.i.c.ke, that in despight of his quicke wit, and his queasie stomacke, hee shall fall in loue with Beatrice: if wee can doe this, Cupid is no longer an Archer, his glory shall be ours, for wee are the onely loueG.o.ds, goe in with me, and I will tell you my drift.
Enter.
Enter Iohn and Borachio.
Ioh. It is so, the Count Claudio shal marry the daughter of Leonato
Bora. Yea my Lord, but I can crosse it
Iohn. Any barre, any crosse, any impediment, will be medicinable to me, I am sicke in displeasure to him, and whatsoeuer comes athwart his affection, ranges euenly with mine, how canst thou crosse this marriage?
Bor. Not honestly my Lord, but so couertly, that no dishonesty shall appeare in me
Iohn. Shew me breefely how
Bor. I thinke I told your Lordship a yeere since, how much I am in the fauour of Margaret, the waiting gentlewoman to Hero
Iohn. I remember
Bor. I can at any vnseasonable instant of the night, appoint her to looke out at her Ladies chamber window
Iohn. What life is in that, to be the death of this marriage?
Bor. The poyson of that lies in you to temper, goe you to the Prince your brother, spare not to tell him, that hee hath wronged his Honor in marrying the renowned Claudio, whose estimation do you mightily hold vp, to a contaminated stale, such a one as Hero
Iohn. What proofe shall I make of that?
Bor. Proofe enough, to misuse the Prince, to vexe Claudio, to vndoe Hero, and kill Leonato, looke you for any other issue?
Iohn. Onely to despight them, I will endeauour any thing
Bor. Goe then, finde me a meete howre, to draw on Pedro and the Count Claudio alone, tell them that you know that Hero loues me, intend a kinde of zeale both to the Prince and Claudio (as in a loue of your brothers honor who hath made this match) and his friends reputation, who is thus like to be cosen"d with the semblance of a maid, that you haue discouer"d thus: they will scarcely beleeue this without triall: offer them instances which shall beare no lesse likelihood, than to see mee at her chamber window, heare me call Margaret, Hero; heare Margaret terme me Claudio, and bring them to see this the very night before the intended wedding, for in the meane time, I will so fashion the matter, that Hero shall be absent, and there shall appeare such seeming truths of Heroes disloyaltie, that iealousie shall be cal"d a.s.surance, and all the preparation ouerthrowne
Iohn. Grow this to what aduerse issue it can, I will put it in practise: be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thousand ducates
Bor. Be thou constant in the accusation, and my cunning shall not shame me
Iohn. I will presentlie goe learne their day of marriage.
Enter.
Enter Bened.i.c.ke alone.
Bene. Boy
Boy. Signior
Bene. In my chamber window lies a booke, bring it hither to me in the orchard
Boy. I am heere already sir.
Enter.