Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he and I, Duke. Why, here begins his morning story These two Antipholus', these two so like, My heavy burdens ne'er delivered. 400 And these two Dromios, one in semblance, 360 Of you, my sons; and, till this present hour 404 The duke, my husband, and my children both, Duke. With all my heart I'll gossip at this [Exeunt DUKE, Abbess, ÆGEON, Courtezan, Merchant, ANGELO, and Attendants. Dro. S. Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? Ant. E. Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embark'd? 412 Dro. S. Your goods that lay at host, sir, in Ant. S. He speaks to me. I am your master, Come, go with us; we'll look to that anon: Embrace thy brother there; rejoice with him. [Exeunt ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse and ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, ADRIANA and LUCIANA. Dro. S. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner: 417 Dro. E. Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother: 420 I see by you I am a sweet-fac'd youth. We came into the world like brother and brother; 33 Mess. I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort. Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece? Hero. My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua. 36 Mess. O! he is returned, and as pleasant as ever he was. Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his killing. 45 Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block. Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books. 80 Beat. No; an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil? 84 Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio. Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere a' be cured. Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady. Leon. You will never run mad, niece. 92 Bene. I would my horse had the speed of 96 your tongue, and so good a continuer. keep your way, i' God's name; I have done. Beat. You always end with a jade's trick: I know you of old. Enter DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHAZAR, and Others. D. Pedro. Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it. 100 Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your Grace, for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave. 105 D. Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly. I think this is your daughter. Leon. Her mother hath rany times told 152 Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato? Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her. Claud. Is she not a modest young lady? 172 Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man 120 should do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex? 176 Claud. No; I pray thee speak in sober judgment. Bene. 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. 184 Claud. Thou thinkest I am in sport: I pray thee tell me truly how thou likest her. Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after her? 188 But Claud. Can the world buy such a jewel? Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. 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? Claud. In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on. 197 Bene. 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? Claud. I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn to the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. 206 Bene. 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. 213 D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's? Bene. I would your Grace would constrain me to tell. 217 245 D. Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty. Claud. And never could maintain his part but in the force of his will. Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is,-for the which I may go the finer,—I will live a bachelor. 256 D. Pedro. I shall see thee, ere I die, look pale with love. Bene. With anger, with sickness, or with hunger, my lord; not with love: prove that ever I lose more blood with love than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine eyes with a balladmaker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house for the sign of blind Cupid. 264 270 D. Pedro. Well, if ever thou dost fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument. Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapped on the shoulder, and called Adam. D. Pedro. Well, as time shall try: 'In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.' Bene. The savage bull may; but if ever the sensible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's horns and set them in my forehead; and let me be vilely painted, and in such great letters as they write, 'Here is good horse to hire,' let them signify under my sign 'Here you may see Benedick the married man.' Claud. If this should ever happen, thou wouldst be horn-mad. 280 D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance. Bene. 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. 224 D. Pedro. Nay, if Cupid have not spent all his Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered. quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly. Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: 'it is not so, Bene. I look for an earthquake too then. nor 'twas not so; but, indeed, God forbid it D. Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the should be so.' 228 hours. In the meantime, good Signior Benedick, |