Shakespeare Portal

Act 3, Scene 2

A Room in LEONATO'S House.

  1. [Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and LEONATO.]
  2. Don Pedro
  3. 976 I do but stay till your marriage be consummate, and then go I
  4. 977 toward Arragon.
  5. Claudio
  6. 978 I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouchsafe me.
  7. Don Pedro
  8. 979 Nay, that would be as great a soil in the new gloss of your marriage,
  9. 980 as to show a child his new coat and forbid him to wear it. I will only
  10. 981 be bold with Benedick for his company; for, from the crown of his head
  11. 982 to the sole of his foot, he is all mirth; he hath twice or thrice cut
  12. 983 Cupid's bowstring, and the little hangman dare not shoot at him. He
  13. 984 hath a heart as sound as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper; for
  14. 985 what his heart thinks his tongue speaks.
  15. Benedick
  16. 986 Gallants, I am not as I have been.
  17. Leonato
  18. 987 So say I: methinks you are sadder.
  19. Claudio
  20. 988 I hope he be in love.
  21. Don Pedro
  22. 989 Hang him, truant! there's no true drop of blood in him, to be truly
  23. 990 touched with love. If he be sad, he wants money.
  24. Benedick
  25. 991 I have the tooth-ache.
  26. Don Pedro
  27. 992 Draw it.
  28. Benedick
  29. 993 Hang it.
  30. Claudio
  31. 994 You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards.
  32. Don Pedro
  33. 995 What! sigh for the tooth-ache?
  34. Leonato
  35. 996 Where is but a humour or a worm?
  36. Benedick
  37. 997 Well, every one can master a grief but he that has it.
  38. Claudio
  39. 998 Yet say I, he is in love.
  40. Don Pedro
  41. 999 There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be a fancy that he
  42. 1000 hath to strange disguises; as to be a Dutchman to-day, a Frenchman
  43. 1001 to-morrow; or in the shape of two countries at once, as a German from
  44. 1002 the waist downward, all slops, and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no
  45. 1003 doublet. Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath,
  46. 1004 he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is.
  47. Claudio
  48. 1005 If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs:
  49. 1006 a' brushes his hat a mornings; what should that bode?
  50. Don Pedro
  51. 1007 Hath any man seen him at the barber's?
  52. Claudio
  53. 1008 No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him; and the old
  54. 1009 ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis-balls.
  55. Leonato
  56. 1010 Indeed he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard.
  57. Don Pedro
  58. 1011 Nay, a' rubs himself with civet: can you smell him out by that?
  59. Claudio
  60. 1012 That's as much as to say the sweet youth's in love.
  61. Don Pedro
  62. 1013 The greatest note of it is his melancholy.
  63. Claudio
  64. 1014 And when was he wont to wash his face?
  65. Don Pedro
  66. 1015 Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they say of him.
  67. Claudio
  68. 1016 Nay, but his jesting spirit; which is now crept into a lute-string,
  69. 1017 and new-governed by stops.
  70. Don Pedro
  71. 1018 Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him. Conclude, conclude he is
  72. 1019 in love.
  73. Claudio
  74. 1020 Nay, but I know who loves him.
  75. Don Pedro
  76. 1021 That would I know too: I warrant, one that knows him not.
  77. Claudio
  78. 1022 Yes, and his ill conditions; and in despite of all, dies for him.
  79. Don Pedro
  80. 1023 She shall be buried with her face upwards.
  81. Benedick
  82. 1024 Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ache. Old signior, walk aside with
  83. 1025 me: I have studied eight or nine wise words to speak to you, which
  84. 1026 these hobby-horses must not hear.
  85. [Exeunt BENEDICK and LEONATO.]
  86. Don Pedro
  87. 1027 For my life, to break with him about Beatrice.
  88. Claudio
  89. 1028 'Tis even so. Hero and Margaret have by this played their parts with
  90. 1029 Beatrice, and then the two bears will not bite one another when they
  91. 1030 meet.
  92. [Enter DON JOHN.]
  93. Don John
  94. 1031 My lord and brother, God save you!
  95. Don Pedro
  96. 1032 Good den, brother.
  97. Don John
  98. 1033 If your leisure served, I would speak with you.
  99. Don Pedro
  100. 1034 In private?
  101. Don John
  102. 1035 If it please you; yet Count Claudio may hear, for what I would
  103. 1036 speak of concerns him.
  104. Don Pedro
  105. 1037 What's the matter?
  106. [To CLAUDIO.]
  107. Don John
  108. 1038 Means your lordship to be married to-morrow?
  109. Don Pedro
  110. 1039 You know he does.
  111. Don John
  112. 1040 I know not that, when he knows what I know.
  113. Claudio
  114. 1041 If there be any impediment, I pray you discover it.
  115. Don John
  116. 1042 You may think I love you not: let that appear hereafter, and aim
  117. 1043 better at me by that I now will manifest. For my brother, I think
  118. 1044 he holds you well, and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your
  119. 1045 ensuing marriage; surely suit ill-spent and labour ill bestowed!
  120. Don Pedro
  121. 1046 Why, what's the matter?
  122. Don John
  123. 1047 I came hither to tell you; and circumstances shortened,—for she
  124. 1048 has been too long a talking of,—the lady is disloyal.
  125. Claudio
  126. 1049 Who, Hero?
  127. Don John
  128. 1050 Even she: Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.
  129. Claudio
  130. 1051 Disloyal?
  131. Don John
  132. 1052 The word's too good to paint out her wickedness; I could say, she were
  133. 1053 worse: think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not
  134. 1054 till further warrant: go but with me to-night, you shall see her
  135. 1055 chamber-window entered, even the night before her wedding-day: if you
  136. 1056 love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour
  137. 1057 to change your mind.
  138. Claudio
  139. 1058 May this be so?
  140. Don Pedro
  141. 1059 I will not think it.
  142. Don John
  143. 1060 If you dare not trust that you see, confess not that you know. If you
  144. 1061 will follow me, I will show you enough; and when you have seen more
  145. 1062 and heard more, proceed accordingly.
  146. Claudio
  147. 1063 If I see anything to-night why I should not marry her to-morrow, in
  148. 1064 the congregation, where I should wed, there will I shame her.
  149. Don Pedro
  150. 1065 And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to
  151. 1066 disgrace her.
  152. Don John
  153. 1067 I will disparage her no farther till you are my witnesses: bear it
  154. 1068 coldly but till midnight, and let the issue show itself.
  155. Don Pedro
  156. 1069 O day untowardly turned!
  157. Claudio
  158. 1070 O mischief strangely thwarting!
  159. Don John
  160. 1071 O plague right well prevented!So will you say when you have seen
  161. 1072 the sequel.
  162. [Exeunt.]