Much Ado About Nothing Page #6

Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?

- Sweet prince, why speak not you?

- What should I speak?

I stand dishonored, that have gone about

to link my dear friend to a common stale.

No!

What man was he talked with you yesternight...

...out at your window betwixt 12:00 and 1:00?

I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord.

Why, then you are no maiden.

Leonato, I'm sorry you must hear.

Upon mine honor, myself, my brother

and this grieved count did see her...

...hear her, at that hour last night...

...talk with a ruffian at her chamber-window

who hath indeed, most like a liberal villain...

...confessed the vile encounters they have had

1,000 times in secret.

How now, cousin!

Come, let us go.

These things, come thus to light,

smother her spirits up.

Cousin, wherefore sink you down?

Hath no man's dagger here...

...a point for me?

Do not live, Hero!

Do not ope thine eyes!

Hero!

Grieved I, I had but one?

Why had I one?

Why ever wast thou lovely in my eyes?

Leonato!

- She is fallen into a pit of ink.

- Sir, be patient.

For my part, I am so attired in wonder,

I know not what to say.

On my soul, my cousin is belied!

Lady, were you her bedfellow last night?

No, truly not, although, until last night,

I have this twelvemonth been her bedfellow.

Confirmed!

Would the two princes lie, and Claudio lie?

Hence from her! Let her die!

Hear me a little.

Lady, what man is he you are accused of?

They know that do accuse me. I know none.

There is some strange misprision in the princes.

Two of them have the very bent of honor.

If their wisdom's been misled in this,

the practice of it lives in John the bastard.

If they wrong her honor,

the proudest of them shall well hear of it.

Pause awhile,

and let my counsel sway you in this case.

Your daughter here the princes left for dead.

Let her awhile be secretly kept in,

and publish it...

...that she is dead indeed.

What shall become of this?

She dying, as it must be so maintained...

...upon the instant that she was accused...

...shall be lamented, pitied...

...and excused of every hearer.

So will it fare with Claudio.

When he shall hear she died upon his words...

...the idea of her life...

...shall sweetly creep into

his study of imagination...

...and every lovely organ of her life...

...shall come appareled in more precious habit,

than when she lived indeed.

Then shall he mourn...

...and wish he had not so accused her.

Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you.

Being that I flow in grief...

...the smallest twine may lead me.

'Tis well consented.

Presently away.

Come, lady.

Die to live.

This wedding-day perhaps is but prolonged.

Have patience and endure.

Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?

Yea...

...and I will weep a while longer.

- I will not desire that.

You have no reason. I do it freely.

Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.

How much might the man deserve of me

that would right her!

Is there any way to show such friendship?

A very even way, but no such friend.

May a man do it?

It is a man's office...

...but not yours.

I do love nothing in the world so well as you.

Is not that strange?

As strange as the thing I know not.

It were as possible for me to say

I loved nothing so well as you.

But believe me not.

And yet I lie not.

I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing.

- I am sorry for my cousin.

- By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me.

Do not swear, and eat it.

I will swear by it that you love me, and I

will make him eat it that says I love not you.

Why, then, God forgive me!

What offence, sweet Beatrice?

You have stayed me in a happy hour.

- I was about to protest I loved you.

- And do it with all thy heart.

I love you with so much of my heart

that none is left to protest.

Come.

Bid me do anything for thee.

Kill Claudio.

Not for the wide world.

You kill me to deny it.

- Fare thee well.

- Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

I am gone, though I am here.

There is no love in you.

- Nay, I pray you, let me go.

- Beatrice!

- In faith, I will go.

- We'll be friends first.

You dare easier be friends with me

than fight with mine enemy.

Is Claudio thine enemy?

Is he not approved in the height a villain...

...that hath slandered, scorned,

dishonored my kinswoman?

O, that I were a man!

What...

...bear her in hand until they come

to take hands...

...and then, with public accusation...

...uncovered slander, unmitigated rancor...

O God, that I were a man!

I would eat his heart in the marketplace!

Hear me, Beatrice.

Talk with a man out at a window.

- A proper saying!

- Nay, but, Beatrice...

Sweet Hero.

She is wronged, she is slandered...

...she is undone!

He is now as valiant as Hercules

that only tells a lie and swears it.

I cannot be a man with wishing...

...therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

By this hand, I love thee.

Use it for my love some other way

than swearing by it.

Think you in your soul

the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero?

Yea.

As sure as I have a thought...

...or a soul.

Enough.

I am engaged.

I will challenge him.

Go.

Comfort your cousin.

I must say she is dead.

And so...

...farewell.

Is our whole dissembly appeared?

Which be the malefactors?

Marry, that am I...

...and my partner.

But which are the offenders

that are to be examined?

What is your name, friend?

Borachio.

Write down, Borachio.

- Yours, sirrah?

- I am a gentleman, sir.

And my name is Conrade.

Write down, master gentleman Conrade.

Masters, it is proved already that you are...

...little better than false knaves.

How answer you for yourselves?

Marry, sir...

...we say we are none.

You.

Sir, I say to you, we are none.

Have you writ down, they are none?

Master constable,

you go not the way to examine.

You must call forth the watch

that are their accusers.

Let the watch come forth.

Masters, I charge you, in the prince's name,

accuse these men.

This man said, sir, that Don John,

the prince's brother, was a villain.

- Write down Prince John a villain.

- Master constable.

Pray thee, fellow, peace.

I do not like thy look, I promise thee.

- What heard you him say else?

- Marry.

That he had received 1,000 ducats of Don John...

...for accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully.

- Flat burglary as ever was committed.

- Yea, by mass, that it is.

- What else?

- And that Count Claudio did mean...

...upon his words...

...to disgrace Hero before the whole assembly,

and not marry her.

Thou wilt be condemned

into everlasting redemption for this.

- What else?

- This is all.

Prince John is, this morning,

secretly stolen away.

Hero was in this manner accused,

in this very manner refused...

...and upon the grief of this, suddenly died.

Master constable...

...let these men be bound,

and brought to Leonato's.

- Come, let them be opinioned.

- Let them be in the hands...

Off, coxcomb!

God's my life, where's the Sexton?

Let him write down

the prince's officer coxcomb.

Come, bind them. Thou naughty varlet!

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