uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour.-O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. Benedick. Hear me, Beatrice ;— Beatrice. Talk with a man out of a window !—a proper saying! Benedick. Nay, but Beatrice, Beatrice. Sweet Hero!-she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone. Benedick. Beat Beatrice. Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-confect; a sweet gallant, surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: 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. Benedick. Tarry, good Beatrice. By this hand, I love thee. Beatrice. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it. Benedick. Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero? Beatrice. Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul. Benedick. Enough! I am engaged; I will challenge him. I will kiss your hand, and so leave you. By this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account. As you hear of me, so think of me. Go, comfort your cousin. say she is dead and so, farewell. I must ACT V. SCENE II. LEONATO'S Garden. Enter URSULA. Ursula. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yonder 's old coil at home; it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the Prince and Claudio mightily abus'd; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. Will you come presently? Beatrice. Will you go hear this news, signior? Benedick. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and, moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's. MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. ACT II. SCENE II. Oberon. HAT very time I saw, (but thou couldst not,) At a fair vestal throned by the west; In maiden meditation, fancy-free. Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound, And maidens call it, love-in-idleness. Fetch me that flower; the herb I show'd thee once; The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid, Will make or man or woman madly dote Fetch me this herb; and be thou here again Ere the Leviathan can swim a league. Puck. I'll put a girdle round about the earth In forty minutes. Oberon. Having once this juice, I'll watch Titania when she is asleep, And drop the liquor of it in her eyes. The next thing then she waking looks upon, But who comes here? I am invisible; And I will overhear their conference. Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. Demetrius. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander, and fair Hermia? The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me they were stolen into this wood, And here am I, and wood within this wood, Because I cannot meet with Hermia. Hence! get thee gone, and follow me no more. Helena. You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant ; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, Demetrius. Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth Tell you I do not nor cannot love you? Helena. And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: What worser place can I beg in your love, Demetrius. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick when I do look on thee. Helena. And I am sick when I look not on you. To leave the city, and commit yourself To trust the opportunity of night, And the ill counsel of a desert place, Helena. Your virtue is my privilege for that. When all the world is here to look on me? Demetrius. I'll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. Helena. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd,— Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind Makes speed to catch the tiger :-bootless speed! Demetrius. I will not stay thy questions; let me go : Or, if thou follow me, do not believe |