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- MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
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- Act 3 Scene 4
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- (Enter Hero, Margaret, and Ursula)
- l1l Hero Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice, and desire
- l2l her to rise.
- l3l Ursula I will, lady.
- l4l Hero And bid her come hither.
- l5l Ursula Well.
- (Exit)
- l6l Margaret Troth, I think your other rebato were better.
- l7l Hero No, pray thee, good Meg, IÆll wear this.
- l8l Margaret By my troth, Æs not so good, and I warrant
- l9l your cousin will say so.
- l10l Hero My cousinÆs a fool, and thou art another: IÆll wear
- l11l none but this.
- l12l Margaret I like the new tire within excellently, if the
- l13l hair were a thought browner. And your gownÆs a most
- l14l rare fashion, iÆ faith. I saw the Duchess of MilanÆs gown
- l15l that they praise so.
- l16l Hero O, that exceeds, they say.
- l17l Margaret By my troth, Æs but a night-gown in respect
- l18l of yoursùcloth oÆ gold, and cuts, and laced with silver,
- l19l set with pearls, down sleeves, side sleeves, and skirts
- l20l round underborne with a bluish tinsel. But for a fine,
- l21l quaint, graceful, and excellent fashion, yours is worth
- l22l ten on Æt.
- l23l Hero God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding
- l24l heavy.
- l25l Margaret ÆTwill be heavier soon by the weight of a man.
- l26l Hero Fie upon thee, art not ashamed?
- l27l Margaret Of what, lady? Of speaking honourably? Is not
- l28l marriage honourable in a beggar? Is not your lord
- l29l honourable without marriage? I think you would have
- l30l me say ôsaving your reverence, a husbandö. An bad
- l31l thinking do not wrest true speaking, IÆll offend nobody.
- l32l Is there any harm in ôthe heavier for a husbandö?
- l33l None, I think, an it be the right husband and the right
- l34l wifeùotherwise Ætis light and not heavy. Ask my Lady
- l35l Beatrice else. Here she comes.
- (Enter Beatrice)
- l36l Hero Good morrow, coz.
- l37l Beatrice Good morrow, sweet Hero.
- l38l Hero Why, how now? Do you speak in the sick tune?
- l39l Beatrice I am out of all other tune, methinks.
- l40l Margaret Clap Æs into ôLight oÆ loveö. That goes without
- l41l a burden. Do you sing it, and IÆll dance it.
- l42l Beatrice Ye light oÆ love with your heels. Then if your
- l43l husband have stables enough, youÆll see he shall lack
- l44l no barns.
- l45l Margaret O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with
- l46l my heels.
- l47l Beatrice (to Hero) ÆTis almost five oÆclock, cousin. ÆTis
- l48l time you were ready. By my troth, I am exceeding ill.
- l49l Heigh-ho!
- l50l Margaret For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?
- l51l Beatrice For the letter that begins them allùh.
- l52l Margaret Well, an you be not turned Turk, thereÆs no
- l53l more sailing by the star.
- l54l Beatrice What means the fool, trow?
- l55l Margaret Nothing, I. But God send everyone their heartÆs
- l56l desire.
- l57l Hero These gloves the Count sent me, they are an
- l58l excellent perfume.
- l59l Beatrice I am stuffed, cousin. I cannot smell.
- l60l Margaret A maid, and stuffed! ThereÆs goodly catching
- l61l of cold.
- l62l Beatrice O, God help me, God help me. How long have
- l63l you professed apprehension?
- l64l Margaret Ever since you left it. Doth not my wit become
- l65l me rarely?
- l66l Beatrice It is not seen enough. You should wear it in
- l67l your cap. By my troth, I am sick.
- l68l Margaret Get you some of this distilled carduus benedictus,
- l69l and lay it to your heart. It is the only thing for a
- l70l qualm.
- l71l Hero There thou prickest her with a thistle.
- l72l Beatrice Benedictusùwhy Benedictus? You have some
- l73l moral in this Benedictus.
- l74l Margaret Moral? No, by my troth, I have no moral
- l75l meaning. I meant plain holy-thistle. You may think
- l76l perchance that I think you are in love. Nay, by Ær Lady,
- l77l I am not such a fool to think what I list, nor I list not
- l78l to think what I can, nor indeed I cannot think, if I
- l79l would think my heart out of thinking, that you are in
- l80l love, or that you will be in love, or that you can be in
- l81l love. Yet Benedick was such another, and now is he
- l82l become a man. He swore he would never marry, and
- l83l yet now in despite of his heart he eats his meat without
- l84l grudging. And how you may be converted I know not,
- l85l but methinks you look with your eyes, as other women
- l86l do.
- l87l Beatrice What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?
- l88l Margaret Not a false gallop.
- (Enter Ursula)
- l89l Ursula (to Hero) Madam, withdraw. The Prince, the
- l90l Count, Signor Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants
- l91l of the town are come to fetch you to church.
- l92l Hero Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good Ursula.
- (Exeunt)
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