The Bodleian First Folio

Lady Beatrice, haue you wept all this while?

Yea, and I will weepe a while longer.

I will not desire that.

You haue no reason, I doe it freely.

Surelie I do beleeue your fair cosin is wrong'd.

Ah, how much might the man deserue of mee

that would right her!

Is there any way to shew such friendship?

A verie euen way, but no such friend.

May a man doe it?

It is a mans office, but not yours.

I doe loue 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 loued nothing so well as you, but

beleeue me not, and yet I lie not, I confesse nothing, nor

I deny nothing, I am sorry for my cousin.

By my sword Beatrice thou lou'st me.

Doe not sweare by it and eat it.

I will sweare by it that you loue mee, and I will

make him eat it that sayes I loue not you.

Will you not eat your word?

With no sawce that can be deuised to it, I pro­

test I loue thee.

Why then God forgiue me.

What offence sweet Beatrice?

You haue stayed me in a happy howre, I was a­

bout to protest I loued you.

And doe it with all thy heart.

I loue you with so much of my heart, that none

is left to protest.

Come, bid me doe any thing for thee.

Kill Claudio.

Ha, not for the wide world.

You kill me to denie, farewell.

Tarrie sweet Beatrice.

I am gone, though I am heere, there is no loue

in you, nay I pray you let me goe.

Beatrice.

Infaith I will goe.

Wee'll be friends first.

You dare easier be friends with mee, than fight

with mine enemy.

Is Claudio thine enemie?

Is a not approued in the height a villaine, that

hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman? O

that I were a man! what, beare her in hand vntill they

come to take hands, and then with publike accusation

vncouered slander, vnmittigated rancour? O God that I

were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketȑplace.

Heare me Beatrice.

Talke with a man out at a window, a proper

saying.

Nay but Beatrice.

Sweet Hero, she is wrong'd, shee is slandered,

she is vndone.

Beat?

Princes and Counties! surelie a Princely testi­

monie, a goodly Count, Comfect, a sweet Gallant sure­

lie, 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 mel­

ted into cursies, valour into complement, and men are

onelie turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now

as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and sweares it:

I cannot be a man with wishing, therfore I will die a wo­

man with grieuing.

Tarry good Beatrice, by this hand I loue thee.

Vse it for my loue some other way then swea­

ring by it.

Thinke you in your soule the Count Claudio

hath wrong'd Hero?

Yea, as sure as I haue a thought, or a soule.

Enough, I am engagde, I will challenge him, I

will kisse your hand, and so leaue you: by this hand Clau­ dio shall render me a deere account: as you heare of me,

so thinke of me: goe comfort your coosin, I must say she

is dead, and so farewell.

Is our whole dissembly appeard?

O a stoole and a cushion for the Sexton.

Which be the malefactors?

Marry that am I, and my partner.

Nay that's certaine, wee haue the exhibition

to examine.

But which are the offenders that are to be ex­

amined, let them come before master Constable.

Yea marry, let them come before mee, what is

your name, friend?

Borachio.

Pray write downe Borachio. Yours sirra.

I am a Gentleman sir, and my name is Conrade.

Write downe Master gentleman Conrade: mai­

sters, doe you serue God: maisters, it is proued already

that you are little better than false knaues, and it will goe

neere to be thought so shortly, how answer you for your

selues?

Marry sir, we say we are none.

A maruellous witty fellow I assure you, but I

will goe about with him: come you hither sirra, a word

in your eare sir, I say to you, it is thought you are false

knaues.

Sir, I say to you, we are none.

Well, stand aside, 'fore God they are both in

a tale: haue you writ downe that they are none?

Master Constable, you goe not the way to ex­

amine, you must call forth the watch that are their ac­

cusers.

Yea marry, that's the eftest way, let the watch

come forth: masters, I charge you in the Princes name,

accuse these men.

This man said sir, that Don Iohn the Princes

brother was a villaine.

Write down, Prince Iohn a villaine: why this

is flat periurie, to call a Princes brother villaine.

Master Constable.

Pray thee fellow peace, I do not like thy looke

I promise thee.

What heard you him say else?

Mary that he had receiued a thousand Du­

kates of Don Iohn, for accusing the Lady Hero wrong­

fully.