Bene.
Now, 'Divine air!' now is his soul ravished!--Is it not
strange that sheep's guts should hale souls out of men's bodies?
--Well, a horn for my money, when all's done.
[Balthazar sings.]
I.
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more;
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in sea, and one on shore;
To one thing constant never:
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny;
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into, Hey nonny, nonny.
II.
Sing no more ditties, sing no mo,
Of dumps so dull and heavy;
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leavy.
Then sigh not so, &c.
D. Pedro.
By my troth, a good song.
Balth.
And an ill singer, my lord.
D. Pedro.
Ha? no; no, faith; thou sing'st well enough for a shift.
Bene.
[Aside.] An he had been a dog that should have howled thus
they would have hanged him: and I pray God, his bad voice bode no
mischief! I had as lief have heard the night-raven, come what
plague could have come after it.
D. Pedro.
Yea, marry; [to Claudio.]--Dost thou hear, Balthazar? I pray
thee, get us some excellent music; for to-morrow night we would
have it at the lady Hero's chamber-window.
Balth.
The best I can, my lord.
D. Pedro.
Do so: farewell. [Exeunt Balthazar.] Come hither, Leonato: What
was it you told me of to-day? that your niece Beatrice was in
love with signior Benedick?
Claud.
O, ay:-Stalk on, stalk on: the fowl sits. [Aside to Pedro] I did
never think that lady would have loved any man.
Leon.
No, nor I neither; but most wonderful that she should so dote
on signior Benedick, whom she hath in all outward behaviours
seemed ever to abhor.
Bene.
Is't possible? Sits the wind in that corner? [Aside.]
Leon.
By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell what to think of it; but
that she loves him with an enraged affection,--it is past the
infinite of thought.
D. Pedro.
May be, she doth but counterfeit.
Claud.
'Faith, like enough.
Leon.
O God! counterfeit! There was never counterfeit of passion
came so near the life of passion, as she discovers it.
D. Pedro.
Why, what effects of passion shows she?
Claud.
Bait the hook well; this fish will bite. [Aside.]
Leon.
What effects, my lord! She will sit you,--You heard my
daughter tell you how.
Claud.
She did, indeed.
D. Pedro.
How, how, I pray you? You amaze me: I would have thought her
spirit had been invincible against all assaults of affection.
Leon.
I would have sworn it had, my lord; especially against
Benedick.
Bene.
[Aside.] I should think this a gull, but that the white-bearded
fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide himself in such
reverence.
Claud.
He hath ta'en the infection; Hold it up. [Aside.]
D. Pedro.
Hath she made her affection known to Benedick?
Leon.
No; and swears she never will: that's her torment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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