First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
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| Enter Hero, and Margaret, and Vrsula. | Enter Hero, and Margaret, and Ursula | | MA III.iv.1 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| Good Vrsula wake my cosin Beatrice, and desire | Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice, and desire | | MA III.iv.1 | |
| her to rise. | her to rise. | | MA III.iv.2 | |
| Vrsu. | URSULA | | | |
| I will Lady. | I will, lady. | | MA III.iv.3 | |
| Her. | HERO | | | |
| And bid her come hither. | And bid her come hither. | | MA III.iv.4 | |
| Vrs. | URSULA | | | |
| Well. | Well. | | MA III.iv.5 | |
| Exit | | MA III.iv.5 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Troth I thinke your other rebato were better. | Troth, I think your other rebato were better. | rebato (n.) stiff ornamental collar, ruff | MA III.iv.6 | |
| | troth, good troth (n.)exclamations, emphasizing an assertion - truly, indeed | | |
| Bero. | HERO | | | |
| No pray thee good Meg, Ile weare this. | No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this. | | MA III.iv.7 | |
| Marg. | MARGARET | | | |
| By my troth's not so good, and I warrant | By my troth, 's not so good, and I warrant | troth, by myby my truth [exclamation emphasizing an assertion] | MA III.iv.8 | |
| | warrant (v.)assure, promise, guarantee, confirm | | |
| your cosin will say so. | your cousin will say so. | | MA III.iv.9 | |
| Bero. | HERO | | | |
| My cosin's a foole, and thou art another, ile weare | My cousin's a fool, and thou art another. I'll wear | | MA III.iv.10 | |
| none but this. | none but this. | | MA III.iv.11 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| I like the new tire within excellently, if the | I like the new tire within excellently, if the | tire (n.)head-dress, ornament for the head, raiment | MA III.iv.12 | |
| haire were a thought browner: and your gown's a most | hair were a thought browner; and your gown's a most | | MA III.iv.13 | |
| rare fashion yfaith, I saw the Dutchesse of Millaines gowne | rare fashion, i'faith. I saw the Duchess of Milan's gown | | MA III.iv.14 | |
| that they praise so. | that they praise so. | | MA III.iv.15 | |
| Bero. | HERO | | | |
| O that exceedes they say. | O, that exceeds, they say. | exceed (v.)outdo, surpass, excel, be superior | MA III.iv.16 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| By my troth's but a night-gowne in respect of | By my troth, 's but a nightgown in respect of | nightgown, night-gown (n.)dressing-gown | MA III.iv.17 | |
| yours, cloth a gold and cuts, and lac'd withsiluer, set | yours – cloth o' gold, and cuts, and laced with silver, set | cut (n.)ornamental gap in a dress to show the colour underneath | MA III.iv.18 | |
| with pearles, downe sleeues, side sleeues, and skirts, round | with pearls, down-sleeves, side-sleeves, and skirts, round | down-sleeve (n.)long sleeve to the wrist | MA III.iv.19 | |
| | side-sleeve (n.)hanging sleeves open from the shoulder and falling away backwards | | |
| vnderborn with a blewish tinsel, but for a fine queint | underborne with a bluish tinsel; but for a fine, quaint, | underborne (adj.)trimmed at the bottom | MA III.iv.20 | |
| gracefull and excellent fashion, yours is worth ten on't. | graceful and excellent fashion, yours is worth ten on't. | | MA III.iv.21 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| God giue mee ioy to weare it, for my heart is exceeding | God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceedingly | | MA III.iv.22 | |
| heauy. | heavy. | heavy (adj.)sorrowful, sad, gloomy | MA III.iv.23 | |
| Marga. | MARGARET | | | |
| 'Twill be heauier soone, by the waight of a man. | 'Twill be heavier soon, by the weight of a man. | | MA III.iv.24 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| Fie vpon thee, art not asham'd? | Fie upon thee! Art not ashamed? | | MA III.iv.25 | |
| Marg. | MARGARET | | | |
| Of what Lady? of speaking honourably? is | Of what, lady? Of speaking honourably? Is | | MA III.iv.26 | |
| not marriage honourable in a beggar? is not your Lord | not marriage honourable in a beggar? Is not your lord | | MA III.iv.27 | |
| honourable without marriage? I thinke you would haue | honourable without marriage? I think you would have | | MA III.iv.28 | |
| me say, sauing your reuerence a husband: and bad | me say, ‘ saving your reverence, a husband ’; and bad | | MA III.iv.29 | |
| thinking doe not wrest true speaking, Ile offend no body, | thinking do not wrest true speaking, I'll offend nobody. | wrest (v.)twist, pervert, warp | MA III.iv.30 | |
| is there any harme in the heauier for a husband? none | Is there any harm in ‘ the heavier for a husband ’? None, | | MA III.iv.31 | |
| I thinke, and it be the right husband, and the right wife, | I think, an it be the right husband and the right wife; | and, an (conj.)if, whether | MA III.iv.32 | |
| otherwise 'tis light and not heauy, aske my Lady | otherwise 'tis light, and not heavy; ask my Lady | | MA III.iv.33 | |
| Beatrice else, here she comes. | Beatrice else, here she comes. | | MA III.iv.34 | |
| Enter Beatrice. | Enter Beatrice | | MA III.iv.34 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| Good morrow Coze. | Good morrow, coz. | morrow (n.)morning | MA III.iv.35 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Good morrow sweet Hero. | Good morrow, sweet Hero. | | MA III.iv.36 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| Why how now? do you speake in the sick tune? | Why how now? Do you speak in the sick tune? | tune (n.)state of mind, mood | MA III.iv.37 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| I am out of all other tune, me thinkes. | I am out of all other tune, methinks. | methinks(t), methought(s) (v.)it seems / seemed to me | MA III.iv.38 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Claps into Light a loue, (that goes without a | Clap's into ‘ Light o' love ’; that goes without a | clap into (v.)strike up with, enter briskly into | MA III.iv.39 | |
| burden,) do you sing it and Ile dance it. | burden. Do you sing it, and I'll dance it. | burden, burthen (n.)bass accompaniment [in a song] | MA III.iv.40 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Ye Light aloue with your heeles, then if your | Ye light o' love, with your heels! Then if your | light (adj.)promiscuous, licentious, immoral, wanton | MA III.iv.41 | |
| husband haue stables enough, you'll looke he shall lacke no | husband have stables enough, you'll see he shall lack no | | MA III.iv.42 | |
| barnes. | barnes. | barn, barne (n.)child, baby | MA III.iv.43 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| O illegitimate construction! I scorne that with | O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with | | MA III.iv.44 | |
| my heeles. | my heels. | | MA III.iv.45 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| 'Tis almost fiue a clocke cosin, 'tis time you | 'Tis almost five o'clock, cousin; tis time you | | MA III.iv.46 | |
| were ready, by my troth I am exceeding ill, hey ho. | were ready. By my troth, I am exceeding ill; heigh-ho! | ill (adj.)sick, indisposed, unwell | MA III.iv.47 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| For a hauke, a horse, or a husband? | For a hawk, a horse, or a husband? | | MA III.iv.48 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| For the letter that begins them all, H. | For the letter that begins them all, H. | | MA III.iv.49 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Well, and you be not turn'd Turke, there's no | Well, an you be not turned Turk, there's no | turn Turkchange completely, become a renegade [as if in religion, from Christian to infidel] | MA III.iv.50 | |
| | and, an (conj.)if, whether | | |
| more sayling by the starre. | more sailing by the star. | star (n.)pole-star, lodestar, guiding star | MA III.iv.51 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| What meanes the foole trow? | What means the fool, trow? | trow (v.)(I) wonder, (I) ask you | MA III.iv.52 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Nothing I, but God send euery one their | Nothing I; but God send everyone their | | MA III.iv.53 | |
| harts desire. | heart's desire! | | MA III.iv.54 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| These gloues the Count sent mee, they are an excellent | These gloves the Count sent me; they are an excellent | | MA III.iv.55 | |
| perfume. | perfume. | | MA III.iv.56 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| I am stuft cosin, I cannot smell. | I am stuffed, cousin, I cannot smell. | stuffed (adj.)filled with a head-cold, clogged | MA III.iv.57 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| A maid and stuft! there's goodly catching | A maid, and stuffed! There's goodly catching | | MA III.iv.58 | |
| of colde. | of cold. | | MA III.iv.59 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| O God helpe me, God help me, how long haue | O, God help me! God help me! How long have | | MA III.iv.60 | |
| you profest apprehension? | you professed apprehension? | profess (v.)practise, pursue, claim knowledge of | MA III.iv.61 | |
| | apprehension (n.)sharpness of mind, quickness of uptake | | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Euer since you left it, doth not my wit | Even since you left it. Doth not my wit | wit (n.)mental sharpness, acumen, quickness, ingenuity | MA III.iv.62 | |
| become me rarely? | become me rarely? | rarely (adv.)splendidly, beautifully, excellently | MA III.iv.63 | |
| | become (v.)be fitting, befit, be appropriate to | | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| It is not seene enough, you should weare it in | It is not seen enough; you should wear it in | | MA III.iv.64 | |
| your cap, by my troth I am sicke. | your cap. By my troth, I am sick. | | MA III.iv.65 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Get you some of this distill'd carduus benedictus | Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus, | carduus benedictus[Latin] blessed thistle, a medicinal herb | MA III.iv.66 | |
| and lay it to your heart, it is the onely thing for a | and lay it to your heart: it is the only thing for a | | MA III.iv.67 | |
| qualm. | qualm. | qualm (n.)sudden sickness, feeling of nausea, fainting attack | MA III.iv.68 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| There thou prickst her with a thissell. | There thou prickest her with a thistle. | | MA III.iv.69 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Benedictus, why benedictus? you haue some | Benedictus! Why Benedictus? You have some | | MA III.iv.70 | |
| morall in this benedictus. | moral in this Benedictus. | moral (n.)hidden meaning, import, significance | MA III.iv.71 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Morall? no by my troth, I haue no morall | Moral? No, by my troth, I have no moral | | MA III.iv.72 | |
| meaning, I meant plaine holy thissell, you may thinke perchance | meaning; I meant plain holy-thistle. You may think perchance | | MA III.iv.73 | |
| that I thinke you are in loue, nay birlady I | that I think you are in love. Nay, by'r Lady, I | | MA III.iv.74 | |
| am not such a foole to thinke what I list, nor I list not to | am not such a fool to think what I list, nor I list not to | list (v.)wish, like, please | MA III.iv.75 | |
| thinke what I can, nor indeed I cannot thinke, if I would | think what I can, nor indeed I cannot think, if I would | | MA III.iv.76 | |
| thinke my hart out of thinking, that you are in loue, or | think my heart out of thinking, that you are in love, or | | MA III.iv.77 | |
| that you will be in loue, or that you can be in loue: yet | that you will be in love, or that you can be in love. Yet | | MA III.iv.78 | |
| Benedicke was such another, and now is he become a | Benedick was such another, and now is he become a | | MA III.iv.79 | |
| man, he swore hee would neuer marry, and yet now in | man; he swore he would never marry, and yet now, in | | MA III.iv.80 | |
| despight of his heart he eates his meat without grudging, | despite of his heart, he eats his meat without grudging; | | MA III.iv.81 | |
| and how you may be conuerted I know not, but me thinkes | and how you may be converted I know not, but methinks | | MA III.iv.82 | |
| you looke with your eies as other women doe. | you look with your eyes as other women do. | | MA III.iv.83 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| What pace is this that thy tongue keepes. | What pace is this that thy tongue keeps? | | MA III.iv.84 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Not a false gallop. | Not a false gallop. | false (adj.)sham, spurious, not genuine, artificial | MA III.iv.85 | |
| Enter Vrsula. | Enter Ursula | | MA III.iv.85 | |
| Vrsula. | URSULA | | | |
| Madam, withdraw, the Prince, the Count, signior | Madam, withdraw; the Prince, the Count, Signor | | MA III.iv.86 | |
| Benedicke, Don Iohn, and all the gallants of the towne are | Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are | gallant (n.)fine gentleman, man of fashion | MA III.iv.87 | |
| come to fetch you to Church. | come to fetch you to church. | | MA III.iv.88 | |
| Hero. | HERO | | | |
| Helpe to dresse mee good coze, good Meg, good | Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good | | MA III.iv.89 | |
| Vrsula. | Ursula. | | MA III.iv.90 | |
| Exeunt | | MA III.iv.90 | |