Benedick. But Beatrice would hear nothing in Claudio's defence; and
she continued to urge on Benedick to revenge her cousin's wrongs:
and she said: 'Talk with a man out of the window; a proper saying!
Sweet Hero! she is wronged; she is slandered; she is undone. O that I
were a man for Claudio's sake! or that I had any friend, who would be
a man for my sake! but velour is melted into courtesies and
compliments. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a
woman with grieving.' 'Tarry, good Beatrice,' said Benedick; 'by this
hand I love you.' 'Use it for my love some other way than swearing by
it,' said Beatrice. 'Think you on your soul that Claudio has wronged
Hero?' asked Benedick. 'Yea,' answered Beatrice; 'as sure as I have a
thought, or a soul.' 'Enough,' said Benedick; 'I am engaged; I will
challenge him. I will kiss your hand, and so leave you. By tints hand,
Claudio shall render me a dear account! As you hear from me, so
think of me. Go, comfort your cousin.'

While Beatrice was thus powerfully pleading with Benedick, and
working his gallant temper by the spirit of her angry words, to engage
in the cause of Hero, and fight even with his dear friend Claudio,
Leonato was challenging the prince and Claudio to answer with their
swords the injury they had done his child, who, he affirmed, had died
for grief. But they respected his age and his sorrow, and they said:
'Nay, do not quarrel with us, good old man.' And now came Benedick,
and he also challenged Claudio to answer with his sword the injury he
had done to Hero; and Claudio and the prince said to each other:
'Beatrice has set him on to do this.' Claudio nevertheless must have
accepted this challenge of Benedick, had not the justice of Heaven at
the moment brought to pass a better proof of the innocence of Hero
than the uncertain fortune of a duel.