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Dear Literary Folk,

I know for a fact that there are those here better versed in Shakespeare than I and I, being me, am not to proud to ask for help:

While listening to David Tennant in Much Ado About Nothing I came across a scene in the first act where Beatrice says "I will even take sixpence in earnest of the bearward, and lead his apes into hell."

I am stumped. I get that the gist is "Fine then, Iapos;ll be an old maid" but what on earth does "I will even take Sixpence in earnest of the bearward" mean? "I will take honest money from the baiter of bears" makes no sense nor does anything else I can come up with.

Thoughts?

M
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