Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly: I thincke this is your daughter.

Leonato. Her mother hath many times tolde me fo.
Bened. Were you in doubt fir that you askt her?

Leonato. Signior Benedicke, no, for then were you a child. Pedro. You haue it full Benedicke, wee may gheffe by this, what you are, being a man, truely the lady fathers her felfe be happy lady, for you are like an honourable father.

Be. If fignior Leonato be her father, she would not haue his head on her shoulders for all Meffina as like him as she is. Beat. I wonder that you will ftill be talking, fignior Benedicke, no body markes you.

Bene. What my deere lady difdaine! are you yet liuing?

Bea. Is it poffible difdaine should die, while he hath such meete foode to feede it, as fignior Benedicke? curtefie it felfe must conuert to disdaine, if you come in her presence.

Bene. Then is curtefie a turne-coate, but it is certaine I am loued of all ladies, onelie you excepted: and I would I could finde in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truely I loue

none.

Beat. A deere happineffe to women, they would elfe haue beene troubled with a pernitious futer, I thanke God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that, I had rather heare my dog barke at a crow, than a man fweare he loues me.

Bene. God keepe your ladyfhip ftil in that mind, fo fome gentleman or other shall scape a predeftinate scratcht face. Beat. Scratching could not make it worfe, and twere fuch a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrat teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a beast of yours. Ben. I would my horfe had the speed of your tongue, and fo good a continuer, but keep your way a Gods name, I haue done.

Beat.

Beat. You alwayes end with a iades tricke, I knowe you of olde.

Pedro. That is the fumme of all: Leonato, fignior Claudio, and fignior Benedicke, my deere friend Leonato, hath inuited you all, I tell him we shall stay here, at the least a moneth, and he heartily praies fome occafion may detaine vs longer, Í dare sweare he is no hypocrite, but praies from his heart.

Leon. If you fweare, my lord, you shall not be forfworne, let mee bidde you welcome, my lord, being reconciled to the prince your brother: I owe you all duetie.

Iohn. I thanke you, I am not of many wordes, but I thanke you.

Leon. Please it your grace leade on?

Pedro. Your hand Leonato, we wil go together.

Exeunt. Manent Benedicke and Claudio.

Clau. Benedicke, didst thou note the daughter of fignior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not, but I lookte on her,

Clau. Is fhe not a modeft yong ladie?

Bene. Do you question me as an honeft man fhould doe, for my fimple true iudgement? or would you haue me fpeake after my cuftome, as being a profeffed tyrant to their fex?

Claudio. No, I pray thee fpeake in fober iudgement.

Bene. Why yfaith me thinks fhees too low for a hie praise, too browne for a faire praife, and too litle for a great praise, onlie this commendation I can affoord her, that were shee other then he is, fhe were vnhanfome, and being no other, but as fhe is, I do not like her.

Claudio. Thou thinkeft I am in fport, I pray thee tell mee truelie how thou lik'ft her.

Bene. Would you buie her that you enquier after her?
Claudio. Can the world buie fuch a iewel?

Bene. Yea, and a cafe to putte it into, but fpeake you this with a fad brow? or doe you play the flowting iacke, to tell vs Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter : Come, in what key shall a man take you to go in the fong?

Claudio. In mine eie, fhee is the sweetest ladie, that euer I lookt on.

Bened. I can fee yet without fpectacles, and I fee no fuch matter: theres her cofin, and fhe were not poffeft with a fury, exceedes her as much in beautie, as the firft of Maie dooth the laft of December: but I hope you haue no intent to turne hufband, haue you?

Claudio. I would scarce truft my felfe, though I had fworne the contrarie, if Hero would be my wife.

Bened. Lft come to this? in faith hath not the worlde one man but he will weare his cappe with fufpition? shall I neuer fee a batcheller of three score againe? go to yfaith, and thou wilt needes thruft thy necke into a yoke, weare the print of it, and figh away Sundaies: looke, don Pedro is returned to feeke you.

Enter don Pedro, Iohn the baftard.

Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonatoes?

Bene. I would your grace would constraine me to tell.
Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegeance.

Ben. You heare, count Claudio, I can be fecret as a dumb man, I woulde haue you thinke fo (but on my allegiance, marke you this, on my allegiance) he is in loue, with who? now that is your graces part: marke how short his answer is, with Hero Leonatoes fhort daughter.

Clau. If this were fo, fo were it vttred.

Bened. Like the olde tale, my lord, it is not fo, nor twas not fo: but indeede, God forbid it fhould be fo.

Claudio.

Claudio. If my paffion change not shortly, God forbid it íhould be otherwise.

Pedro. Amen, if you loue her, for the lady is very well worthy.

Claudio. You fpeake this to fetch me in, my lord.

Pedro. By my troth I speake my thought.

Claudio. And in faith, my lord, I spoke mine.

Bened. And by my two faiths and troths, my lorde, I spoke mine.

Clau. That I loue her, I feele.

Pedro. That he is worthy, I know.

Bened. That I neither feele how the fhould be loued, nor know how she should be worthie, is the opinion that fire can not melt out of me, I will die in it at the stake.

Pedro. Thou waft euer an obftinate heretique in the despight of beauty.

Clau. And neuer could maintaine his part, but in the force of his wil.

:

Bene. That a woman conceiued me, I thanke her that fhe brought me vp, I likewife giue her most humble thankes: but that I will haue a rechate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an inuifible baldricke, all women shall pardon mee : because I will not doe them the wrong to miftruft any, I will doe my felfe the right to trust none: and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer,) I will liue a bacheller.

Pedro. I fhall fee thee ere I die, looke pale with loue.

Bene. With anger, with fickeneffe, or with hunger, my lord, not with loue: proue that euer I loose more blood with loue then I will get againe with drinking, picke out mine eies with a ballad-makers penne, and hang me vp at the doore of a brothel houfe for the figne of blinde Cupid.

Pedro. Well, if euer thou doft fall from this faith, thou wilt prooue a notable argument.

Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoote at me, and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and calld Adam.

Pedro. Well, as time fhal trie: in time the fauåge bull doth beare the yoake.

Bene. The fauage bull may, but if euer the fenfible Benedicke beare it, plucke off the bulls hornes, and fet them in my forehead, and let me be vildly painted, and in fuch great letters as they write, here is good horfe to hyre: let them fignifie vnder my figne, here you may fee Benedicke the married

man.

Claudio. If this fhould euer happen, thou wouldst be horn madde.

Pedro. Nay, if Cupid haue not spent all his quiuer in Venice, thou wilt quake for this fhortly.

Bened. I looke for an earthquake too then..

Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the howres, in the meane time, good fignior Benedicke, repaire to Leonatoes, commend me to him, and tell him I will not faile him at fupper, for indeede he hath made great preparation.

Bene. I haue almost matter enough in mee for fuche an embaffage, and fo I commit you.

Clau. To the tuition of God: from my house if I had it. Pedro. The fixt of Iuly: your louing friend Benedicke. Bened. Nay mocke not, mocke not, the body of your difcourfe is fometime guarded with fragments, and the guardes are but flightly basted on neither, ere you flowt old ends any further, examine your confcience, and fo I leaue you. exit. Claudio. My liege, your highneffe nowe may doe mee good. Pedro. My loue is thine to teach, teach it but how, And thou fhalt fee how apt it is to learne

Any hard leffon that may do thee good.

Clau. Hath Leonato any fonne, my lord?

Pedro.