Pedro. No childe but Hero, fhees his onely heire: Dooft thou affect her Claudio?

Glaudio. O my lord,

When you went onward on this ended action,
I lookt vpon her with a fouldiers eie,

That likt, but had a rougher taske in hand,
Than to driue liking to the name of loue:
But now I am returnde, and that warre-thoughts,
Haue left their places vacant: in their roomes,
Come thronging foft and delicate defires,
All prompting mee how faire yong Hero is,
Saying I likt her ere I went to warres,

Pedro. Thou wilt be like a louer presently,
And tire the hearer with a booke of words,
If thou doft loue faire Hero, cherish it,
And I wil breake with hir, and with her father,
And thou fhalt haue her: waft not to this end,
That thou beganst to twist so fine a storie ?

Clau. How fweetly you do minister to loue,
That know loues griefe by his complexion !
But left my liking might too fodaine seeme,
I would haue falude it with a longer treatise.

Pedro. What need the bridge much broder then the flood?

The fairest graunt is the neceffitie:

Looke what wil ferue is fit: tis once, thou louest,

And I wil fit thee with the remedie,

I know we shall haue reuelling to night,

I wil affume thy part in fome disguise,
And tell faire Hero I am Claudio,

And in her bofome Ile vnclafpe my heart,
And take her hearing prifoner with the force
And strong incounter of my amorous tale :
Then after, to her father will I breake,

And the conclufion is, fhe fhal be thine,

In practise let vs put it presently.

Exeunt.

Enter Leonato and an old man brother to Leonato.

Leo. How now brother, where is my cofen your fonne, hath he prouided this mufique?

Old. He is very bufie about it, but brother, I can tell you ftrange newes that you yet dreampt not of.

Leo. Are they good?

Old. As the euents ftampes them, but they haue a good couer they fhew well outward, the prince and count Claudio walking in a thicke pleached alley in mine orchard, were thus much ouer-heard by a man of mine: the prince discoured to Claudio that he loued my niece your daughter, and meant to acknowledge it this night in a daunce, and if he found her accordant, he meant to take the prefent time by the top, and inftantly breake with you of it.

Leo. Hath the fellow any wit that told you this?

Old. A good sharp fellow, I wil fend for him, and question him your felfe.

Leo. No, no, we wil hold it as a dreame, til it appeare it felf: but I will acquaint my daughter withall, that she may bee the better prepared for an anfwer, if peraduenture this be true go you and tel hir of it: coofins, you know what you haue to doé, O I crie you mercie friend, go you with me and I wil vse your shill: good cofin haue a care this busie time.

Exeunt.

Enter fir Iohn the baftard, and Conrade his companion.

Con. What the good yeere my lord, why are you thus out of measure fad?

John. There is no measure in the occafion that breeds, therfore the fadneffe is without limit.

Con.

Con. You fhould heare reason.

John. And when I haue heard it, what bleffing brings it? Con. If not a prefent remedy, at least a patient fufferance. John. I wonder that thou (being as thou faist, thou art, borne vnder Saturne) goest about to apply a morall medicine, to a mortifying mischiefe: I cannot hide what I am : I must be sad when I haue caufe, and smile at no mans iefts, eate when I haue ftomack, and wait for no mans leifure: fleep when I am drowfie, and tend on no mans bufineffe, laugh when I am mery, and claw no man in his humor.

Con. Yea but you must not make the full show of this till you may do it without controllment, you haue of late toode out against your brother, and he hath tane you newly into his grace, where it is impoffible you should take true root, but by the faire weather that you make your felf, it is need-" ful that you frame the feafon for your owne harueft.

John. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, then a rose in his grace, and it better fits my bloud to be difdain'd of all, then to fashion a cariage to rob loue from any in this (thogh I cannot be faid to be a flatering honest man) it must not be denied but I am a plain dealing villaine, I am trufted with at muffel, and enfraunchifde with a clogge, therfore I haue decreed, not to fing in my cage: if I had my mouth I would bite if I had my liberty I would do my liking in the mean time, let me be that I am, and feeke not to alter me.

Con. Can you make no vse of your difcontent?

Iohn. I make all vse of it, for I víe it only, Who comes here? what newes Borachio ?

Enter Borachio.

Bor. I came yonder from a great fupper, the prince your brother is royally entertain'd by Leonato, and I can giue you intelligence of an intended mariage.

John. Wil it ferue for any model to build mischiefe on ? what is he for a foole that betrothes himselfe to vnquietnesse ? Bor. Mary it is your brothers right hand. .

John. Who, the most exquifite Claudio?

Bor. Euen he.

John. A proper fquier, and who, and who, which way looks he?

Bor. Mary one Hero the daughter and heire of Leonato. John. A very forward March-chicke, how came you to this? Bor. Being entertain'd for a perfumer, as I was fmoaking a mufty roome, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand in fad conference: I whipt me behind the arras, and there heard it agreed vpon, that the prince fhould wooe Hero for himselfe, and hauing obtain'd her, giue her to counte Claudio.

John. Come, come, let vs thither, this may proue food to my displeasure, that yong start-vp hath all the glory of my ouerthrow if I can croffe him any way, I bleffe my felfe euery way, you are both sure, and wil afsist me.

Conr. To the death my lord.

John. Let vs to the great fupper, their cheere is the greater that I am fubdued, would the cooke were a my mind, fhall we go proue whats to be done?

Bor. Weele wait vpon your lordship.

Exit.

Enter Leonato, his brother, his wife, Hero his daughter, and
Beatrice his neece, and a kinfman.

Leonato. Was not counte John here at fupper?
Brother. I faw him not.

Beatrice. How tartely that gentleman lookes, I neuer can fee him but I am heart-burn'd an hower after.

Hero. He is of a very melancholy difpofition.

Beatrice. He were an excellent man that were made iuft in the mid-way between him and Benedick, the one is too like

an

an image and faies nothing, and the other too like my ladies eldest fonne, euermore tatling.

Leonato. Then halfe fignior Benedickes tongue in counte Johns mouth, and halfe counte Iohns melancholy in fignior Benedickes face.

Beatrice. With a good legge and a good foote vnckle, and money inough in his purse, íuch a man would winne any woman in the world if a could get her good will.

Leonato. By my troth neece thou wilt neuer get thee a huf band, if thou be fo fhrewd of thy tongue.

Brother. In faith fhees too curst.

Beatrice. Too curft is more then curst, I shall leffen Gods fending that way, for it is faide, God fends a curft cow short hornes, but to a cow too curft, he fends none.

Leonato. So, by being too curst, God will fend you no hornes.

Beatrice. Iuft, if he fend me no husband, for the which bleffing, I am at him vpon my knees euery morning and euening Lord, I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face, I had rather lie in the woollen !

Leonato. You may light on a husband that hath no beard. Beatrice. What should I do with him, dreffe him in my apparell and make him my waiting gentlewoman? he that hath a beard, is more then a youth: and he that hath no beard, is leffe then a man and he that is more then a youth, is not for me, and he that is leffe then a man, I am not for him, therefore I will euen take fixpence in earnest of the berrord, and leade his apes into hell.

Leonato. Well then, go you into hell.

Beatrice. No but to the gate, and there will the diuell meete me like an old cuckold with hornes on his head, and fay, get you to heauen Beatrice, get you to heauen, heeres no place for you maids, fo deliuer I vp my apes and away to faint

Peter: