them, that you know Hero loves me; intend a kind of zeal both to the Prince and Claudio, (as in a love of your brother's honour, who hath made this match,) and his friend's reputation, (who is thus like to be cozened with the femblance of a maid,) that you have difcovered thus: they will hardly believe this without trial; offer them inftances, which fhall bear no lefs likelihood than to fee me at her chamber-window; hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret term me Borachio; and bring them to fee this, the very night before the intended wedding: for in the mean time I will fo fashion the matter, that Hero fhall be abfent; and there fhall appear fuch feeming truths of Hero's difloyalty, that jealoufy fhall be called affurance, -and all the preparation overthrown.

John. Grow this to what adverse iffue it can, I` will put it in practice: be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thousand ducats.

"and they fhall have the torment to hear me address Margaret by the name of Hero, and her fay fweet things to ~66 me by the name of Claudio."- -This is the substance of Borachio's device to make Hero fufpected of difloyalty, and to break off her match with Claudio, But in the name of common fenfe, could it difplease Claudio to hear his mistress making ufe of his name tenderly? If he faw another man with her, and heard her call him Claudio, he might reafonably think her betrayed, but not have the fame reason to accufe her of difloyalty. Befides, how could her naming Claudio make the Prince and Claudio believe that the loved Borachio, as he defires Don John to infinuate to them that fhe did? The circumftances weighed, there is no doubt but the paffage ought to be reformed, as I have fettled in the

text:

-hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret term ..me Borachio..

I made this correction in my Shakespeare Reftored, and Mr Pope has thought fit tacitly to embrace it in his laft cdition.

Bora. Be thou conftant in the accufation, and my cunning fhall not shame me.

John. I will prefently go learn their day of mar

[Exeunt.

E changes to Leonato's Orchard.

Enter BENEDICK and a boy.

Bene. Boy

Boy. Signior.

Bene. In my chamber-window lyes a book, bring it hither to me in the orchard.

Boy. I am here already, Sir.

[Exit Boy.

Bene. I know that, but I would have thee hence, and here again. I do much wonder that one man, feeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviours to love, will after he has laughed at fuch fhallow follies in others, become the argument of his own fcorn, by falling in love! and fuch a man is Claudio. I have known when there was no mufic with him but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe: I have known when he would have walked ten miles a-foot to fee a good armour; and now will he ly ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain, and to the purpofe, like an honest man and a foldier; and now is he turned orthographer, his words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many ftrange difhes. May I be fo converted, and fee with thefe eyes? I cannot tell; I think not. I will not be fworn but Love may transform me to an oyiter; but I'll take my oath on it, 'till he have made an oyster of me, he fhall never make me fuch a fool. One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wife, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well. But 'till all graces VOL. III. D

be in one woman, one woman fhall not come in my grace. Rich the fhall be, that's certain; (10) wife, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I'll never look on her;" mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good difcourfe, an excellent mufician, and her hair fhall be of what colour it please God. Ha! the Prince and Monfieur Love! I will hide me in the arbour. [Withdraws.

Enter Don PEDRO, LEONATO, CLAUDIO, and BAL

THAZAR.

Pedro. Come, fhall we hear this mufic? Claud. Yea, my good Lord. How ftill the evening is, As hufhed on purpofe to grace harmony!

Pedro. See you where Benedick hath hid himself? Claud. O very well, my Lord; the music ended, We'll fit the kid-fox with a penny-worth. Pedro. Come, Balthazar, we'll hear that fong again. Balth. O good my Lord, tax not so bad a voice To flander mufic any more than once. ▾

Pedro. It is the witnefs ftill of excellency, To put a ftrange face on his own perfection: I pray thee, fing; and let me woo no more.

Balth. Because you talk of wooing, I will fing; Since many a wooer doth commence his fuit

(10) “ Wife, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; · fair, or I'll never look on her "]"Thefe words, (fays Mr Pope) added out of the edition of 1623" But they are likewife, before that, in the Quarto of 1600. They are alfo in the fecond and third impreffions in Folio; and in the two editions by Mr Rowe. Where is it they are not then, that they are thus faid to be added by this wonderful collator? They happen to be extant in the very first edition that we know of; they keep their place in an edition published twenty-three years after that; and therefore, Mr Pope fays, they are added from this fubfequent edition.

To her he thinks not worthy, yet he woces;
Yet he will fwear he loves.

Pedro. Nay, pray thee, come;

Or if thou wilt hold longer argument,

Do it in notes.

Balth. Note this before my notes,

There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting: Pedro.Why, thefe are very crotchets that he speaks; Note, notes, forfooth, and noting.

Bene. Now, divine air; now is his foul ravished! is it not strange that fheeps' guts thould hale fouls out of mens bodies? Well, a horn for my money, when all's done..

The s ON G..

Balth. Sigh no more, ladies, figh no more,
Men were deceivers ever;;

One foot on fea, and one on fhore,
To one thing conftant never;
Then figh not fo, but let them go,
And be you blith and bonny;
Converting all your founds of woen
Into hey nony, nony.

Sing no more ditties, fing no mo,
Of dumps fo dull and heavy;
The frauds of men were ever fo,
Since fummer was first leafy.
Then figh not fo, &c.

Pedro. By my troth, a good fong.
Balth. And an ill finger, my Lord.

Pedro. Ha, no, no, faith; thou fingeft well enough? 'for a thift.

Bene. If he had been a dog that fhould have howled thus, they would have hanged him; and I pray God his bad voice bode no mischief: I had

as lief have heard the night raven, come what plague could have come after it...

I

Pedro. Yea, marry, doft thou hear, Balthazar ? pray thee get us fome excellent mufic; for tomorrow night we would have it at the lady Hero's chamber window.

Balth. The best I can, my Lord. [Exit Balth. Pedro. Do fo: farewel. Come hither, Leonato; what was it you told me of to-day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?

Claud. O, ay;-stalk on, stalk on, the fowl fits. I did never think that lady would have loved any

man.

Leon. No, nor I neither; but most wonderful, that she should fo doat on Signior Benedick, whom fhe hath in all outward behaviours feemed ever to abhor.

Bene.. Is't poffible? fits the wind in that corner?

[Afide

Leon. By my troth, my Lord, I cannot tell what to think of it; but that the loves him with an inraged affection, it is paft the infinite of thought. Pedro. May be the doth but counterfeit. Claud. Faith, like enough.

Leon. O God! counterfeit there was never counterfeit of paffion came fo near the life of paffion as the discovers it.

Pedro. Why, what effects of paffion fhews fhe? Claud. Bait the hook well, this fifh will bite.

[Afide. Leon. What effects, my Lord? fhe will fit you, you heard my daughter tell you how.

Claud. She did, indeed.

Pedro. How, how, I pray you? you amaze me: I would have thought her fpirit had been invincible against all affaults of affection.