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IT

OBSERVATIONS.

T is true, as Mr. Pope has obferved, that something refembling the ftory of this play is to be found in the fifth book of the Orlando Furiofo. In Spenfer's Fairy Queen, as remote an original may be traced. A novel, however, of Belleforeft, copied from another of Bandello, feems to have furnished Shakespeare with his fable, as it approaches nearer in all its circumftances to the play before us, than any other performance known to be extant.

This play may be fairly said to contain two of the most sprightly characters that Shakespeare ever drew. The wit, the humourift, the gentleman, and the foldier, are combined in Benedick. It is to be lamented, indeed, that the first and most splendid of these dif tinctions, is disgraced by unneceffary prophaneness ; for the goodness of his heart is hardly fufficient to atone for the licence of his tongue. The innocent levity, which flashes out in the conversation of Beatrice, receives a fanction from that fteadiness and spirit of friendship to her coufin, so apparent in her behaviour, when she urges her lover to risque his own life by a challenge to Claudio. In the conduct of the fable, however, there is an imperfection fimilar to that which Dr. Johnson has pointed out in the Merry Wives of Windfor-the fecond contrivance is lefs ingenious than the first :—or, to speak more plainly, the fame incident is become ftale by repetition. I wish some other method had been found to entrap Beatrice, than that very ftratagem which before had been fuccessfully practised on Benedick.

STEEVENS,

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Don PEDRO, Prince of Arragon.
LEONATO, Governor of Meffina.

Don JOHN, Baftard Brother to Don Pedro.
CLAUDIO, a young Lord of Florence, Favourite to
Don Pedro.

BENEDICK, a young Lord of Padua, favoured likewife by Don Pedro.

BALTHAZAR, Servant to Don Pedro.
ANTONIO, Brother to Leonato.

BORACHIO, Confidant to Don John.
CONRADE, Friend to Borachio.

DOGBERRY,

VERGES, }tavo foolish Officers.

HERO, Daughter to Leonato.
BEATRICE, Niece to Leonato.

MARGARET,} two Gentlewomen attending on Hero..

A Friar, Meffenger, Watch, Town-Clerk, Sexton, and Attendants.

SCENE-Melina, in Sicily.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Before LEONATO's Houfe. Enter LEONATO, HERO, and BEATRICE, with a Messenger.

I

Leonato.

LEARN in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Meffina.

Me. He is very near by this; he was not three leagues off when I left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you loft in this action?

Me. But few of any fort, and none of name.

Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, call'd Claudio.

Meff. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion he hath, indeed, better better'd expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how.

:

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Meffina will be very much glad of it.

Me. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even fo much, that joy could not fhew itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitternefs.[1]

Leon. Did he break out into tears?

Me. In great measure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindnefs: There are no faces truer than thofe that are fo wafh'd. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping?

[1] This is judiciously expreffed. Of all the transports of joy, that which is attended with tears is least offenfive; becaufe, carrying with it this mark of pain, it allays the envy that ufually attends another's hap pinefs. This he finely calls a modeft joy, fuch a one as did not infult the obferver by an indication of happiness unmixed with pain.

WARB.

Beat. I pray you, is fignior Montanto [2] return'd from the wars, or no?

Meff. I know none of that name, lady; there was none fuch in the army of any fort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece ?

Hero. My coufin means fignior Benedick of Padua. Meff. O, he's return'd; and as pleasant as ever he was. Beat. He fet up his bills here in Meffina, and challenged Cupid at the flight ;[3] and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.-I pray you, how many hath he kill'd and eaten in these wars? but how many hath he kill'd? for, indeed, I promis'd to eat all of his killing.

Leon. Faith, niece, you tax fignior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not.

Me. He hath done good service, lady, in these wars. Beat. You had musty victuals, and he hath holp to eat it: he's a very valiant trencher-man, he hath an excellent ftomach.

Meff. And a good foldier too, lady.

Beat. And a good foldier to a lady?-But what is he to a lord?

Meff. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; ftuff'd with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo, indeed; he is no lefs than a stuff'd man ; but for the ftuffing,-well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, fir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt fignior Benedick and her : they never meet, but there's a fkirmish of wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits[4] went halting off, and now is the whole man govern'd with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable crea

[2] Montante, in Spanish, is a huge two-handed fword,' given with much humour, to one, the speaker would represent as a boafter or bravado. WARB.

[3] The difufe of the bow makes this paffage obfcure. Benedick is reprefented as challenging Cupid at archery. To 'challenge at the flight' is, I believe, to wager who fhall fhoot the arrow furtheft without any particular mark. To 'challenge at the bird-bolt,' feems to mean the fame as to challenge at children's archery, with fmall arrows fuch as are discharged at birds. JOHNS.

[4] In our author's time 'wit' was the general term for intellectual powers..

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