To praise him more than ever man did merit.
My talk to thee muft be, how Benedick

Is fick in love with Beatrice: Of this matter
Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made,

That only wounds by hear-say. Now begin ;
Enter BEATRICE behind.

For, look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs
Close by the ground, to hear our conference.
Urf. The pleasant'ft angling is to fee the fish
Cut with her golden oars the filver ftream,
And greedily devour the treacherous bait:
So angle we for Beatrice; who even now
Is couched in the woodbine coverture:
Fear you not my part of the dialogue.

Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lofe nothing Of the falfe fweet bait that we lay for it.— [They advance to the bower.

No, truly, Urfula, fhe is too difdainful
I know, her fpirits are as coy and wild
As haggards of the rock.

Urf. But are you fure

;

That Benedick loves Beatrice fo entirely?

Hero. So fays the prince, and my new-trothed lord.
Urf. And did they bid you tell her of it, madam.
Hero. They did entreat me to acquaint her of it:
But I perfuaded them, if they lov'd Benedick,
To with him wreftle with affection,

And never to let Beatrice know of it.
Urf. Why did you fo? Doth not the gentleman
Deferve as full, as fortunate a bed,

As ever Beatrice fhall couch upon ?

Hero. O god of love! I know, he doth deferve
As much as may be yielded to a man:
But nature never fram'd a woman's heart
Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice :
Difdain and fcorn ride sparkling in her eyes,
Mifprifing what they look on; and her wit
Values itself fo highly, that to her

All matter else feems weak: fhe cannot love,
Nor take no fhape nor project of affection,
She is fo felf-endeared.

Urf. Sure, I think fo;

And therefore, certainly, it were not good

She knew his love, left fhe make sport at it.

Hero. Why, you speak truth: I never yet faw man,
How wife, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd,
But she would spell him backward: if fair-fac'd,
She'd fwear, the gentleman fhould be her fifter;
If black, why, nature, drawing of an antick,[4]
Made a foul blot: if tall, a lance ill-headed;
If low, an aglet very vilely cut :[5]

If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds;
If filent, why, a block moved with none.
So turns the every man the wrong fide out;
And never gives to truth and virtue, that
Which fimplenefs and merit purchaseth.

Urf. Sure, fure, fuch carping is not commendable. Hero. No; for to be fo odd, and from all fashions, As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable.

But who dare tell her fo? If I fhould speak,
She'd mock me into air; O, fhe would laugh me
Out of myself, prefs me to death with wit.
Therefore let Benedick, like cover'd fire,
Confume away in fighs, wafte inwardly;
It were a better death than die with mocks,
Which is as bad as 'tis to die with tickling.
Urf. Yet tell her of it; hear what she will say.
Hero. No, rather will I go to Benedick,
And counsel him to fight against his paffion :
And, truly, I'll devife fome honeft flanders
To ftain my coufin with: One doth not know,
How much an ill-word may empoifon liking.

Urf. O, do not do your cousin such a wrong. She cannot be fo much without true judgment, (Having fo fwift and excellent a wit,

As fhe is priz'd to have) as to refuse
So rare a gentleman as Benedick.

Hero. He is the only man in Italy,
Always excepted my dear Claudio.

Urf. I pray you, be not angry with me, madam, Speaking my fancy; fignior Benedick,

[4] The 'antick' was a buffoon character in the old English farces, with a blacked face, and a patch-work habit. WARB.

[5] An 'aglet' was the tag of thofe points, formerly fo much in fashion. Thefe tags were either of gold, filver, or brafs, according to the quality of the wearer; and were commonly in the fhape of little inages; or at leaft had a head cut at the extremity. And as a tall man is before compared to a lance ill-headed; fo, by the fame figure, a little man is very aptly liken'd to an aglet ill-cut. WARB.

For fhape, for bearing, argument and valour,
Goes foremost in report through Italy.

Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name. Urf. His excellence did earn it, ere he had it.— When are you marry'd, madam ?

Hero. Why, every day;-to-morrow: Come, go in, I'll fhew thee fome attires; and have thy counfel, Which is the beft to furnish me to-morrow.

Urf. She's lim'd, I warrant you: we have caught her, madam.

Hero. If it proves fo, then loving goes by haps: Some Cupids kill with arrows, some with traps.

BEATRICE advancing.

[Exe.

Beat. What fire is in my ears [6] Can this be true?
Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn fo much?
Contempt, farewel! and maiden pride, adicu !
No glory lives behind the back of fuch.
And, Benedick, love on, I will requite thee;

Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand;
If thou doft love, my kindness fhall incite thee
To bind our loves up in a holy band:
For others fay thou doft deferve; and I
Believe it better than reportingly.

SCENE II.

[Exit.

LEONATO's Houfe. Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and LEONATO.

Pedro. I do but stay till your marriage be confummate, and then I go toward Arragon.

Claud. I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouchfafe me.

Pedro. Nay, that would be as great a foil in the new glofs of your marriage, as to fhew a child his new coat, and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold with Benedick for his company; for, from the crown of his head to the fole of his foot, he is all mirth; he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bow-string, and the little

[6] Alluding to a proverbial faying of the common people, that their cars burn, when others are talking of them.

WARB.

hangman[7] dare not shoot at him

he hath a heart as

found as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper; for what his heart thinks, his tongue speaks.

Bene. Gallants, I am not as I have been.
Leon. So fay I; methinks, you are fadder.
Claud. I hope he is in love.

Pedra. Hang him, truant; there's no true drop of blood in him, to be truly touch'd with love: if he be fad, he wants money.

Bene. I have the tooth-ach.

Pedro. Draw it.

Bene. Hang it.

Claud. You must hang it firft, and draw it afterwards. Pedro. What? figh for the tooth-ach?

Leon. Which is but a humour, or a worm?

Bene. Well, every one can mafter a grief but he that has it.

Claud. Yet fay I, he is in love.

Pedro. There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguises; as to be a Dutchman to-day, a Frenchman to-morrow; or in the fhape of two countries at once; as a German from the waist downward, all flops; and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet: Unlefs he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it to appear he is.

Claud. If he be not in love with fome woman, there is no believing old figns: he brushes his hat o'mornings : What fhould that bode?

Pedro. Hath any man feen him at the barber's?

Claud. No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him; and the old ornament of his cheek hath already · ftuff'd tennis-balls.

Leon. Indeed, he looks younger than he did, by the lofs of a beard.

Pedro. Nay, he rubs himself with civet: Can you fmell him out by that?

Claud. That's as much as to fay, the sweet youth's in love.

[7] This character of Cupid came from the Arcadia of fir Philip Sidney: "Millions of yeares this old drivell Cupid lives;

While ftill more wretch, more wicked he doth prove:
Till now at length that Jove him office gives,

(At Juno's fuite who much did Argus leve)
In this our world a hangman for to be

Of all thofe fooles that will have all they fee."

FARMER.

Pedro. The greatest note of it, is his melancholy. Claud. And when was he wont to wash his face? Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they fay of him.

Claud. Nay, but his jefting fpirit, which has now crept into a lute ftring, and now govern'd by ftopsPedro. Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him: Conclude, he is in love.

Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him.

· Pedro.

That would I know too: I warrant one that knows him not.

Claud. Yes, and his ill conditions; and in defpight of all, dies for him.

Pedro. She fhall be buried with her face upwards. Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ach.-Old fignior, walk afide with me; I have ftudied eight or nine wife words to fpeak to you, which these hobby. horfes muft not hear. [Exe. BENE. and LEON.

Pedro. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice. Claud. 'Tis even fo. Hero and Margaret have by this time play'd their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they meet.

Enter Don JOHN.

John. My lord and brother, God fave you.
Pedro. Good den, brother.

John. If your leisure ferv'd, I would speak with you?
Pedro. In private ?

John. If it please you :-yet count Claudio may hear; for what I would speak of, concerns him.

Pedro. What's the matter?

John. Means your lordship to be marry'd to-morrow? [To CLAUDIO.

Pedro. You know he does. John. I know not that, when he knows what I know. Claud. If there be any impediment, I pray you, difcover it.

John. You may think, I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifeft: For my brother, I think, he holds you well; and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your enfuing mar riage furely, fuit ill spent, and labour ill bestow'd! Pedro. Why, what's the matter?

John. I came hither to tell you, and circumstances