ture. Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new fworn brother.

Me. Is it poffible?

Beat. Very eafily poffible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block. Meff. I fee, lady, the gentleman is not in your books. Beat. No: an he were, I would burn my ftudy. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young fquarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil?

Me. He is moft in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O lord! He will hang upon him like a disease: he is fooner caught than the peftilence, and the taker runs prefently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will coft him a thousand pounds ere he be cur'd.

Meff. I will hold friends with you, lady.

Beat. Do, good friend.

Leon. You'll ne'er run mad, niece.

Beat. No, not till a hot January.

Meff. Don Pedro is approach'd.

Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHAZAR, and Don JOHN.

Pedro. Good fignior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid coft, and you encounter it.

Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likenefs of your grace for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but, when you depart from me, forrow abides, and happiness takes his leave.

Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly.-I think, this is your daughter.

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me fo.

Bene. Were you in doubt, fir, that you ask'd her ? Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child. Pedro. You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly, the lady fathers herself :-Be happy, lady! for you are like an honourable father.

Bene. If fignior Leonato be her father, fhe would not have his head on her shoulders for all Meffina, as like him as the is.

Beat. I wonder, that you will ftill be talking, fignior Benedick; no body marks you.

Bene. What, my dear lady Difdain! are you yet living? Beat. Is it poffible, Disdain should die, while fhe hath fuch meet food to feed it, as fignior Benedick? Cour-. tefy itself muft convert to disdain, if you come in her prefence.

Bene. Then is courtefy a turn-coat :-But it is certain, I am lov'd of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for truly, I love none.

Beat. A dear happiness to women: they would elfe have been troubled with a pernicious fuitor. I thank God, and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man fwear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall 'scape a predestinate fcratch'd face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere fuch a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.

Bene. I would my horse had the speed of your tongue; and fo good a continuer : But keep your way, o'God's name; I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.

Pedro. This is the fum of all: Leonato,-fignior Claudio, and fignior Benedick,-my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all. I tell him, we fhall ftay here at the leaft a month; and he heartily prays fome occafion may detain us longer: I dare fwear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

Leon. If you fwear, my lord, you shall not be forfworn.-Let me bid you welcome, my lord; being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty.

John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your grace lead on?

Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all but BENEDICK and CLAUDIO. Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of fignior Leonato ?

Bene. I noted her not; but I look'd on her.
Claud. Is the not a modeft young lady?

"Bene. Do you queftion me, as an honeft man should do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their fex?

Claud. No, I pr'ythee, speak in fober judgment.

Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks fhe is too low for an high praife, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise only this commendation I can afford her; that were fhe other than fhe is, fhe were unhandfome; and being no other but as fhe is, I do not like her. Claud. Thou think'ft, I am in fport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou lik'ft her?

Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after her? Claud. Can the world buy fuch a jewel?

Bene. Yea, and a cafe to put it into. But fpeak you this with a fad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack; to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter [6] Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in a fong?

Claud. In mine eye, fhe is the sweetest lady that I ever look'd on.

Bene. I can fee yet without spectacles, and I fee no fuch matter: there's her coufin, an fhe were not poffefs'd with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the firft of May doth the laft of December. But I hope, you have no intent to turn hufband; have you?

Claud. I would scarce truft myself, though I had fworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

Bene. Is't come to this, in faith? Hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with fufpicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of three-fcore again? Go to, i'faith; an thou wilt needs thruft thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and figh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro is return'd to feek you.

Re-enter Don PEDRO.

Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's?

Bene. I would your grace would constrain me to tell.

[6] "Do you mean to tell us, that love is not blind, and that fire will not confume what is combuftible ?"for both thefe propofitions are im plied in making Cupid a good hare-finder,' and Vulcan (the god of fire) a good carpenter.' STEEV.

VOL. II.

W

Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear, count Claudio: I can be fecret as a dumb man, I would have you think fo; but on my allegiance-mark you this,-on my allegiance.-He is in love. With who?-now that is your grace's part.— Mark, how short his answer is:-With Hero, Leonato's fhort daughter.

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it uttered.

Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: it is not fo, nor 'twas not fo; but, indeed, God forbid it should be so. Claud. If my paffion change not shortly, God forbid it fhould be otherwise.

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

Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my lord.

Pedro. By my troth, I fpeak my thought.

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

Bene. And, by my two faiths and troths, my lord, I speak mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro. That fhe is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how the fhould be lov'd, nor know how the fhould be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the stake.

Pedro. Thou waft ever an obftinate heretic in the defpight of beauty.

Claud. And never could maintain his part, but in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks; but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead,[7] or hang my bugle in an invifible baldrick, all women shall pardon me: Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to truft none; and the fine is (for the which I may go the finer,) I will live a bachelor.

Pedro. I fhall fee thee, ere I die, look pale with love. Bene. With anger, with fickness, or with hunger, my lord; not with love: prove that ever I lofe more blood with love, than I will get again with drinking, pick out

[7] A 'recheate' is a particular leffon upon the horn, to call dogs back from the fcent: from the old French word 'recet,' which was used in the fame fenfe as 'retraite.' Shakespeare had no mercy upon the poor cuckold, his horn is an inexhauftible subject of merriment. JOHNS.

mine eyes with a ballad-maker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house for the fign of a blind Cupid. Pedro. Well, if ever thou doft fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument.

Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the fhoulder, and call'd Adam.[8]

Pedro. Well, as time fhall try;

In time the favage bull doth bear the yoke.

Bene, The favage bull may; but if ever the fenfible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's horns, and fet them in my forehead: and let me be vilely painted; and in fuch great letters as they write, Here is good horse to hire, let them fignify under my fign,-Here you may fee Benedick the marry'd man.

Claud. If this fhould ever happen, thou would'st be horn-mad.

Pedro. Nay, if Cupid hath not spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly.

Bene. I look for an earthquake too then.

Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the hours.. In the mean time, good fignior Benedick, repair to Leonato's; commend me to him, and tell him, I will not fail him at fupper; for, indeed, he hath made great preparation.

Bene. I have almost matter enough in me for such an embaffage; and fo I commit you,

Claud. To the tuition of God: from my house, if I had it,

Pedro. The fixth of July; your loving friend Benedick.

Bene. Nay, mock not, mock not: The body of your difcourfe is fometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but flightly bafted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your confcience; and fo. I leave you.

[Exit.

Claud. My liege, your highness now may do me good. Pedro. My love is thine to teach; teach it but how, And thou shalt fee how apt it is to learn Any hard leffon that may do thee good. Claud. Hath Leonato any fon, my lord?

Pedro. No child but Hero, fhe's his only heir: Doft thou affect her, Claudio?

[8] Adam Bell was a companion of Robin Hood, and at that time of day of reputation for his fkill at the bow. THEO.