Bene. Were you in doubt, Sir, that you afkt 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 Signior Leonato be her father, fhe would not have his head on her fhoulders for all Messina, as like him as fhe is.

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

Bene. What, my dear lady Difdain! are you yet living?

Beat, Is it poffible, Difdain fhould die, while fhe hath fuch meet food to feed it, as Signior Benedick? Courtefie itself must convert to Difdain, if you come in her prefence.

Bene. Then is courtefie a turncoat; 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 lady fhip ftill in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall fcape a predeftinate fcratcht face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worfe, 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.

4

Beat.

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

Pedro. This is the fum of all: 'Leonato,-Signior Claudio, and Signir Benedick,my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all; I tell him, we shall stay here at the least 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, didft thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?

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

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

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

Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks, fhe is too low for an high praise, too brown for a fair praife; and too little for a great praife; only this commendation I can afford her, that were fhe other than fhe is, fhe were unhandsome; 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. N 2

Bene.

Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire 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? come, in what key fhall a man take you to go in the Song?

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

Bene. I can fee yet without fpectacles, and I fee no fuch matter; there's her Coufin, if fhe were not poffeft with fuch a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the first of May doth the laft of December: but I hope, you have no intent to turn husband, have you? Claud. I would scarce truft myself, tho' 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; fhall I never fee a batchelor of threefcore again,? go to, i'faith, if 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 seek you.

4 to tell us Cupid is a rare bare-finder, &c.] I know not whether I conceive the jeft here intended. Claudio hints his love of Hero. Benedick afks whether he is ferious, or whether he only means jest, and tell them that Cupid is a good bare finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter. A man praising a pretty lady in jeft, may fhew the quick fight of Cupid, but what has it to do with the carpentry of Vulcan? Perhaps the

thought lies no deeper than this, Do you mean to tell us as new what we all know already?

S wear his cap with fufpicion ?] That is, fubject his head to the difquiet of jealoufy.

6 figh away Sundays:] A proverbial expreffion to fignify that a man has no reft at all; when Sunday, a day formerly of eafe and diverfion, was paffed fo uncomfortably. WARBURTON.

SCENE

00

SCENE IV.

Re-enter Don Pedro and Don John.

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

Bene. I would, your Grace would conftrain me to tell.
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 alliegiance,-mark you this,-on my allegiance.-He is in love. With whom?-now that is your Grace's part. Mark how fhort his anfwer is with Hero, Leonato's fhort daughter.

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it uttered 7.

Bene. Like the old tale, my lord, it is not fo, nor 'twas not fo; but, indeed, God forbid it fhould be fo. Claud. If my paffion change not fhortly, God forbid it fhould be otherwife.

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 he is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how he should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the ftake.

Pedro. Thou waft ever an obftinate heretick in the

defpight of beauty.

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

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that he brought me up, I likewife give her most humble thanks; but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invifible baldrick, all women fhall pardon me; because I will not do them the Wrong to miftruft any, I will do my felf the Right to truft none; and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer,) I will live a batchelor.

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 mine eyes with a balladmaker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-houfe for the Sign of 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 fhoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and call'd2 Adam.