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 Horfe to hire, let them fignifie under my Sign, 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 fpent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this fhortly.

Bene. I look for an earthquake too then.

Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the hours ; in the mean time, good Signior 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 almoft matter enough in me for fuch an embaffage, and fo I commit you

Claud. To the tuition of God; From my houfe, if I had it,

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

Bene. Nay, mock not, mock not; the body of your

paffing good Archer, yet no Tobaconift. By this it appears, that Adam Bell at that time of day was of Reputation for his Skill at the Bow. I find him again mentioned in a Burlesque Poem of Sir William Davenant's, called, The long Vacation in London.

THEOBALD. Adam Bell was a companion of Robin Hood, as may be feen in Robin Hood's Garland; in which, if I do not mistake, are thefe lines,

For he brought Adam Bell, Chim
of the Clough,
And William of Cloudeflea,
Toshoot with this forefter for forty
marks,

And the forefter heat them all three.

I

if Cupid hath not spent all his quiver in Venice ] All Modern writers agree in reprefenting Venice in the fame light that the Ancients did Cyprus. And 'tis the Character of the People that is here alluded to.

discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but flightly bafted on neither: ere you Hout old ends any further, examine your confcience, and fo I leave you.

[Exit.

Claud. My Liege, your Highness now may do mẹ good.

Pedro. My love is thine to teach, teach it but how, And thou fhalt 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?
Claud. O my lord,

When you went onward on this ended action,
I look'd upon her with a foldier's eye;
That lik'd, but had a rougher task in hand
Than to drive liking to the name of love;
But now I am return'd, and that war-thoughts
Have left their plaçes vacant; in their rooms
Come thronging foft and delicate Defires,
All prompting me how fair young Hero is;
Saying, I lik'd her ere I went to wars.

and with her Father; Was't not to this end,

Pedro. Thou wilt be like a lover presently,
And tire the hearer with a book of words.
If thou doft love fair Hero, cherish it,
And I will break with her,
And Thou shalt have her.
That thou began'ft to twist so fine a story?
Claud. How fweetly do you minister to love,
That know love's grief by his complection!
But left my liking might too fudden feem,

4

-ere you fout old ends, &c.] Before you endeavour to diftinguish your felf any more by antiquated allusions, examine whether you can fairly claim them for your own.

This I think is the meaning: or it may be understood in another sense, examine, if your sarcasms do not touch yourself.

I would

I would have falv'd it with a longer treatise.

Pedro. What need the bridge much broader than the flood?

The fairest grant is the neceffity;

Look, what will ferve, is fit; 'tis once, thou lov'ft;
And I will fit thee with the remedy.

I know, we shall have revelling to-night;
I will affume thy part in fome difguife,
And tell fair Hero I am Claudio;

And in her bofom I'll unclafp my heart,
And take her hearing prifoner with the force
And strong encounter of my amorous tale :
Then, after, to her father will I break;
And the conclufion is, fhe fhall be thine;
In practice let us put it presently.

Re-enter Leonato and Antonio.

[Exeunt.

Leon. How now, Brother, where is my Coufin your fon? hath he provided this musick?

Ant. He is very bufy about it; but, brother, I can tell you news that you yet dream'd not of. Leon. Are they good?

Ant. As the event ftamps them, but they have a good cover; they fhow well outward. The Prince and Count Claudio, walking in a thick-pleached alley in my orchard, were thus over-heard by a man of mine: The Prince difcover'd to Claudio, that he lov'd my neice your daughter, and meant to acknowledge it this night in a dance; and if he found her accordant, he meant to take the prefent time by the top, and inftantly break with you of it.

Leon. Hath the fellow any wit, that told you this? Ant. A good fharp fellow; I will fend for him, and question him yourself.

The faireft grant is the neceffity:] i. e. no one can have a better reafon for granting a ra

queft than the neceffity of its being granted- WARBURTON.

Leon

Leon. No, no, we will hold it as a dream, 'till it appear itfelf. But I will acquaint my daughter withal, that the may be the better prepared for anfwer, if peradventure this be true; go you and tell her of it. [Several cross the Stage here.] Coufin, you know what you have to do.-O, I cry you mercy, friend, go you with me and I will use your skill. Good Coufin, have a care this bufy time. [Exeunt.

Conr.

SCENE VI.

Changes to an Apartment in Leonato's Houfe.

Enter Don John and Conrade.

HAT the good-jer, my lord, why are you thus out of meafure fad?

WH

John. There is no measure in the occafion that breeds it, therefore the fadnefs is without limit.

Conr. You fhould hear reafon.

John. And when I have heard it, what Bleffing bringeth it?

Conr. If not a prefent remedy, yet a patient sufferance.

John. I wonder, that thou (being, as thou fay'st thou art, born under Saturn) goeft about to apply a moral medicine to a mortifying mifchief: I cannot hide what I am : * I must be fad when I have caufe, and smile at no man's jefts; eat when I have ftomach, and wait for no man's leifure; fleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man's bufinefs; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour 6.

I cannot hide what I am:] This is one of our author's natural touches. An envjous and unfocial mind, too proud to give pleasure, and too fullen to receive it, always en

Conr.

deavours to hide its malignity from the world and from itself, under the plainnefs of fimple honefty, or the dignity of haughty independence.

-claw no man in his bu mour.]

Conr. Yea, but you must not make the full fhow of this, 'till you may do it without controlement; you have of late ftood out against your brother, and he hath ta'en you newly into his grace, where it is impoffible you should take root, but by the fair weather that you make yourself; it is needful that you frame the feafon for your own harvest.

John. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rofe in his grace; and it better fits my blood to be difdain'd of all, than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any in this (though I cannot be faid to be a flattering honeft man) it must not be deny'd but I am a plain-dealing villain; I am trusted with a muzzel, and infranchifed with a clog, therefore I have decreed not to fing in my cage: if I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking: in the mean time let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.

Conr. Can you make no use of your discontent? John. I will make all ufe of it, for I ufe it only. Who comes here? what news, Boracbio?

Enter Borachio.

Bora. I came yonder from a great fupper; the

mour.] To claw is to flatter, fo the pope's claw backs, in bifhop Jewel, are the pope's flatterers. The fenfe is the fame in the proverb, Mulus mulum fcabit. 7 I had rather be a canker in a bede, than a rose in his grace ;] A canker is the canker role, dogrofe, cynofbatus, or bip. The fenfe is, I would rather live in obfcurity the wild life of nature, than owe dignity or estimation to my brother. He ftill continues his with of gloomy independence. But what is the meaning of the ex

preffion, a rofe in his grace? if he was a rofe of himself, his brother's grace or favour could not degrade him. I once read thus, I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rofe in his garden; that is, I had rather be what nature makes me, however mean, than owe any exaltation or improvement to my brother's kindnefs or cultivation. But a lefs change will be fufficient: I think it fhould be read, I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rofe by his grace.

Prince,