When he shall hear she dy'd upon his words,
Th’ idea of her Life fall sweetly creep
Into his study of imagination,
And every lovely organ of her life
Shull come apparel'd in more precious habit;
More moving, delicate, and full of life,
Into the eye and prospect of his foul. ,
Than when the liv'd indeed. Then shall he mourn,
If ever love had interest in his liver,
And with, he had not so accufed her ;
No, though he thought his accusation true:
Let this be fo, and doube not, but success
Will fashion the event in better shape
Than I can lay ic down in likelihood.
But if all Aim but this be levelld false,
The supposition of the lady's death
Will quench the wonder of her infamy.
And, if it fort not well, you may conceal her,
As best befits her wounded reputation,
In some reclusive and religious life,
Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries.

Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you:
And though you know, ny inwardness and love
Is very much unto the Prince and Claudio,
Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this
As secretly and jufily as your soul
Should with your body.

Leon. Being that I How in grief,
The smallest twine may lead me .

Friar. 'Tis well consented, presently away ; For to strange fores, strangely they ítrain the cure..

3 The smallest twine may lead scheme, and believe every prome]

This is one of mile. He that has no longer our author's observations upon any confidence in himself, is glad life. Men 'over-powered with to repole his trust in any other distress eagerly listen to the first that will undertake to guide him. offers of relief, close with every

Come, lady, die to live ; this wedding day, Perhaps, is but prolong’d: have patience and endure.

[Exeunt.

Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while ?
Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer.
Bene. I will not delire that.
Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely.
Bene. Surely, I do believe, your fair cousin is

wrong'd. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me, that would right her!

Bene. Is there any way to shew such friendship?
Beal. A very even way, but no such friend.
Bene. May a man do it?
Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours.

Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as you; is not that strange?

Beat. As strange as the thing I know not; it were as possible for me to lay, I loved nothing so well as you ; but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I con

4 SCENE III.] The poet, yet, on this confeflion, in this in my opinion, has shewn a great very place, depended the whole deal of address in this scene. success of the plot opon her and Beatrice here engages her lover Benedick. For had the not owned to revenge the injury done her her love here, they must have cousin Hero : And without this soon found out the trick, and very natural incident, consider- then the design of bringing them ing the character of Beatrice, together had been defeated ; and and that the story of her Paffion she would never have owned a for Benedick was all a fable, fe paffion she had been only tricked could never have been easily or into, had not her desire of renaturally brought to confess the venging her coufin's wrong made loved nim, notwithstanding all her drop her capricious humour the foregoing preparation. And at once. WARBURTON.

fels

fess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorrry for my cousin.

Bene. By my sword, Beatrice, thou lov'st me.
Beat. Do not swear by it, and eat it.

Bene. I will swear by it that you love me; and I will make him eat it, that says, I love not you.

Beat. Will you not eat your word ?

Bene. With no sauce that can be devis’d to it; I protest, I love thee.

Beat. Why then, God forgive me.
Bene. What offence, sweet Beatrice ?

Beat. You have stay'd me in a happy hour; I was about to protest, I lov'd you.

Bene. And do it with all thy heart.

Beat. I love you with so much of my heart, that none is left to protest.

Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee.
Beat. Kill Claudio.
Bene. Ha! not for the wide world.
Beat. You kill me to deny ; farewel.
Bene. Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, tho’ I am here; there is no love in

you ; nay, I pray you, let me go.
Bene. Beatrice,
Beal. In faith, I will go.
Bene, We'll be friends first.

Beat. You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy.

Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy?

Bect. Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath Nander’d, fcorn'd, dishonour'd my kinswoman! O, that I were a man! what! bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then with publick accusacion, uncover'd Nander, unmitigated rancourO God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. Bene. Hear me, Beatrice.

Beat.

R 3

Beat. Talk with a man olit at a window ?--a proper saying!

Lene. Nay, but Beatrice.

Beat. Sweet Hcro! she is wrong'u, Me is Nander’d, she is undone.

Bene. Beat

Biat Princes and Counts ! surely, a princely teli. mony, a goodly count-comfect, a fweer gallant, surely ! O that I were a man for his fake! Or that I had any friend would be a inan for my fake! but manhood is melted into curtefies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too ; he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only teils a lye, and swears it : I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

Dene. Tarry, good Beatrice ; by this hand, I love thee.

Beat. Use it for my love fome other way than swearing by it.

Bene. Think you in your soul, the Count Claudio hath wrong’d Hero?

Beat. Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a foul.

Bene. Enough, I am engag’d; I will challenge him, I will kiss your hand, and so leave you ; by this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account; as you beur of

me, so think of me; go confort your cousin ; I must .. lay, she is dead, and to farewel.

[Exeunt.

Changes to e Prison.
Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the

Town Clerk and Sexion in Gowns.
Te.CI. S our whole diffembly appear’d?

Dagb. O, a stool and a cushion for the texton !

Sexton.

Sex!cil. Which be the malefactors?
Virg. Marry, that am I and my Partner.

Dozb. Nay, that's certain, we have the exhibition to examine.

Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examin'd? let them come before master conflable.

To. Cl. Tea, marry, let them come before me; what is your name, friend?

Bora. Boracbio.
To. Cl. Pray, write down, Borcchio. Yours, Sirrah?

Conr. I am a gentleman, Sir, and my name is Conrede.

To Cl. Write down, master gentleman Conrade ; mafters, do you ferve God?

Both. Yea, Sir, we hope'.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they serve God: and write God first: for God defend, but God mould go bi fore such villains -Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves, and it will go near to be thought so shortly; how answer you for yourselves ?

Coir. Marry, Sir, we say, we are none.
To. Cl. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you,

but I will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah, a word in your ear, Sir; I say to you, it is thought you are both false knaves.

Bera. Sir, I say to you, we are none.

To. Cl. Well, itand aside; 'fore God, they are both in a tale; have you writ down, that they are none?

Sexton, Master town clerk, you go not the way to

s Both. Yia, Sir, we hope. have added from the oid Quarto.

To. Cl. Write doun that they Besides, it supplies a Defect : for, kope they serve God: and write without it, the Town Clark aiks God ferit; for God defend, but God a Quellion of the Prisoners, and jould go bercre fucb V llains;-) goes on without flaying for any This dort Paliage, which is truly Antwer to it. humou, ous and in character, I

THEOBALD.