Pedro. But when shall we fet the favage bull's horns on the fenfible Benedick's head.

Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man?

Bene. Fare you well, boy, you know my mind; I will leave you now to your goffip-like humour; you break jefts as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thank'd, hurt not. My lord, for your many courtefies I thank you; I muft difcontinue your company; your brother, the baftard, is fled from Melfina; you have among you kill'd a fweet and innocent lady. For my lord lack-beard there, he and I fhall meet; and 'till then, peace be with him! [Exit Benedick.

Pedro. He is in earnest.

Claud. In moft profound earnest, and, I'll warrant you, for the love of Beatrice.

Pedro. And hath challeng'd thee?

Claud. Moft fincerely.

Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hofe, and leaves off his wit!

SCENE IV.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Conrade and Borachio guarded.

Claud. He is then a giant to an ape; but then is an ape a doctor to fuch a man.

Pedro. But, foft you, let me fee, pluck up my heart and be fad; did he not fay my brother was filed ? Dogb. Come, you, Sir; if juftice cannot tame you.

What a pretty thing man is, ben be goes in his doublet and bofe, and leaves off his wit!] It was efteemed a mark of levity and want of becoming gravity, at that time, to go in the doublet and bofe, and leave off the cloak,

to which this well turn'd expreffion alludes. The thought is, that love makes a man as ridiculous, and expofes him as naked as being in the doublet and hose without a cloak. WARBURTON.

fhe

the fhall ne'er weigh more reafons in her balance; nay, an you be a curfing hypocrite once, you must be look'd

.to.

Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound? Borachio, one?

Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord.

Pedro. Officers, what offence have thefe men done? Dogb. Marry, Sir, they have committed falfe report; moreover, they have fpoken untruths; fecondarily, they are flanders; fixth and lastly, they have bely'd a lady; thirdly, they have verify'd unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.

Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I afk thee what's their offence; fixth and laftly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge?

Claud. Rightly reafon'd, and in his own divifion ; and by my troth, there's one meaning well fuited '. Pedro. Whom have you offended, mafters, that you are thus bound to your anfwer? This learned conftable is too cunning to be understood. What's your offence?

Bora. Sweet Prince, let me go no further to mine anfwer: do you hear me, and let this Count kill me: I have deceiv'd even your very eyes; what your wif doms could not difcover, these fhallow fools have brought to light, who in the night overheard me confeffing to this man, how Don John your brother incens'd me to flander the lady Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, and faw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you difgrac'd her, when you should marry her; my villany they have upon record, which I had rather feal with my death, than repeat over to my fhame; the lady is dead upon mine

one meaning well the Prince having asked the fame question in four modes of speech.

fuited.] That is, one meaning is put into many different drefes;

and my mafter's falfe accufation; and briefly, I defire nothing but the reward of a villain.

Pedro. Runs not this fpeech like iron through your

blood?

Claud. I have drunk poifon, while he utter'd it. Pedro. But did my brother fet thee on to this? Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery; And fled he is upon this villany.

Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare femblance that I lov'd it firft.

Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this time, our Sexton hath reform'd Signior Leonato of the matter; and, mafters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an afs.

Verg. Here, here comes mafter Signior Leonato, and the Sexton too.

SCENE V.

Enter Leonato and Sexton.

Leon. Which is the villain? let me fee his eyes; That when I note another man like him,

I may avoid him; which of these is he?

Bora. If you would know your wronger, look on

me.

Leon. Art thou, art thou the flave, that with thy breath

Haft kill'd mine innocent child?

Bora. Yea, even I alone.

Leon. No, not fo, villain; thou bely'ft thyself; Here stand a pair of honourable men,

A third is filed, that had a hand in it :

I thank you, Princes, for my daughter's death;
Record it with your high and worthy deeds;
'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it.
Claud. I know not how to pray your patience,

Yet

Yet I must speak: chufe your revenge yourself;
Impose me to what penance your invention
Can lay upon my fin; yet finn'd I not,

But in mistaking.

Pedro. By my foul, nor I;

And yet, to fatisfy this good old man,
I would bend under any heavy weight,

That he'll enjoin me to.

Leon. You cannot bid my daughter live again, That were impoffible; but, I pray you both, Poffefs the People in Messina here

How innocent the dy'd; and if your love
Can labour aught in fad invention,
Hang her an Epitaph upon her tomb,
And fing it to her bones: Sing it to-night;
To-morrow morning come you to my house,
And fince you could not be my fon-in-law,
Be yet my nephew; my brother hath a daughter,
Almoft the copy of my child that's dead,

And fhe alone is heir to both of us;

Give her the Right you should have given her Coufin, And fo dies my revenge.

Claud. O noble Sir!

Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me:
I do embrace your offer: and difpofe

For henceforth of poor Claudio.

Leon. To-morrow then I will expect your Coming. To-night I take my leave. This naughty man Shall face to face be brought to Margaret, Who, I believe, was pack'd in all this wrong, Hir'd to it by your brother.

Bora. No. by my foul fhe was not;

Nor knew not what she did, when she spoke to me.
But always hath been just and virtuous,
In any thing that I do know by her.

Dogb. Moreover, Sir, which indeed is not under white and black, this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me afs: I beseech you, let it be remembred in his

S3

punish

2

punishment; and alfo the watch heard them talk of one Deformed: they fay, he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it; and borrows money in God's name, the which he hath us'd fo long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for God's fake. Pray you, examine him upon that point.

Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honeft pains. Dogb. Your Worfhip fpeaks like a moft thankful and reverend youth; and I praife God for you. Leon. There's for thy pains.

Dogb. God fave the foundation?

Leon. Go, I difcharge thee of thy prifoner; and I

thank thee.

Dogb. I leave an errant knave with your Worship, which, I befeech your Worship to correct yourself, for the example of others. God keep your Worship; I with your Worship well: God reftore you to health; I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wifh'd, God prohibit it. Come, neighbour. [Exeunt. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, Lords, farewel. Ant. Farewel, my Lords; we look for you to

morrow.

he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it: and borrows money in God's name,] There could not be a pleasanter ridicule on the fashion, than the conftable's defcant on his own blunder. They heard the confpirators fatyrize the fabion; whom they took to be a man, furnamed, Deformed. This the conftable applies with exquifite humour to the courtiers, in a defcription of one of the moft fantastical fashions of that time, the men's wearing rings in their cars, and indulging a favourite

This

lock of hair which was brought
before, and tied with ribbons,
and called a Love-lock. Againft
this fafhion William Prinn wrote
his treatife, called, The unlovely-
nefs of Love-locks. To this fan-
taftick mode Fletcher alludes in
his Cupid's Revenge
morning I brought him a new pe-
riwig with a lock at it and
yonder's a fellow come has bored
a hole in his ear. And again in
his Woman-hater If I could
endure an ear with a hole in it,
or a platted lock, &c.

WARBURTON.
Pedro