Pedro. We will not fail. Claud. To-night I'll mourn with Hero. Leon. Bring you thefe fellows on, we'll talk with Margaret, How her acquaintance grew with this lewd fellow. Bene. SCENE VI. [Exeunt feverally. Changes to Leonato's House. Enter Benedick, and Margaret. PR RAY thee, fweet Miftrefs Margaret, deserve well at my hands, by helping me to the fpeech of Beatrice. Marg. Will you then write me a fonnet in praise of my_beauty? Bene. In fo high a ftyle, Margaret, that no man living fhall come over it; for, in moft comely truth, thou deservest it. Marg. To have no Man come over me? why, fhall I always keep below stairs? Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth, it catches. Marg. And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. Bene. A moft manly wit, Margaret, it will not hurt 3 To have no Man come over me? why, shall I always keep below Stairs?] Thus all the printed Copies, but fure, erroneously for all the Jeft, that can lie in the Paffage, is deftroy'd by it. Any Man might come over her, literally speaking, if the always kept below Stairs. By the Correction I have ventur'd to make, Margaret, as. I prefume, muft mean, What! fhall I always keep above Stairs? i. e. Shall I for ever continue a Chambermaid? THEOBALD. I fuppofe, every reader will find the meaning of the old copies. S 4 a wo a woman; and fo, I pray thee, call Beatrice; I give thee the bucklers *. Marg. Give us the fwords; we have bucklers of our own. Bene. If you use them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with a vice, and they are dangerous weapons for maids. Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who, I think, hath legs. [Exit Margaret. Bene. And therefore will come. [Sings.] The God of love, that fits above, and knows me, and knows me, how pitiful I deferve, I mean, in finging; but in loving, Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of pandars, and a whole book full of thefe quondam carpet-mongers, whofe names yet run fmoothÎy in the even road of a blank verfe; why, they were never fo truly turn'd over and over, as my poor felf, in love; marry, I cannot fhew it in rhime; I have try'd; I can find out no rhime to lady but baby, an innocent's rhime; for fcorn, born, a hard rhime; for School, fool, a babling rhime; very ominous endings; no, I was not born under a rhiming planet, for I cannot woo in feftival terms. SCENE VII. Enter Beatrice. Sweet Beatrice, would'st thou come when I call thee? Beat. Yea, Signior, and depart when thou bid me. Bene. O, ftay but 'till then. Beat. Then, is fpoken; fare you well now; and yet ere I go, let me go with that I came for, which is, 4 I give thee the bucklers.] I fuppole that to give the bucklers is, to yield, or to lay by all thoughts of defence, lo clypeum abjicere, The reft deferves no comment with knowing what hath paft between you and Claudio. Bene. Only foul words, and thereupon I will kifs thee. Beat. Foul words are but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noifome; therefore I will depart unkift. Bene. Thou haft frighted the word out of its right fense, so forcible is thy wit; but, I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must shortly hear from him, or I will fubfcribe him. a coward; and I pray thee, now tell me, for which of my bad parts didft thou firft fall in love with me? Beat. For them all together; which maintain'd fo politick a state of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them: but for which of my good parts did you firft fuffer love for me? Bene. Suffer love! a good epithet; I do fuffer love, indeed, for I love thee against my will. Beat. In fpight of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart, if you fpight it for my fake, I will fpight it for yours; for I will never love that, which my friend hates. Bene. Thou and I are too wife to woo peaceably. Beat. It appears not in this confeffion; there's not one wife man among twenty that will praise himself. Bene. An old, an old inftance, Beatrice, that liv'd 5 in the time of good neighbours; if a man do nct erect in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he fhall live no longer in monuments, than the bells ring, and the widow weeps. Beat. And how long is that, think you? 6 Bene. Question? why, an hour in clamour, and 5 in the time of good neigh bours ;] i. e. When men were not envious, but every one gave another his due. The reply is extremely humourous. a quar WARBURTON.' 6 Question? why an hour, &c.] . e. What a question's there, a quarter in rhewm; therefore it is moft expedient for the wife, if Don worm (his confcience) find no impediment to the contrary, to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myfelf; fo much for praifing myfelf; who, I myself will bear witnefs, is praife-worthy; and now tell me, how doth your Coufin? Beat. Very ill. Bene. And how do you ? Beat. Very ill too. Bene. Serve God, love me, and mend; there will I leave you too, for here comes one in hafte. Enter Urfula. Urf. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yonder's old coil at home; it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falfely accus'd; the Prince and Claudio mightily abus'd; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone: will you come presently? Beat. Will you go hear this news, Signior? Bene. I will live in thy eyes, die in thy lap, and be bury'd in thy heart; and moreover I will go with thee to thy uncle. [Exeunt. Changes to a CHURCH. Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, and Attendants with Claud. Now mufick found, and fing your folemn hymn. SONG. Pardon, Goddess of the night, Help us to figh and groan Graves, yawn and yield your dead, Heavily, heavily. Claud. Now unto thy bones good night! Yearly will I do this Rite. Pedro. Good morrow, mafters, put your torches out; Before the wheels of Phabus, round about 7 Thofe that flew thy virgin Knight. Knight, in its original fignification, means Follower or Pupil, and in this fenfe may be feminine. Helena, in All's well, that ends well, ufes knight in the fame fignification. Thanks |