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

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that fhe brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheat 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 mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor.

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 lose 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-house for the fign 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 shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clap'd on the shoulder, and call'd Adam.a

Pedro. Well, as time shall 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 on my forehead, and let me be vilely painted; and in fuch great letters as they write, Here is good horfe to hire, let them fignify under my fign, 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 spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this fhortly.

a

Bene. I look for an earthquake too then..

Alluding to one Adam Bell a famous archer of old..

Befides that Venice is as remarkable for freedoms in amorous intrigues as Cyprus was of old, there may be a farther conjecture why this expreffion is here used: the Italians give to each of their principal cities a particular diftinguishing title, as, Roma la fanta, Napoli la gentile, Genoua la fuperba, &c. and among the reft it is, Venetia la ricca, Venice the wealthy: a farcasm therefore feems to be here implied that money governs love..

Pedro.

Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the hours: in the mean time, good fignior 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 almost matter enough in me for such an embasfage, and fo I commit you

Claud. To the tuition of god. From my house, if I had it, Pedro. The fixth of July, your loving friend, Benedick. Bene. Nay mock not, mock not; the body of your discourse is fometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly bafted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your conscience, and so I leave you.

SCENE V.

Claud. My liege, your highness now may do me 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 places 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.

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'll break with her: was't not to this end,

[Exit.

That

That thou began'ft to twift fo fine a story?

Claud. How fweetly do you minifter to love,
That know love's grief by his complexion!
But left my liking might too fudden seem,
I would have falv'd it with a longer treatise.

Pedro. What need the bridge much broader than the flood! The fairest plea is the neceffity;

Look, what will ferve, is fit; 'tis once, thou lovest,

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, she shall 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 show 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 discover'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, meant to take the present time by the top, and instantly 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.

Leon. No, no; we will hold it as a dream, 'till it appear itself:

but

but I will acquaint my daughter with all, that she may be the better prepared for anfwer, if peradventure this be true; go you, and tell her of it: coufins, you know what you have to do. [Some cross the frage.] O, I cry you mercy, friend, go you with me, and I will use your skill; good coufin, have a care this bufy [Exeunt.

time.

Conr.

W

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Enter Don John, and Conrade.

HAT the goujeres, my lord! why are you thus out of measure fad?

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

Conr. You fhould hear reason.

John. And when I have heard it, what blessing bringeth it? Conr. If not a prefent remedy, yet a patient fufferance. John. I wonder that thou (being, as thou fay'ft thou art, born under saturn) goest about to apply a moral medicine to a mortifying mischief: I cannot hide what I am : Imust be sad when I have caufe, and smile at no man's jefts; eat when I have stomach, and wait for no man's leifure; fleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man's business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour.

Conr. Yea, but you must not make the full show of this, 'till you may do it without controlment: 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 season 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

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 muzzle, and enfranchised 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 feek not to alter me.

Conr. Can you make no use of your discontent?

John. I will make all use of it, for I use it only. Who comes here? what news, Borachio?

Enter Borachio.

Bora. I came yonder from a great fupper; the prince, your brother, is royally entertain'd by Leonato; and I can give you intelligence of an intended marriage.

John. Will it ferve for any model to build mischief on? what is he for a fool that betroths himself to unquietness?

Bora. Marry, it is your brother's right hand.

John. Who, the most exquifite Claudio?

Bora. Even he.

John. A proper fquire! and who,and who? which way looks he? Bora. Marry, on Hero, the daughter and heir of Leonato. John. A very forward march chick! How come you to this? Bora. Being entertain'd for a perfumer, as I was fmoking a mufty room, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand, in fad conference: I whipt behind the arras, and there heard it agreed upon that the prince fhould woo Hero for himself, and, having obtain'd her, give her to count Claudio.

John. Come, come, let us thither; this may prove food to my difpleasure that young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow; if I can crofs, him any way, I blefs myself every way you are both fure, and will affift me?

Conr. To the death, my lord.

John. Let us to the great fupper; their cheer is the greater that I am fubdu'd: would, the cook were of my mind! fhall we go prove what's to be done?

Bora. We'll wait upon your lordship.

VOL. I.

L11

[Exeunt.

ACT

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